I was starting to like Vir’s mom more and more. And yet, I was still nervous.
“Roshan is adorable,” I said. “Can I pick him up?”
“Please! He loves attention!” she said.
It’s absolutely impossible to be nervous with a purring cat in your lap, so I managed to relax after that—I so owe that cat.
We talked about school, university, and politics in India and the US. Thanks to having to share a TV remote with my dad, I was pretty well informed.
“I heard your older sister is getting married. Congratulations!” Vir’s mom said. “How’s the wedding planning going?”
“It’s going,” I said. “We have a tight budget, but I think we’ve managed to plan things the way Vinnie would want. She wants a small and pretty outdoor wedding, so that’s what we’ve organized. Except for the janvasam, which is going to be in the temple, we’re sticking to a Punjabi-style wedding.”
“Your mother would like that, right?” she said.
“Yes,” I said. “I think she would.”
“It’s not important to have a flashy wedding,” she said. “It’s important to make sure the people getting married are well matched.” She smiled ruefully. “I should know!”
“Well, we’re trusting Vinnie on that one,” I said. “But they seem happy!”
“That’s great!” she said. “Vir says you have real artistic talent, and that you like design, but you’re not applying to any design programs—why’s that?” That was completely out of left field.
“Er… I’m not really that good,” I said.
“I’ve seen your Etsy shop—you’re good,” she said. “What else?”
I shut my mouth and gulped. She had seen my Etsy shop? Not even my Masi had seen that!
“Okay,” I said. “My dad wants me to get a”—I made air quotes—“‘proper college education.’”
“What’s improper about art?” she asked. “If that’s your career of choice?”
“He wants me to have a more comprehensive education,” I said. “Something that will ensure I’m gainfully employed. And to be honest, I’d rather stay close to home. My older sister is already going to be in Chicago for another four years. I don’t want to leave Dad and Yogi and go off to New York!”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” she said. “But have you thought about RISD?”
“I have! And that’s the best option, close to home,” I said. “But even if I get in—which is super hard—Dad will say design isn’t enough. That I should expand my horizons, learn from the accumulated wisdom of humankind, get some marketable skills so I can actually support myself. Like RISD doesn’t have a stellar placement record for their design grads!”
“They also have a dual-degree program with Brown,” she said thoughtfully. “Did you know?”
“No!” I said. “Really? How do you apply to that?”
“I think you have to apply individually to Brown and RISD,” she said. “And if you get in to both, you can apply for the dual-degree program.”
“That sounds great!” I said. “I mean, it’s really, really tough to get into either of those schools, but I could try!”
“There are the Tufts SMFA programs too. They offer a combined five-year BFA and BA degree, and a four-year BFA,” she said.
“I love the Museum of Fine Arts,” I said. “I didn’t know their school was part of Tufts.”
“And it’s only a couple of miles from MIT,” Vir said. “Both the Medford and MFA campus.”
“That should not weigh on her decision, Vir,” his mom said.
“Thanks for all the advice,” I said. “It’s really helpful.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled. “Remember that closest to home there’s always Fellsway.”
“Fellsway is definitely on my list,” I said. “I love it here.”
“We don’t have a design curriculum,” she said. “But we’ve had a fashion design club since 1999, and they manage to pack in a great deal within the liberal arts framework. Vir will be happy if you do choose Fellsway, though. And I might see more of him if you go here too!”
“Thanks. I’ll think about it,” I said. “You must be so proud that Vir got accepted into MIT.”
“Yes, I am,” she said. “And so is his father. He went there too, you know.”
“So you’re legacy?” I asked Vir.
“That’s not why I got in.” Vir sounded a little defensive. “It’s the reason I’m going, though, instead of to the other colleges I was accepted at, like Stanford, Columbia…”
“Okay, I believe you!” I said.
“I wanted him to go to Oxford,” his mom said. “But he’s kind of set on following in his father’s footsteps.”
“Only where school is concerned, Mum!”
I tried to keep a straight face while they bickered about Vir’s father, but she must have seen something in my expression that made her add, “Vir, I think you should tell her”—she waved a hand around vaguely—“about Dad.”
“Fine,” Vir said shortly.
“Before the August fifteenth thing,” she insisted.
“What August fifteenth thing?” I asked, feeling a bit lost.
“There’s an event for India Day in Boston,” Vir said. “It’s sponsored by my dad’s company. I want you to come, but Mum wants me to give you a heads-up about the family before then.” He had a sheepish grin on his face. “They’re a bit much.”
Bit much how?
“Your dad’s in farm equipment, you said, right?” I said, totally confused by now. “Why are they sponsoring stuff here?”
“He told you his father is in farm equipment?” Vir’s mom sounded like she was choking on something.
“Yes,” I said. “And that he was a genius in his field but it’s too boring to talk about.”
“That’s not entirely accurate, is it, Vir?” she said. “Well, I have to finish up some work in the office, so I’ll say bye now. It was wonderful meeting you, Mini. I’ll see you again, I’m sure! Vir, you can’t spring the whole circus on Mini without telling her what to expect. You need to talk to her—now!”
Well, that was direct!
She laid a hand on my shoulder. “I’m so happy Vir found you!”
“Me too,” I said, and she vanished into the house, leaving Roshan to keep us company.
The sun was setting over the lake, but it was still warm on the stone terrace.
“So, what’s the big
