Chapters (40)
- Cover
- Also by Saumya Dave
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Acknowledgments
- Readers Guide
- Discussion Questions
- About the Author
- What’s next onyour reading list?
“Right. Our topics for today are invisible labor and boundaries,” Bina says. “And as a reminder, we are here to have meaningful group discussions about things that interest us and may usually be hard to talk about. As much as I’d love to discuss the article, we are not going to use our precious time together to start some riot against Bipin Bhai or anyone else who doesn’t support what we’re doing here.”
Bina watches women put their phones facedown in front of them or tuck them into their purses. Within a few minutes, everyone is quiet and facing her.
She’s ready to start.
Twenty-Five
Natasha
Group therapy is sort of cheesy but, overall, not that bad. Natasha has been going every day for the past week. Today there are eight patients, including Natasha, sitting around a wooden table. Dr. Chan and another psychiatry resident, Dr. Murphy, moderate the group.
“Just reminding everyone that anything we share in here is confidential,” Dr. Chan says.
Brooke, a blond girl whose spunk and petite build remind Natasha of Kristen Bell, raises her hand. She has a habit of ending all her sentences with a high pitch, so they sound like questions. “Does anyone else think it’s hard to see your family when you’re in this place? It’s like, I get bored and lonely and stuff, but then it’s weird to be with my mom and get reminded of how she doesn’t get it.”
“I totally feel the same way,” Natasha says. “It doesn’t matter how much progress I think I’m making . . . all it takes is one conversation with my mom and I’m back to feeling like crap again. I know she and my dad have dealt with a lot, coming to America and having no money and all. But it’s almost like I have no right to feel bad because what they went through was obviously worse.”
Brooke nods as if she agrees, even though Natasha knows from a previous session that Brooke comes from three generations of WASPs. Then again, maybe every family is messed up in some way.
“What about other members of our family?” Dr. Chan suggests. “Does anyone feel this way with people they’re related to outside their parents?”