Epilogue
“You’re going to be late,” a deep voice murmured in her ear.
Meghna scowled. “I’m not going to miss my flight. I’ve got plenty of time.” She looked back at the stage and pursed her lips. “Shruti, could you try that again? Maybe a little angrier?”
The college student nodded, repeating her line a couple times until Meghna stopped her. “That’s it. That’s perfect.” She checked the time on her phone and cursed. “Okay, now I’ve got to get going.”
Karthik chuckled, and she shoved him playfully. “That’s a wrap on our last rehearsal!” she called out. “See you all next week.” She rushed out of the auditorium, pulling her suitcase behind her. She still couldn’t believe that these students had volunteered to help with her first ever stage reading. She’d spent the last few years of her MFA program refining and revising her musical, and soon she’d get to sit in the audience and listen to these actors read her words. And maybe, one day, if everything kept going according to plan, she’d get to see her entire musical performed.
Karthik caught up with her, swiping her suitcase out of her hands. “I already called you a car,” he said as they exited the building. He greeted the driver, then put her bag in the trunk.
He gave her a quick hug goodbye, but she held on a little longer. “Are you sure you can’t come with me?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
He smiled, leaning down to kiss her. “As much as I’d love to celebrate your dad’s birthday, I’ve got that meeting this afternoon. You’ll have to go to Dallas by yourself.”
“But it’s a Saturday,” Meghna whined, but Karthik just shook his head.
“Didn’t you just leave rehearsal? Isn’t that your work?”
“Yeah, but that’s different.”
“Why?”
Meghna lifted a shoulder. “Well, because my work is fun.”
Karthik laughed and helped her into the car. “Well, believe it or not, I think my job is fun too.” After one last kiss, he told her to travel safe, closed the door, then waved goodbye.
Meghna waved through the window and smiled. She still didn’t see how Karthik managed to find engineering “fun,” but she had to admit that he was enjoying his new job a lot more than his old one. Since joining the biomedical team, Karthik had been coming home excited and eager to talk with her about his latest projects. The work was hands-on and creative, and the robotic surgical assistant he’d been working on was in its final stage of beta-testing. If everything went according to plan, it would soon be out in the market.
Meghna loved that he was happier, but she hated that he had to stay back in New York and work this weekend. Thankfully, her flight to Dallas passed quickly, and soon she was exiting the airport, keeping an eye out for her parents’ car in the pickup line. She couldn’t wait to see them, even though she had to mentally prepare herself for the incoming questions.
Her mother kept asking when she and Karthik would get married, and Meghna was never sure how to answer. Honestly, she had no idea when, or if, she and Karthik would get married.
True to his word, Karthik had been trying to work through his reservations about marriage. Almost eighteen months ago, he’d told Meghna that he wanted to start going to therapy. There was so much unresolved with his father, and though he didn’t want to believe it, he still had a lot of fear that he’d turn out like him. Meghna had been supportive of Karthik’s decision, and it had helped them have a lot of conversations about marriage and the future, though they rarely discussed anything concrete.
But Meghna wasn’t in any kind of rush. She loved Karthik. And their life together. She would love to be married to him one day, but she didn’t want to hurry anything along. She wanted to marry him whenever he was ready. And she was more than willing to wait for whenever that was.
“Meghna,” her father cried, waving at her from the passenger seat. She went over to greet her parents and climbed into the back. On the drive home, they caught up, talking about their plans for her father’s small birthday celebration at home. But for some reason, Meghna’s mother was uncharacteristically quiet, leaving Meghna and her father to carry the bulk of the conversation.
It wasn’t until they pulled into the driveway that her mother finally started talking.
“You know, I wouldn’t normally do this, beta, but is there any chance you’d be interested in a rishta?”
Meghna just stared at her mother, confused by what she was hearing.
“I mean, it’s been two years,” her mother continued. “And you should know that you have options if Karthik won’t propose.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, a friend’s son came to visit and we thought you might like to meet him. He was going to be in town anyway, so what’s the harm?”
“The harm is that I’m not interested, Mom,” Meghna said. “It’s a waste of time.”
“But how do you know that?” her mother asked. “Without meeting him?”
“Because I’m with Karthik!”
Her mother breathed out a world-weary sigh. As if she was the one with something to complain about.
“Fine,” she said. “But he’s already here. His mom’s an old friend from college. She asked if he could come by for tea, and I said yes. He’ll only be here for a short time. But I think he’s a great catch, Meghna.”
Meghna gritted her teeth, following her parents into the house. She didn’t know what her mother was possibly thinking. Sure, her mother made hints and asked questions and pushed every now and then, but she had never done anything like this.
“Do you mind getting him?” her mother asked as she poured herself a cup of chai from the teapot on the table. “He’s in the study.”
Meghna tossed up her hands in frustration, but walked the short distance there. The sooner she got him, the sooner this could all be over.
Karthik ran his fingers over the ring in his pocket as he paced back and forth in the study. The study where he and Meghna had really talked for the first time. Where they’d realized they both had feelings for each other. The study where he was about to propose.
