Mom nods. “The app Navdeep showed me last year was based on an algorithm, not manually matching specific people. Principal Pinter, this doesn’t make sense.” She looks at me and, yes—there’s pride shining in her eyes. “You really used the Shagun methods?”
“Yeah,” I say. “It wasn’t much harder than matching people for Shagun. Just… more technologically advanced.”
“Remarkable methodology,” Mr. Wall says, surprising me. “The questions were thoughtful, and it was interesting to see how the algorithm was set up. I’m curious—do the Shagun methods have a good success rate?”
“A ninety-seven percent success rate, and that’s going back three generations of matchmakers,” Mom says. “I’ve never been sure about all this digital matching. My company is traditional. We base our choices on in-person interviews, and our instinct and expertise.”
“Which is based on a methodology that can be automated,” I say. “At least to some extent.”
Ms. Pinter clears her throat. “But Amanda accuses you of deliberately breaking up her relationship. On the clip, there’s nothing about algorithms, just Noah implying that Amanda would never be paired with Ethan through your app because of your specific actions. If that’s true, then what Amanda said about the Code of Conduct isn’t wrong. We have to be firm; cyberbullying is a crime. We must take disciplinary action that will go on your permanent record. That goes for Navdeep, too.”
They’re going to torpedo Navdeep’s chance of getting into his dream school because of Amanda’s lying? This is too much for flesh and blood to take.
“Navdeep has nothing to do with that clip. And it’s been messed with anyway. Amanda’s the one who bullies people. She stomped on my phone before Halloween. She destroyed my locker and stole my sketchbook, plus she took Teá’s cleats and TP-ed her yard. Last year, she stuck bubble gum in my hair. And look at what she did to Noah today. All because she’s angry that Ethan and Teá were matched and honestly are way better for each other than Amanda and Ethan ever were.”
Mom’s hands are clasped tightly on her lap. I’ve never seen her look so helpless. “Surely we can come to an understanding—wait, Amanda put gum in your hair? And what did she do to Noah?” Her voice has become icy cold with anger.
“Ask her,” I say, my voice rising even though I’m trying to stay calm.
Principal Pinter has the grace to look uncomfortable. “Amanda said she was looking out for the school and the kids by playing that clip.”
“She lied. She just wanted to hurt me.” I swallow hard. “And to hurt Noah. There has to be some kind of law against what she did. She humiliated Noah—and Connor—in front of the whole school. She probably broke privacy laws, too. If I were Noah, I’d totally press charges. Maybe he will.”
“Can I see this clip?” Mom asks.
Ms. Pinter shrugs in resignation and presses play.
Mom’s hand goes to her mouth in silent horror as she hears Noah talking about Connor, so honest and vulnerable. When it’s over, she says, “Unbelievable. This girl recorded something personal and private about a student, then released it to the whole school without his permission, and you’re talking to my daughter about bullying? Amanda deserves consequences. And she clearly needs counseling.”
“Mrs. Sangha, that is a separate matter, and believe me, we’ll deal with it with all the seriousness it deserves.”
“Really? You’re calling her a whistle-blower. You’ve bought into her version of the story. I didn’t see her parents sitting out front, waiting to speak with you. Probably because her parents have been involved with school council, PTO, and coaching for years. And they happen to be white. There is no institutional bias to believe their daughter, I take it?”
Principal Pinter flinches. Yup, Mom played the race card. “Yes, that certainly could be a factor, and one we’ll carefully examine. But Amanda has no history of such behavior, and no record of disciplinary action. This is her first offense. And the fact is, the clip looks bad.”
“I know my daughter and I believe her. What I’d like to know is how the clip ended up sounding the way it did. Simi, can you remember what you said and when and where you said it?”
I nod. “It was yesterday, in the library. Amanda must have set up a hidden camera to tape us, and she probably waited for the fire drill to get the camera with the clip.” And then it hits me. I can’t believe how irresponsible I am. Of course she took it. Why wouldn’t she take it? Shit. The library. The book. “When the fire alarm sounded, I left The Shagun Matchmaking Guide in the library. I never went back to pick it up, thinking I’d grab it today. But if Amanda had me on tape putting it in the stacks…”
Oh no.
