When Anita walks away, Natasha frowns. “You know what? Screw them! All of them! Who do they think they are, acting like we’re strangers?”

“Natasha . . .” Deepak says in his strongest don’t-say-more tone.

“I know. I know,” Natasha says. “God forbid anyone here actually hears me telling it like it is, right?”

“Beta, maybe you should calm down,” Bina says.

And maybe you shouldn’t be drinking when you’re this easily riled up.

“You know what, Mom?” Natasha’s eyes are flashing. “I just don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Natasha stops talking as they’re approached by Pramila and Priya, twin sisters who married twin brothers and all live in a joint family household.

“Natasha, beta!” Pramila says. “We didn’t realize you were here.”

“We saw Karan over there,” Priya adds. “Can you believe you two are going to have an event like this soon?”

Bina clenches her fists. Natasha, don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t say it.

“Actually, we won’t. Karan and I broke up.”

“What?” Pramila places a hand over a pearl pendant that Ma would have called gaudy.

“Yup. So we’re not getting married.”

Bina wants to bury her face in her hands. Deepak shoots her a look that says, Stay calm.

Pramila frowns. “I see. I’m sorry about that.”

“Thanks. But I’m good. I’ve accepted I’m probably not ever getting married.”

“Oh, you’re too funny,” Priya says. “You always have been!”

Natasha raises her now-empty wineglass. “I really appreciate that because I am a full-time comedian now.”

“A what?” Pramila cups her ear as if Natasha said I am running away to join the circus.

“I’m focusing on my real passion: comedy. Great, right?”

“Ah, well . . . of course it’s . . . fun.” Priya searches for the right word. “You are so cute.”

“Cute? That’s sweet. I’d hardly say I’m cute. I am, however, going to get more drunk. It was great to see you.”

Bina freezes. The nerve of that girl! She takes a deep breath and commands herself to calm down as Natasha marches toward the bar, Anuj trailing behind her.

Pramila and Priya are pretending to be busy eating kathi rolls. But the shock in their eyes is clear.

A flush fills Bina’s cheeks as she stammers, “What Natasha meant is, she’s enjoying her time here.”

“Of course.” Pramila nods out of pure politeness.

When they leave, Zack hugs Bina and says, “Wooo! It’s never boring with my family.”

“That’s one way to say it,” Bina says. Waves of humiliation crash over her. Why would Natasha speak this way? She knows how embarrassing it is. Didn’t Bina teach her better?

“Suhani, can you go reason with her, please?” Bina asks.

Suhani nods. “She’s just upset. She needs some space.”