Technically, this would be his third proposal to Meghna, if he included the initial fake one on their first video call and the other fake one in Nashville. But this was the first time he would really mean it. The first time he would propose marriage without any fear. All he felt now when he thought about marrying Meghna was anticipation. Excitement. He couldn’t wait to begin this new chapter of their lives, and he wanted to start it now.
The door to the study swung open, and Meghna walked in quickly before coming to a sudden stop.
“Karthik? What are you doing here?”
He didn’t say anything. He just smiled, walking toward her eagerly. He’d made plans for what he would say. How he would do this. But he couldn’t resist moving closer, drawing her in for a kiss. She responded, moving her mouth against his, but after a moment, she pulled back, her face slightly confused.
“What are you doing here?” she asked again. “I thought you had to stay back in—”
Karthik dropped to one knee, and Meghna stopped talking, her mouth opening slightly in surprise.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “We don’t have to … You don’t have to … Karthik, I’m fine waiting. I really am, and—”
“Well, I’m not. Meghna, I love you. And every time I close my eyes and think about the future, you’re there. Front and center. The first person I want to see when I wake up and the last person I want to see when I go to sleep. I love being there for you. In the big things. And the small things. And I love that you’re there for me too. You’re my home. My family. And I don’t want to wait. I fell in love with you a long time ago. And I want to keep loving you. Every day. For as long as we both shall live. So if you—”
“Yes,” Meghna said, her eyes bright with emotion. “Yes.”
Karthik laughed. “You’re supposed to wait for me to—”
“I don’t care,” she said, pulling on his hand, making him stand back up. “I love you. And yes.”
He kissed her, and they stayed locked in each other’s arms, only breaking apart when sounds of celebration traveled from the hallway. They opened the study door to see Meghna’s parents and his mother standing there with glee written across their faces.
Karthik shook his head, but laughed loudly. He should have expected that their parents would try to eavesdrop.
Meghna’s mother rushed to hug Meghna, then pulled back.
“You’re not the only one who can act, beta,” her mother said smugly, making Meghna laugh, then reach back to hug her again.
Meghna’s father congratulated them and handed out glasses of champagne, while Karthik’s mother watched Karthik with a smile.
“You know, this means I successfully arranged your marriage,” she told him.
“Amma, I never doubted you for a second,” he replied with a deadpan expression, which got a loud snort from both his mother and Meghna.
His mother wrapped her arms around him, and he used that moment to offer a quiet but sincere “Thank you.” For introducing him to Meghna. For loving him so well. For standing up for herself and finding her own happiness.
In the past couple of years, his mother had blossomed, taking control of her life in a way he hadn’t anticipated. She’d turned her decades of skill in the kitchen into a flourishing business, running her own catering company. She operated out of the house for now, but had plans to expand, with the hope of opening her own restaurant one day. He couldn’t have been prouder.
The doorbell rang, and everyone went to get it, but Karthik put a hand on Meghna’s arm, stopping her from following.
“What?” she asked, turning to him with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s just Ankita and Samir. I invited them to come over for the celebration.”
Meghna smiled. Ankita and Samir had gone through some ups and downs over the last couple of years, but with time and therapy, the two had emerged stronger and more in love than ever. Samir had moved back to Dallas a year ago, and from what he’d told Meghna, he was planning on asking Ankita to move in with him soon.
“We should go say hi—”
“We can go see them in a minute,” Karthik said, tugging her back into the study and closing the door.
Meghna looked around in surprise. Then her face split into a wide grin. “Yeah? And what are we going to do in here for a whole minute?”
He moved toward her, putting his hands on her waist, pulling her body flush against his.
“I’ve got a few ideas,” he murmured, and she laughed.
Then he let her go and started unbuttoning his shirt.
Meghna’s eyes widened. “Seriously? Right now? I thought you were kidding.”
Karthik winked, but kept unbuttoning. “Just wait a second. You didn’t let me finish my proposal. I have one more thing to show you.”
He pulled his collared shirt off, revealing the T-shirt he wore underneath. It was light gray with a large yellow daisy in the center. Above the daisy was a speech bubble with the words “I’m a phool for you.”
Meghna burst out laughing, and Karthik smiled. He’d designed a couple different options, but he was glad he’d gone with this one. “Phool” was Hindi for “flower,” and daisies were her absolute favorite. He bought them for her every chance he got.
She threw her arms around his neck. “I’m a fool for you too, you know.”
He smiled. “Oh, I know.”
She swatted him playfully, then sighed as the voices outside the door grew louder. “We should probably get back out there.”
Karthik shook his head, his eyes bright and focused on her. “Not until I get another kiss from my fiancée.”
“Your real fiancée,” she said, pushing up onto her tiptoes.
He smiled, cupping her face in his hands. “You are more than my fiancée. You are my jaan.”
She beamed, closing the remaining distance between them. And then their mouths met, sealing their engagement and starting their future with a kiss.