The entire ride back to their home, nobody spoke. Vikram’s mind was blank, only repeating her words over and over again, like a broken record. While his sister and parents were shocked at what had just happened on a seemingly normal Friday. Ranjani was silently preparing a list of questions in her head, to ask once safely at home and her son had a cup of coffee in his hands to calm him down. She couldn’t help herself from smiling a little though. She couldn’t remember the last time Vikram bent to someone’s words other than hers or her daughter.

Vikram bounded up the stairs as soon as he entered the house, while Ranjani strode directly to the kitchen, prepared to make the best coffee of her life. Vidyut and Deepthi, Vikram’s father and sister, collapsed on the couches in the living room, exchanging glances every five seconds as they didn’t dare speak yet. Changing into more comfortable clothes, Vikram headed back downstairs, swiping a hand through his hair. He would rather be anywhere else than here right now, but he only knew the consequences would get worse the longer he ignored it, especially since he hadn’t properly spoken to his mother in over a month. But, he wasn’t going to go easy on her either for the unwelcome surprise she had dumped on him.

Just as Deepthi couldn’t control herself any longer and mouthed at her father ‘I got her phone number’, Vikram plopped down on the couch across from her and asked, “Who’s phone number?” Deepthi nearly jumped a foot in the air, her eyes widening to twice their size. Snuggling closer to her father, she gave Vikram a wide, innocent smile and asked, “Kya kaha aapne bhai?”

(What did you say, bhai?)

“Maine poocha…”

(I was asking…)

“Yeh lijiye sab, garama garam coffee.”

(Here you go everyone, steaming hot coffee.)

Ranjani placed the tray on the table and handed out the cups. Vikram took a sip and sighed in relief, closing his eyes. He had missed his mom’s coffee. Then an intrusive thought made its way into his mind. But the two cups of chai you drank could give this coffee a run for its money. Do you think coffee by her hand would taste as good, too? Opening his eyes, he glared at the devil in his mind, who simply shrugged and gave him a smug look. Looking up, he transferred that glare to his mom, but she was looking at him with an expectant smile on her face. “Ek mahine baad mere haath ka coffee pee rahe ho, kaisa bana hain?”

(You’re having coffee by my hand after a month, how is it?)

Dammit, he could never stay mad at her. “Bohot accha bana hain Maa, aapka coffee ka bohot yaad aaya wahan. Lekin aaj aapne joh kiya, theek nahi tha. Mujhse keh dete aap ki rishta dekhne chal rahe hain, main mana nahi karta.” Ok, maybe he would have.

(It’s very good, Maa. I missed your coffee over there. But what you did today, that wasn’t right. You could have just told me we were going to see a rishta, I wouldn’t have said no.)

She cupped his face, patting his cheek. “I’m sorry, beta. Main tum par thoda naraaz tha, aur dar tha ki kahin tum apna mann na badalde shaadi ke baare mein. Hmm, lekin ab tum bata, woh sab kya hua tha wahan pe? Itna achanak se naa bola tune ki mujhe laga tum mere kiye par badla leh raha tha.”

(I’m sorry, beta. I was a little angry at you, and I was scared that you would change your mind about marriage. Hmm, but now you tell me, what just happened over there? You said ‘no’ so suddenly that I thought you were taking revenge on me.)

“Nahi Maa, aisa nahi tha. Bas…”

(No Maa, it wasn’t like that. Just…)

“Bas kya?”

(Just what?)

“Bas use jaanne ko koshish kar raha tha. Lekin usne mere saare expectations thod di.”

(I was just trying to get to know her. But she broke all my expectations.)

“Naa kehkar jaanne ko koshish kar raha tha?!” Ranjani stared at her son as if he’d grown two additional heads.

(You were trying to get to know her by saying ‘no’?!)

“But oh my god bhai, aap donon ke conversation toh iss duniya se baahar tha! Maine socha ki aapka toh hil gaya, lekin usne aapko aise jawaab di ki joh hil gaya tha, woh wapas set bhi hogaya.”

(But oh my god, bhai, your conversation was just out of this world! I thought you had lost it, but she gave you such an answer that whatever was wrong got set again.)

He gave her his most serious look. “Main hila hua lagta hoon tumhe?”

(Do I look like I’ve lost it?)

Deepthi scrunched up her face and looked away. “Bhai, aise questions mat poochiye jahan jawaab dene mein accha nahi lagta.”

(Bhai, don’t ask me questions where it won’t look good to answer them.)

“Bada bhai hoon tera, apne hadd mein reh,” he scolded her, which only earned him a hair flip. He smiled into his coffee.

(I’m your older brother, stay in your limits.)

He missed his baby sister, the devil and angel in his life, the one who always managed to make him laugh. “Waise,” Vidyut ventured, “tumne kuch socha hain?”

(By the way, did you think about it?)

At Vikram’s blank look, Ranjani elaborated. “Tumhare faisle ke baare mein...”

(About your decision…)

Vikram grumbled something under his breath, then set the empty coffee cup on the table and left to his study. The three of them sighed in disappointment, because they knew they would have to wait until Vikram was ready to tell them his answer. “Main toh beshak keh sakthi hoon, mujhe Aanandita bohot pasand aayi. Matlab tameez hain, par apna point-of-view par khade rehna bhi aati hain. Aur mujhe lagta hain ki mujhse bhi zyaada mature hain. It’s only a bonus that she’s so beautiful and a successful career woman, too.”

(I will say without a doubt, I loved Aanandita. She’s got manners, but also knows how to express her point-of-view. And I think she’s even more mature than me. It’s only a bonus that she’s so beautiful and a successful career woman, too.)

“Hmm, mujhe bhi laga ki tumse zyaada mature hain.”

(Hmm, I also think she’s more mature than you.)

Ranjani squinted her eyes at her husband at his blatant statement. Laughing, he pulled her close and kissed her temple. “Mazaak kar raha tha, meri Rani.”

(I’m joking, my queen.)

Deepthi giggled to herself at her parents’ cuteness. With such an example of marriage in front of her, how could she settle for anything else?

The next morning, Vikram ate his breakfast in silence while the rest of his family talked amongst themselves, an entirely normal occurrence. As he was leaving, he paused at the door, not bothering to turn around. “Maa.”

“Hmm?”

(Yes?)

“Haan boldo unhe.” He walked out the door, leaving his family in shock, which soon turned into excited squeals of happiness.

(Tell them ‘yes’.)