Silently Falling in Love: Race - #Wattys2017

Chapter 41 - March 1997

Alex

I picked up the phone groggy, it must be one of my family members because for some reason they could never properly calculate the time difference between the US and China.

"Hello," I croaked.

"Amar, I'm so sorry did I wake you up again? Should I call back?" my brother asked.

"No, it's fine Arjun. How are you?"

"I'm great! How are you? When are you done with your assignment in China?"

"I'm extending it," I stated.

"Why?"

"I like it here," because it's away from Anjali.

"Wow, I would never have expected you to like China, I guess there's always surprises when it comes to you."

"How is Kavita?" I asked changing the topic. Because if there is anything I could do to get Arjun off my back it was to ask about Kavita.

"Oh Kavita's wonderful, but I just wanted to call you with good news," Arjun beamed.

"You're going to propose to Kavita?" I asked a little surprised.

"Well, yeah, eventually, but not now. But you know who is engaged?"

"No who?" I asked bored thinking it was probably someone we had grown up with – someone's daughter or son I barely remembered. For some reason Arjun, still kept up with all of the gossip back home.

"Anjali and Raj. They are officially engaged. It happened last month and I realized I haven't spoken to you in so long that you probably didn't know. Anyway, they're trying to set a wedding date and I wanted to find out when you'll be back from China. Everyone was asking about you at the engagement and I told them you were on an overseas assignment, but you'll be expected at the wedding."

"When is it?" I ask so I can figure out an excuse for not going.

"The date hasn't been set, the priest is having a hard time getting a date that works with their horoscope and their schedules. I didn't realize how difficult setting a wedding date would be."

So she was really doing it. I had tried to call her bluff but looks like I was the one who was fooled.

"Tell her and Raj congratulations," I said on autopilot.

"Why don't you call her and tell her yourself?"

"We seem to be playing phone tag you know with all of the time differences and all, so the next time you talk to her tell her I wish her and Raj well," I lied.

"When are you coming home next?"

"I don't know yet. When will Anjali have a date?"

"Yeah that's a good idea, you should wait until Anjali sets a date before you come back here. Because if you come back for a visit and her wedding is shortly after that you'll make some excuse you can't get away from work. So good thinking, better to wait until Anjali sets a date," Arjun babbled.

That was so not my intention. Shit!

"Plus you know mom and dad will be there at the wedding so you can just see them then. And if that's the case maybe we can come see you before the wedding."

"You know my place isn't really that big here. It's quite small actually. Did mom and dad go to the engagement?"

"We can just stay at a hotel. No mom and dad didn't go to the engagement, it was a small affair between the families."