Natasha follows her gaze and takes in the perfect décor that was arranged for her perfect sister, who was, of course, a perfect bride. Jasmine garlands drape the windows. Giant brass pots are filled with floating candles and rose petals. Dyed rice is in the shape of a massive lotus flower by the front door.

“We love all of it.” Mom nods in agreement. “I don’t ever want to take the decorations away. Deepak’s letting me indulge for another month. I can’t even imagine the house without all this!”

Mom places a hand on her cheek as though she’s delivering some sort of profound monologue. She may have quit acting decades ago, but her need for dramatic, grand statements will never disappear.

“Maybe you can just keep them up. You know, until you need them again.” Anita Auntie flashes a not-at-all-subtle smile toward Natasha and Karan.

“They do look good,” Karan agrees. “How about le—”

“I think you should take them down,” Natasha interjects. “They’re quite intense.”

“Oh c’mon, Natasha, your sister’s wedding was beautiful. And brides are so much fun to see! All those gorgeous clothes, the youth,” Anita Auntie says. “Didn’t Suhani’s wedding make you want . . .”

Anita Auntie makes a lot of her points by starting a comment and letting it trail off.

“Please,” Mom says. “Natasha would never agree to a traditional wedding. She’s already made that clear to us.”

“But you’d look so nice!” Anita Auntie says as though she’s made a groundbreaking scientific discovery. “Just like Priyanka Chopra!”

Natasha zones out as her boyfriend’s mother gushes about every mundane detail of the celebrity wedding. Leave it to her to compare Natasha to a movie star when, in reality, Natasha was cast as LeFou, Gaston’s sidekick, in her middle school’s version of Beauty and the Beast.

“Yup, I’d look just like Priyanka, without the plump lips, thick hair, and toned body,” Natasha says. “But Mom’s right. I’m not interested in having a wedding like Suhani and Zack’s.”

Everyone laughs as if Natasha is a little girl saying a word for the first time.

“We know that’s what you think, beta.” Mom narrows her eyes. “Everyone knows. You can’t keep your thoughts to yourself. Ever.”

“And that’s a problem?”

“Natasha, beta, you’re so funny,” Anita says in a feeble attempt to defuse the tension. “Remember when we all thought you’d be a comedian?”

“Uh-huh,” Natasha says. “And that’s actually what I still want to do.”

She’s giving you a window! Natasha thinks. Just tell them all now.

She had been reading about her favorite female comedians lately, how they were courageous enough to try to fail and create something of their own. She needs that now: courage.

“Who was that actress you wanted to be like?” Anita Auntie says. “You used to read her books and watch her shows. . . .”