Chapter 1 - Saturday 11am

 "Really mother... Really?! There's literally no girl in the UK that you would consider wife material?!” 

Despite the fact that Raj wanted to explode, he kept his tone as calm as possible, "Are you seriously suggesting I travel to India to meet this girl? Has it occurred to you that we come from different worlds? I've been raised here, I want to marry a girl from here... One that I meet organically, who will have the same interests as me, and has the ability to speak in English!" Raj took a large sip of his tea, hoping it would calm him down. His other hand was clutching the dining table. 

He looked up from his tea and watched his mother at the kitchen sink scrubbing the pan with unnecessary force. While his father, Dr Gupta sat across from him in the black and white kitchen diner, slowly sipping his tea as though he hadn't a care in the world. "Raj I understand your concerns... I'm not telling you to marry the girl, I'm asking you to meet her... Are you really so stubborn that you wouldn't even consider meeting a girl that your mother and I approve of?" Dr Gupta was a patient man, he knew how to negotiate. He wouldn't push just yet, he needed Raj to meet the girl with an open mind and pushing too hard would only cause his headstrong son to rebel. 

His wife Mrs Gupta was not as patient, and was now scrubbing as though her life depended on it. "So a girl from India is not your cup of tea, hey?" she said with a prominent accent. “You are too good for us 'off the boat' women?" Her voice getting louder and higher with each passing moment. "You want to meet your wife 'organically' do you? Then what, you can both 'organically' get divorced because she refuses to cook you dinner and won't iron your shirts.”

"I don't need a cook and maid mother, I need a partner!" Interrupted Raj "A like minded individual that I enjoy spending time with.”

“Are you listening to your son Dr Gupta?” screeched his mother, “Your son thinks all women from India are cooks and maids!” The tiny 5’2” lady was not impressed, her usually pale face had taken on a crimson hue. “Actually you self important, spoilt…”

“Guptas don't curse Mother!” Raj singsonged, mimicking Mrs Gupta's mantra. He rose to his full 6 foot 2 inches, strode across the pristine kitchen, leaned down and kissed his mother on her flushed cheek and whispered “I’ll think about it, ok?”

“That's all we ask” His father smiled from across the room. The tall, slim man was still seated on the high back dining chair, tea in hand. “Oh, and that you have a summer wedding…” he said, winking at his son as he walked out of the kitchen diner.

Raj strode across the bright white landing, and up the stairs to his annex suite. He couldn’t believe that at the tender age of 26 not only did his parents expect him to get married, but they actually wanted him to marry a girl of their choosing! He sat back on his black leather sofa and sighed, kicking of his brown loafers onto the thick grey rug. This was his own fault, he should have moved out after graduation, but being an only child he didn’t want his parents to feel abandoned. They had been so grateful that he’d chosen to move back home and had been surprisingly easy to live with. He'd had his own space, a living room and a front door, what more did he need. Living at home meant his sizeable wages had been all his, and while his friends were renting and struggling to pay bills, Raj had already taken a step onto the property ladder and the small two bedroom semi he had purchased was paying itself off with the rental income.

Raj worked in the city as an accountant, he liked what he did, and he was good at it, which meant he had plenty of spare time to spend maintaining his six pack and hanging out with his many friends. He didn’t want or need the commitment of a wife, but he knew his mother, she was relentless. She would eventually win. Perhaps his best bet would be to meet the girl and make a special effort to put her off, thus letting her do the dirty work and coming out with his reputation untarnished. Mind made up, Raj relaxed. Let the girl be the bad guy.