There were so many ways the evening could have gone after she had left Fin’s dorm. He’d walked her to her car and gave her a kiss that left her weak-kneed as she was driving which was probably unsafe.

When she got home, her mother demanded to know where she’d been. Her father wasn’t home so there was no getting out of the questioning.

“I was with Fin after class, Mama.”

“Oh, so now you are back with him? I can’t keep track, one day you’re mad at him and then you aren’t? All it takes is pretty flowers to win you over? Three whole days and you’ve decided?”

“Of course not! He also gave me some nice pajamas.”

“Tsk-tsk, you think I don’t know that you are just doing this to torment me?”

“Mama, really? The fact that I’m dating this man doesn’t have anything to do with you.” That wasn’t entirely true, but since it wasn’t the main reason she was going to skip that fact.

“I was talking to Mrs. Patel today and her son Rishabh is back from university in England. I told her you would want to see him.”

Zara remembered Rish; he wore too much cologne even in junior high. “I’d like to see Rish because it’s been a long time. For no other reason than he was a good friend, Mama.”

“He’s graduated law school and is coming home to work. He would make a good husband for you. He even told his mother that he wouldn’t mind you finishing medical school.”

Zara felt her blood pressure rise. “He wouldn’t mind? Just finishing? So, I’m not supposed to become a doctor?”

“You won’t need to if your husband can take care of you. Don’t you want to stay home and take care of your family? You just said you appreciated all that I did for you. You can do that for your family.”

“Mama, I can do that and work. I have no plans on being someone’s stay-at-home wife!”

“Oh, and this Fin person. He’s going to support you while you are gone for hours or days at a time? Who will cook him meals? Clean his clothes?”

“He will, Mama. He will make me food, he will wash my clothes, and he will take care of me when he’s not working.”

“You are living in a dream. That never happens.”

“Then why did he promise me all those things. He told me that he will stay at home so I can work.”

“Hah, is he going to be making the babies too? I’d like to see that.”

“No, we decided to wait until my career is established.”

They hadn’t really talked about it like that, but her frustration with her mother was at a peak.

“You’ve talked about children? You just started dating this boy. Why would you even talk about such things?”

“Because he loves me, and I really, really care for him.”

“Really care for him? You’d throw away a chance at a man that understands your life and your family for some gora that you just met!”

“He’s more than that. I’m meeting his family this weekend and he’s asked to meet you.”

“Why should I bother? You’ve clearly made up your mind.”

Her mother turned her back to her and started scrubbing down an already spotless sink.

Zara was just going to have to wait until her father got home.

Heading to her room with a frustrated sigh, she felt like she was thirteen all over again, refusing to get fitted for a new sari. Her mother had decided on an orange version that she hated. It’s what had started her rebellion in the first place. One orange sari that broke the dam of her emotions and let loose a teenager that refused to cooperate with the restrictions placed on her.

Throwing herself on her bed, she grabbed her phone and saw a text from Fin. It just said I love you. She held it to her chest and breathed. She hadn’t worried about her future, school, or her career until the moment she stepped back into her house.

It was there that she couldn’t get away from her obligations. With Fin, they floated away, at least temporarily.

There was a funny spot in the middle of her chest that warmed when he said he loved her. She felt like saying it back. It was almost like she’d done it a hundred times before. But she held back. It wasn’t like her to express her emotions so easily. She’d never said those words to any boy she had dated. It was because she never felt that for them. She liked them, admired them, enjoyed their company. But she didn’t love them.

Fin was all new in the feelings department. He made her feel things that were new and different. She missed him. She had just been with him and she missed him already. Her body also missed him, and she wasn’t sure that was the same emotion.

Rolling over on her stomach she called her cousin to fill her in.

“Sista from anotha mista!”

“Your phone etiquette is astounding.”

“Whatever, college girl. How did the talk go with your man?”

She was about to deny he was her man, but stopped herself short. “It was good. We talked a little.”

“And… ”

“Then we didn’t talk so much… ”

“Girl, you did not bang the rich boy did you?”

“No, I did not bang him. What we did wasn’t banging.”

“So, straight up two-pump-chump humping?”

“Hah, no it wasn’t that either. It was something new to me, that’s for sure.”

“Ohh, was it all fifty shades of naughty?”

“Not exactly. I don’t think he’s into whips and chains, but who knows. He does like ties.”

“I’m sorry, did you say ties?”

“Like tying your hands up… ”

“Shut up… oh my god. You slut!”

Zara laughed. Only her cousin calling her a slut would make her giggle.

“Shut up, you’re the hussy in this family.”

“True, and proud of it thank you very much. So how was it?”

“Ah-mazing. Like crazy sexy, bossy hot. He wouldn’t let me come. Has anyone ever done that to you?”

“No, girl. I make them wait. I’m not about that guy getting off first bullshit. They will always come; it’s us that need to build the fire. So, he made you wait?”

“Yes, and in a weird way I wanted to. I mean, I didn’t because, well you know. Then he kept telling me to wait and it was so hot that I just did what he said and then when I did… I think I passed out for a minute.”

“Nice… did he kick you out after?”

“No, he ordered pizza and told me about his family. He wants to arrange a dinner this weekend to meet his parents.”

“I’m sorry, is this a betrothal I don’t know about? Have your parents announced it at the temple?”

“Yeah, like that’s going to happen. No, mom already called him a gora, so I doubt she’s on board. He really wants to meet them so I need to go through dad next.”

“Hun, do you want them to meet? This sounds really fast. Like he is taking the fast train to matrimony land.”

“He’s different, Viv. He has this certainty about us and I can’t explain it, but it’s real. Why would a guy want all this connection if he didn’t really want you?”

“Because he’s a controlling freak?”

“It’s not like that. I’m not stupid. He’s not telling me what I can and can’t do. He’s leaving me to make all the choices. I just happen to be choosing what feels right for me. I could tell him to not call me for a week and he would. He’s considerate.”

“Considerate, hot. But really, if you are happy, I’m happy. If he hurts you or starts getting freaky, I’m rounding up my brothers and we’re kicking his ass.”

“Ahh, that’s so sweet of you!”

“No joke. I’ve got some sharp ass scissors that will snip a guy up good if he hurts my girl.”

“Thank you for the backup. But I don’t know that I’m going to need it. What if he’s the one, Viv? Do I just jump in and hope everything works out?”

“Why not? It’s not like you guys can’t break up.”

Zara couldn’t tell her cousin that she didn’t think breaking up was a possibility in his world. From the sounds of it, there was no divorce in his family. Their link to each other was stronger than a piece of paper. That should scare the crap out of her. But again there was that feeling of comfort in the permanency of his affections.

“Right, good call. Alright, well I do have some school work to do. I can’t sit around all moony-eyed for my boyfriend.”

“Gawd, you called him your boyfriend. You have joined the cult, my friend.”

“Probably. Start researching deprogramming for me just in case.”

“Gotcha, bye bitch.”

“Bye.

Zara hung up and stared at her ceiling for a moment. Cult or clan? Was there a difference? One was about brainwashing and fear to keep you inside the group. The other offered love, commitment, and hot sex for the rest of your life. When she thought about it that way, why wouldn’t she join?