When we got to the front door of the house my parents owned, I was scared to go in but Sunil assured me that everything would be fine and that there was nothing to worry about.  He walked up the stairs ahead of me and rang the doorbell.  My sister answered dressed in a plain salwar kameez and I was really surprised to find her dressed in one.  Sunil and I exchanged looks as we walked through the door but it wasn't until we were completely in the house that I realized what was going on.  Sunil's parents were here and I wasn't dressed in the traditional wear.

I looked at Sunil with a look of horror on my face but he put a finger to his lips and lead me into the living room where my parents were seated with his parents.  Everyone stood up then and stared at me and just as my father was going to start talking, Sunil cut in.  "Before anyone says a word, I want you all to know that I met up with Avantika for lunch today since my appointments were cancelled and I took her to get some different clothes.  I mean, come on, girls in India hardly wear the traditional clothing anymore and she's in college."  He said.  "She should be able to blend it."

"Lekin beta..."  But son, my mother's voice trailed off.

"Ma, she's fine like this."  He said.  "I don't like all this traditional stuff.  Please ma, she's a very sweet girl and she knows the traditions and values.  Don't put her down just because I don't want her to wear a sari.  Believe me she can put one on if you really wanted her to."  

His parents looked at me and after thinking about it for a while they nodded.  "Alright."  She gave in. 

Sunil and I smiled at each other and I went over and touched their feet as a sign of respect.  "Jite raho."  Live long, they both said to me.  

My sister came over to me and handed me the platter with the samosas on it and I offered them samosas as they sat back down and then I put the platter on the table and went over to my parents to touch their feet, though I know it wasn't needed.  They told me to sit down and so I did and Sunil sat next to me.  "Your parents tell us that you're in your second year of college?"  His father asked.

I nodded.  "Haan, uncle."  Yes, uncle.   I told him.  Out of respect, we would call elders, whether or not they were family, uncle and aunt.

"What are you studying?"  His mother asked.

"Psychology and Special Education auntie."  I told her.

She smiled then.  "You know we have a child in our family, our grandson to be exact, who is autistic?"

I nodded.  "Rahul.  Sunil-ji told me on the train ride home."

They nodded, pleased that I knew that piece of information.  "Your parents tell us that you do the prayers every Sunday?"  His mother asked me.

"Yes."  I said.

"Didi gets up earlier than everyone on Sundays."  My sister told them, using the Hindi word for sister.  

I gave her a look that told her not to push her luck.  I didn't want to overdo it with impressing them.  "So Sunil," his father said, looking at him.  "How do you like it here?"

"It's homlier."  Sunil said staring at me.  "I'm too used to staying in expensive Manhattan hotels with everyone waiting on me hand and foot and here...well I help with chores and I really like that."

"And how do you find Avantika?"  His mother asked.

"Mom, please."  He said.  "You talk about her like she's a prize that I won or something."  He said.  "Excuse me." 

My cheeks flushed when he said that and when his mom was going to get up to console him, his father told me to go instead and so I excused myself and went after him.  I found him in his room upstairs and knocked on the open door before I entered. "Sorry about that."  He said.  "Come in."

"What's wrong?"  I asked.  "She just asked if you like me."  I sat down his bed reluctantly since he was sitting on the chair at his desk.  

"I just...I don't know why she had to ask it like that.  She could've just asked how we were getting along.  She asked it as if asking how I liked the food or something.  I just hate when they do that."

I was picking at the little bit of lint that was on his blanket and focused on it when I said, "Well what do you think of me?"

Silence filled the room then and after what seemed like ages he spoke.  "Can you answer that question first?"  He asked sincerely.

I took a deep breath and really thought hard about it and well the truth was that he was good looking and tall.  His had just the right amount of muscles and his eyes, well I wished i could stare into them for hours.  I was always shy around him, afraid to say anything but then part of me liked feeling that way and more often than not when he was around I'd get butterflies in my stomach and I'd get nervous but I'd ignore those feelings.  The only reason why I'd ignored those feelings was because I thought I felt like that because I was deathly scared of this marriage, because I didn't like him but after tonight and him meeting me at the train station, suddenly I realized that those weren't feelings of being scared or not liking him.

I cleared my throat when I had the answer.  "I think you're very nice."  I told him.

"You know what I mean, Ava.  Do you like me?"  He asked.

I closed my eyes and pulled on a piece of lint.  "Yes."  I told him.  "I do.  Now you have to answer that question."

He looked at me as if he were sizing me up, the way I was in my head and after a minute he answered me.  "Yes."  He said.  "I do.  Like I said earlier, I wouldnt mind marrying you."

I felt my face got hot and turn beat red and then I found myself running out of his room with a huge smile on my face.