Pleasing his parents...

#1

"Namaste Aunty" I press my palms together infront of me. Too traditional?

"Good morning Sir" I stretch my hand out. Too formal?

"Thank you for inviting me..." I bow my head slightly. Too impersonal?

"Wow...you have a beautiful house" I smile. Too cliché?

Too cliché indeed.

I practice in front of the mirror with my reflection mocking my appearance and the mirror taunting my greetings. I'm meeting Abhi's parents today and I want it to be perfect. I want them to accept me and welcome me into their family.

Today is really important for me because I've seen the way my mom and her mom-in-law a.k.a. my grandmom fight all the time. I don't want that kind of relationship between my mother-in-law and me. And for that to happen, everything today has to go smoothly...so I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

"Ready?" Abhi calls as he leans against the door.

"Yes." I call back and look at myself one last time. "Let's go."

***

I shift in the car seat, fidgeting with the hem of my dress.

"Are you nervous?" Abhi asks.

"Kind of. Yes."

"Don't worry. You'll be fine."

"Just fine?" I mumble, but he doesn't reply. Maybe he didn't hear me or maybe he thinks it's true.

***

First impression is the best impression, first impression is the best impression...

I repeat the sentence in my mind as we walk to the front door of his parents' house.

I tuck stray strands of hair behind my ear and bite my lip, as he rings the bell.

"Pooja, don't bite your lip" He reprimands. "You know what it does to me." He comes closer to me.

"Abhi!" I push him away as his mother opens the door.

"Darling!! They're here!" She shouts into the house.

"Hello Aunty." I smile at her. Great Pooja...just great! Couldn't have been more clever. After all that practice...damn.

"Hello Beti...So beautiful" She says, lifting my head with her hand under my chin.

"Pooja right?" Uncle says, coming to the door and adjusting his glasses to look at me.

"Namaste Uncle"

"Namaste namaste!" He grins, and gestures for us to come inside and sit down.

"Let me get the snacks" Aunty rushes into the kitchen as the rest of us sit down.

"Abhi told us a lot about you." Uncle smiles at me.

"Everything good, I hope." I ask nervously.

"Aah..yes of course!" He laughs. "Tell me dear, what do you think of our son?"

I look at Abhi, who sits carelessly on the sofa, reading a newspaper article, utterly uninterested in our conversation. I smile at him but he doesn't notice.

"He's great Uncle. What can I say? There is just so much to him."

His dad smiles at me and nods, beaming at his son.

"Here you go!!" His mom announces as she sets a tray filled with food and drinks on the table and joins us.

We eat in awkward silence. Well I guess it was only awkward for me because I try to stare as much as possible at the food or the floor, not wanting to look up.

"Abhi...do you like the samosa?" Aunty asks him, holding up another one to his plate.

He nods.

"So where do you live Pooja?" Uncle asks.

"Live?" I laugh feebly, assuming he was joking. But, he looks surprised instead.

I gulp and kick Abhi as inconspicuously as I can. Did he not tell them that we moved in together three months ago?? Oh no...

"Near Abhi's apartment, Sir" I answer. You can never imagine how near.

"Oh...good good." He nods and finishes the food on his plate.

Aunty suddenly says, "Did you fix a date for the marriage?"

I nearly choke on air. Is this an OK signal? We never told her that we decided to get married.

"Not yet Ma." Abhi says. He looks at me and answers my non-worded question, "I told her yesterday."

What?? He told his mother and didn't bother to tell me? This is a huge deal for me. Doesn't he realise that?

"We are so happy that our boy has found the right girl for him."

I stare at her in shock. "Umm.."

She smiles. "We can't wait for you to join our family, Pooja."

Oh my god!! I grin at her from ear to ear. "Neither can I, aunty!"

~~~*~~~

A/N:

Hola! I really wanted to try a different theme for a story, so came up with this...

Do vote if you liked the chapter!! 

Thanks a ton... ^-^

~ Alexis