“What did you bring for them?” Ma asked nosily.

“Just some stuff, ” I said, not wanting to give the surprise away. “I think they’ll like it.”

“Thanks, ” Lata said, beaming now. “This is so nice of you, Priya.”

I was relieved. The gifts had been given without a hitch. I had some more gifts for my grandfather and uncles and one for my new aunt. I suspected the family was treating Neelima like used bath water and I wanted to welcome her-Anand would definitely want that.

“Is Neelima going to come?” I asked as flatly as I could, and Ammamma instantly recoiled at the question.

“Why, did you bring her something?” she questioned.

“Yes,” I said in a tone that did not broach further argument. But who was I kidding? No one in my family had ever paid attention to that tone.

“Why? She isn’t really family,” Ammamma said harshly. “She stole my little boy.”

Yeah, and the “little” boy was completely innocent. I couldn’t believe the hypocrisy. Anand was a grown man and I couldn’t imagine any woman conning him into matrimony.

“She didn’t force him to marry her,” Ma said. “He married her with his eyes open. What can we do when someone takes your trust and throws it away?”

Direct hit!

What can we do when someone takes your trust and throws it away?

Oh, this was going to get unpleasant and I wondered if maybe it would be better to not say anything. But I knew that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to face Nick when I got back. He was not some dirty little secret that should be tucked away. I loved him and I was proud of him and I wanted my parents and my family to know about him. I wanted to tell them what a wonderful person he was, but I knew they wouldn’t be able to see beyond the color of his skin and the fact that he was a foreigner. It wouldn’t matter if he was the kindest, richest, and most good-looking man to ever walk the earth-his nationality and race had already disqualified him as a potential groom for me.