Chapter 7 - Saturday 5pm

The doorbell rang… again!

It had been a very busy afternoon, uncles and aunts, distant cousins, neighbours had all come to visit. Raj was exhausted. He’d made endless small talk with everyone and was now feeling incredibly jet lagged and thoroughly bored.

Raj excused himself and walked into his bedroom, flopped onto his bed and extracted his black Iphone from his pocket. He switched it on for the first time since he’d arrived. It began vibrating and bleeping at a furious pace. He pressed the home screen and ignored all the messages and immediately began texting. 

Raj: Did he get on the flight?

Abs: You married yet?

Raj: Don’t be a dick, answer the question?

Abs: He’s safely on the plane, should be arriving your time 9pm. You OK mate?

Raj: I’m so bored man. It’s great to see my grandparents but wish we’d gone Dubai for the week instead, such a waste of time!

Abs: It’ll be alright. Varun will be there soon. Go socialise with your family!

Raj: Thanks bro

Raj went to the bathroom, washed his face and hands and pushed his wet fingers through his hair and combed it back. He then dried his hands, popped a mint in his mouth and began walking back towards the drawing room. 

Across the room seated on a footstool beside his mother was an absolutely stunning girl. She looked petite, he would guess 5’4” maybe 5’5”. She was chatting animatedly with his mother, as she spoke she pushed her long black hair to one side, exposing a long, swan like neck. Her eyes were the colour of caramel, and her skin milky white. Her teeth brilliantly straight and white and bowed pink lips that matched her floor length pink dress. Raj could not stop staring. Where had she come from?!

Raj's mother spotted him and said "Raj, meet Dr Chaudhury and Mrs Chaudhury" she gestured toward the sofa on the left. He turned to see a handsome bald man and a beautiful, slightly chubby lady that looked like an older version of the girl beside his mother. 

Raj approached the couple and extended his hand, Dr Chaudhury stood up and took it in his own. 

"Hello sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you." said Raj.

"Hello young man, I've heard so much about you." responded Dr Chaudhury.

"All good I hope." Raj turned his attention to the still seated Mrs Chaudhury, he brought his hands together with palms touching gracefully in front of his chest, and bowed his head slightly and uttered the words “Namasteji".

Mrs Chaudhury smiled at Raj's formal greeting and responded with a "Hello Raj, I'm glad to finally meet you."

"Likewise." he responded with a more polished accent than usual. Raj felt a little silly, he wondered whether the pretty girl had noticed.

“Raj” said his mother “This is Aarti. Dr and Mrs Chaudhury’s daughter.” Aarti turned her attention to Raj and smiled. “Aarti is studying to be a doctor just like her father. Raj is an accountant, he works for a huge multinational in England. Initially when he told us he wanted to study economics and finance, his father and I were disappointed he didn’t want to be a doctor, but he’s done so well, and excelled so quickly, we are so proud.” 

Raj blushed, his mother was gushing, he hated when his mother gushed! Aarti looked like she was swallowing down laughter, her eyes were crinkling and she bit her lip to stop herself from chuckling at Raj’s obvious embarrassment.

“So you’re a very successful accountant?” Aarti asked with a huge grin on her face. She had a beautiful voice. She was soft spoken and her accent was slightly American.

Raj checked to make sure the adults were talking amongst themselves and responded “Oh wow you speak English well...Not as successful as you Miss Doctor. How’s that going for you?”

Aarti, sat up straighter and adjusted herself so she was looking straight into Raj’s eyes. She pushed her hair back with her right hand and softly said “I speak English fluently but I’m not quite a doctor yet!” 

“How long until you are?” Raj asked softly, sitting down on the chair beside her. 

“It’s impolite to ask a lady her age… but I’ll tell you anyway, because you asked so nicely. I'm 22” Aarti teased.

“Who asked your age?” he asked innocently while staring into her eyes “I just wanted to know when you’d start holding hearts in your hands!”

“Why do you assume that I’m specialising in cardiology?” she asked while holding his gaze.

“No you’re right, its probably best you don’t treat heart patients… you wouldn’t want them to skip a beat!”

“That’s the worst line I’ve ever heard.” she laughed.

“Challenge accepted!” Raj joked. “So which kind of Doctor do you want to be?” he asked seriously.

“I haven’t decided as yet. I like children so I’m thinking maybe a paediatrician.” Aarti took a sip of her coke.

“I like children too, shall we have three?” he whispered.

