I scrunched my brows. “What did you hear my bad name was?”

My mother coughed loudly and gave me a look. Asad pulled out a chair at the small table and motioned toward it. “Shall we?”

I sat down as he took a seat across from me, his eyes piercing through me intently from the other side of the table. I cleared my throat and looked away. My mother quickly excused herself and stepped outside, leaving the two of us staring at each other awkwardly.

“So I hear you are Meena’s cousin?”

I nodded.

“I suppose good looks run in the family.” He winked. I pressed my lips together and forced a small smile.

“And how do you know the groom?” I asked.

“Oh, Haroon and I go way back to our college days.”

“So you must know his brother as well?”

“Hisham? Oh, yes.” He nodded. “The three of us were excellent friends.” I suddenly perked up. Finally, a conversation I was interested in.

“What was Hisham like in college? Did he play any sports?”

“I . . . I’m not sure. But I used to play some squash back in the day. I have very strong arms, you see.” He pulled up his sleeve and flexed his forearm.

“Was he a good student?” I ignored him, trying not to focus on the veins popping out from his elbows. “Do you know what he studied?”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I was a top student in computer science.” He gave me a self-satisfied grin.

“Cool. So, um, would you say Hisham was popular? Did he have a lot of friends?”

“I suppose?”

I sighed. Is he going to give me any information at all? I leaned back in my chair, feeling impatient.

“Haroon, Hisham, and I used to do a lot of masti back in the day,” he continued. “We were like the three . . .” He snapped his fingers, trying to recall the end of his sentence.

“Stooges?”

“Musketeers!” He pointed his finger at me and laughed. “Sense of humor; I like it!”

I grimaced.

“So, your cousin and my college friend . . . quite the coincidence, no?”

“I guess . . .”

“Rishtas can form from anywhere, Leila. I just want you to know that when it comes to marriage, I am very open-minded.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, glancing at my watch, trying to figure out how we could speed this thing along. If he wasn’t going to give me any details about Hisham, I was ready to get back to the party.

“You will come to find that I am looking for a very equal relationship.”

Come to find? This is a one-conversation deal. The only thing I need to find is a way out of here.

“I will allow my wife to work; I do not expect her to be a housewife. Unless, of course, that is what she wants.”

“Really? You’ll allow her that?”

“Yes. I will also permit her to dress how she likes. I am not too conservative, you see.”