Vinnie nodded, so I finished the other side before putting down the cone and yawning and stretching. “I gotta get home and crash.”
Luckily Vinnie had already gotten into her pj’s before starting the whole henna thing, so she just had to roll into bed. I had to drive back.
“You go home,” Masi said. “I’ll stay here and help Vinnie get ready in the morning. And all the bridesmaids.” They were all either staying in the hotel or coming in the morning to get help putting on their saris. I was supposed to have helped them, but now…
“What about your clothes?” I asked.
“Send them with Vinod in the morning,” Masi said. “I know you have a lot to do, with the house. I won’t be much help there, but I know how to get a bunch of girls runway-ready.”
I gave her a hug. I was actually getting used to randomly giving her hugs. I think she even enjoyed them. Yes, she totally did.
And then I went home. I wasn’t going to bed anytime soon!
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Saturday morning dawned without a cloud in the sky, though satellite shots showed Indra storming up the Eastern seaboard. It was going to be legendary—or a disaster.
Either way, no one would ever forget it.
Game. On.
I sent off an email to all the gals invited to the mehendi, explaining things. I sent off a more detailed email to Shayla and Rachel. I sent off emails to all the neighbors on the street giving them a heads-up about the traffic mayhem about to descend on Andrea Road—and inviting them all to the reception. There is a saying in Hindi—pittey par doh joot aur—what’s two more blows if you’re already having your ass kicked? So what were a few neighbors when I’d already invited a whole wedding party?
The doorbell rang. I went downstairs to find Dad opening the door to Bauji. Bauji was holding a big cardboard box that said AMAZON PRIME. “This was outside, Vinod,” he said.
“Um… Mini, what is this?” Dad asked.
“Umbrellas,” I said.
“Don’t we have umbrellas?” Dad asked.
“Not ones that complement Vinnie’s dress,” I said. “And the bridesmaids’! These will look great in the pictures.”
“Okay.” Dad shook his head and turned to Bauji. “Are your guys here?” he asked. Bauji nodded toward the driveway, where two pickup trucks were parked.
“Here’s the list of things I’ve ordered,” I said, handing it to him. “It should fit in those trucks.”
I must have sounded worried because Bauji said, “Don’t worry, we’ll make it fit.”
“I’ll go with them,” Dad said.
“No, you have to get ready!” I said. “And they’ll have more room if you don’t go.”
And then they were gone. “Go have a shower,” I ordered Dad, “and I’ll put on the coffee.”
I was just going up the stairs when a Mirchandani Mirage screeched to a halt on the curb.
Vir stepped out holding a pot of absolutely brilliant pink chrysanthemums.
What with my late night, I probably resembled something his mom’s cat dragged in, but he looked showered and shaved and ready to go.
“I brought your flowers,” he said.
“Awesome,” I said, tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear in a vain attempt at tidying up. “I thought they opened at eight?”
“They were there at seven AM and let me buy the flowers early,” he said, and started bringing in pots and pots of the most glorious vibrant colors of chrysanthemums—pink, yellow, white, red, orange.
I forgot how self-conscious I was for a moment and started hopping around in my flannel pajamas.
“Oh, they’re perfect, Vir!” I said. “Thank you!”
“Is there anything else you need?” he asked.
“Will you come to the wedding?” I asked.
“If you want me to,” Vir said.
“I do,” I said, and smiled warmly at him. Whatever those news articles said, my gut said different. And today, I was going to go with my gut.
“Was someone just here?” Dad asked. That had to be the quickest shower ever.
“Just Vir, bringing some flowers,” I said. “Coffee?”
“Vinnie is dressed and ready!” Masi said, giving me the update at the hotel. “We’ll go directly to the temple, Mini. Are you dressed?”
“No,” I said. I was outside watching Bauji and the guys unpack the gear from Taylor’s. “But Dad just left. Bauji and I will get there as soon as we’re done.”
Bauji and the dudes had a ton of stuff to unload from the pickup trucks. Alan put down a rack of china and the plates clattered alarmingly.
“Careful with that!” I yelled. “Careful!”
“Don’t worry.” He grinned. “We’ve got this!”
“The tent goes here, Bauji,” I said. “It should fit, I measured it. Did you bring the diagram of the gas lines and electrical lines?”
“Yeah,” Bauji said. “I have it right here. There’s nothing at all at the front. They all come down the side of the house, down the hill. We can put stakes as deep as we like in the front yard. Alan, Richie, come here.”
The guys had gotten everything off the trucks.
“Okay, you know we’re short on time,” Bauji said. “We need the lawn mowed.”
“Do we have time for that?” I asked. The grass wasn’t that high, but Bauji was a perfectionist—I had forgotten.
“Yes, we do,” Bauji said. “Mow the lawn first and then get the tent up. I want it weather-tight just in case we have rain. Mini, how d’you want the tables and chairs set up?”
“Like this,” I said, handing them a layout I’d sketched. “I don’t know when we’ll have time for the place settings.…”
“We can do it,” Alan said. “Do you want us to set up the tables and the plates and things? We can do it real nice.”
Could they? They had no experience laying place settings for weddings. But they were quick and smart and careful, that much I knew.
“Okay,” I said. “I need ten chairs per table, and ten place settings. Tablecloth first, then plates, silverware, wineglasses, napkins…”
“We can do that,” Richie said. “Do the flowers go in the middle?”
“Yes!” I said. “Exactly! And if you have time