Aarti choked on her sip of drink, cleared her throat and whispered, “pardon me?!”

Raj raised an eyebrow and said “Too soon?"

“Um, yes. I didn’t realise boys from England were so cheeky!”

“I didn’t realise girls from India were so beautiful!” sad Raj playfully, while leaning toward her and looking into her eyes.

Aarti straightened her spine and looked up to check that the adults were still occupied. She noticed from the corner of her eye That Mrs Gupta, was watching her son. Aarti turned her face toward Raj so that Mrs Gupta would see the back of her head and mouthed “Your mum can hear us”.

Raj whispered “Perhaps you should give me your phone number and we can speak in privacy.”

Aarti mouthed “I don’t think so!”

“In that case we should continue speaking here and now. So, three kids, any other plans for our future?”

The doorbell rang

“Saved by the bell.” Aarti laughed.

“I didn’t realise you needed saving!” Raj responded hesitantly. Straightening up  “Would you like me to slow down?”

Aarti smiled sweetly  “You are incredibly charming, but I have to say this meeting has been a little over whelming. I was expecting to meet a fat balding english guy.” Aarti rose from her chair as an incredible looking blonde girl walked into the room “And that’s why I’d organised for my friend Jasmin to come and collect me from here.”

“You’re leaving?” Raj asked shocked. Raj stood up from his chair as well, his mum had raised him to be a gentleman.

Jasmin was tall and slim at nearly 5’7”, her slim figure was highlighted by the long blue maxi dress she was wearing. she walked into the room and greeted each adult individually then turned her attention to Raj and Aarti.

“Hi Jas, Jas this is Raj, Raj this is my best friend Jasmin.” Aarti introduced the two of them as they politely nodded at one another.

“Jasmin, it’s very nice to meet you. How long have the two of you known one another?” Raj asked politely

“We’ve known each other since we were babies, we have been neighbours and best friends for as long as I can remember… more like sisters to be honest.” Jasmin responded with a strong American accent.

“If you don’t mind me asking where are your parents from originally?” Raj had just noticed that Jasmin's eyes were sky blue, and she was very fair.

Aarti rolled her eyes, “The Jas effect!” any guy that saw her fell madly in love… Another one bites the dust thought Aarti. It was probably a good thing he’d noticed Jas now rather than a week from now, or a month from now, when Aarti would have been madly in love with him.

"My dad’s Punjabi but my mums American, she moved here when they got married.” She said. “So how are you two getting on?”

“Aarti, how do you think we are doing?” Raj asked, raising his eyebrows playfully.

“I don’t know, how, do YOU think we are doing Raj?” Aarti was relieved, perhaps it was possible for a man to notice her when Jas was in the room!

“I’d say, I think you’re beautiful, smart and funny, but when I asked for your number you shot me down… which leads me to think you’re not that into me!”

“I wouldn’t say I don’t like you… I just don’t know you yet.”

“Do you want to get to know me?” He asked seriously.

“I wouldn’t mind.” Aarti said cryptically.

Jasmin decided to give them a hand. “Raj let me decode the Aarti speak for you. Aarti is pleasantly surprised with your looks and demeanour and would love to see you again. How about you meet her for coffee tomorrow at 3pm at the 'Cafe Coffee Day, Pali Hill’, it’s on the beach, your driver will be familiar with it."

Raj raised an eyebrow “Aarti, you in?”

“Ok” she responded shyly.

“Great, now we better be going. Raj lovely to meet you.” Jasmin said goodbye to the adults and made her way to the entrance with Aarti following suit slowly behind her. 

Raj still standing, watched the girls leaving.

Raj’s dad strode over to his side and whispered in his ear “Son close your mouth and sit down… her parents are still here, and if you want to gain strategic advantage you need to start impressing pronto!"

Raj did as he was told, he walked over to the arm chair closest to Aarti's father and sat down. Dr Gupta sat down on the two seater settee beside Dr Chaudhury. 

“So, young man, what is it that you do exactly?” Dr Chaudhury asked facing Raj.

“I’m a Financial Director for a multinational, Sir.” Raj said confidently. He decided to sit up straighter. He was excellent at interviews, and this was potentially the most important interview of his life.

“You’re very young, to have excelled so quickly.” Dr Chaudhury commented, smiling and looking suitably impressed. “So where do you see yourself in five years?”

“My career is headed in the right direction. So I intend to now focus on my personal life, I’d like to find a nice girl to start a family with…”