“Ms. Pinter,” I say frantically. “I need to go check something in the library.”
“Now?” she asks. “This is really not the time, Simran.”
“It’s very important!” I say. Maybe not as important as the possibility of Navdeep being disciplined and ruining his chances for college, but to our family, the guide is up there. My heart sinks at the possibility that it could be gone.
“We’ll come with you, then,” Ms. Pinter says.
“Thanks, Ms. Pinter,” I say, then race out of the room with Mom and Principal Pinter close behind.
I run to the library and go straight to the encyclopedia section. I don’t see it.…
I look at the shelf above and below where I left the guide. Nothing. To the left and right. Nothing. I run to the librarian at the circulation desk.
“There was a book,” I choke out. I put my hands up to show the approximate length and breadth of The Shagun Matchmaking Guide. “A very old book. The cover is red.”
Mom takes a sharp breath. I can’t bear to look at her.
“I left it right here in the stacks, yesterday, during the fire drill.”
This is the moment I’ve feared ever since I started borrowing the guide to bring to school.
“Simi,” Mom says. “The matchmaking guide is missing?”
Principal Pinter catches the dead-seriousness of Mom’s tone. “Is this book valuable?”
“Is it valuable?” Mom says, her voice shaking. “It is priceless. Irreplaceable. Please begin a search for it immediately. I can send you a picture.”
“The school isn’t responsible for valuables that were brought on campus without the knowledge of the staff,” Ms. Pinter says. “You must understand that.”
“I understand perfectly,” Mom says. “And you must understand that this whistle-blower of yours, Amanda Taylor, is behind the disappearance of our family heirloom. I will be reporting the theft to Mayfield Police if it’s not found within a week. And if a student, a faculty member, or anyone else associated with this school damages even a page of our family’s precious personal property, you will not be speaking to me or my husband; you will be speaking to our lawyer, Jolly—Mr. Jashan Singh. In court.”
Ms. Pinter’s jaw drops open at the transformation of Mom’s manner.
“And the threat you’ve made to discipline my son for a conversation he wasn’t involved in is shocking to me. I am certain that if the original clip of Simi and Noah is found, it will prove their version of the story.”
“She has a point,” Mr. Wall says. “Navdeep isn’t in that clip. As far as we know, he was only responsible for the technical aspect of the app, which, as I’ve said before, is remarkable. In my opinion, it would be inappropriate to take action against him.”
Ms. Pinter nods. “Very well, Mrs. Sangha. We’ll leave Navdeep out of it. But Simran has suspension for the day.”
“I hope Amanda Taylor will suffer consequences just as dire.” Mom grabs my hand. “Come, Simi. It’s time to go.”
“Mom, say something,” I beg as we drive toward home. “Anything.”
She shakes her head as if she can’t find the words to express what she wants to say. “It’s not that I don’t believe you,” she tells me when she composes herself. “I’m not even disappointed about the app. I’m proud of you a
nd your brother—though I wish you would have told me what you’ve been working on. What I’m worried about is how we can prove that you’re telling the truth.”
The car falls silent again. I’m too miserable, and too busy racking my brain for some miraculous way to prove myself, to try to talk.
“I’m worried about the guide, too,” Mom says, at last. “How could you be so careless with it, Simi? Is that all our traditions and history are worth to you?”
“This is all my fault.” My voice sounds rough, harsh, and I can’t stop shaking. But I have to keep it together. “I mean, really, it’s all Amanda’s fault. But it started with me. I should have never taken the book in the first place. But it was like a good luck charm, and I don’t know, it just gave me this feeling of history, of confidence. Like I come from a long list of women who know what love is, and how to uncover its magic in all those hidden corners. It…” I take a deep breath…“It made me feel powerful, like I was in control. Like I could make things happen.” I swallow hard. “But I never should have brought it to school. It’s priceless. And it’s gone.”
“You were reckless—not only with the guide. You also made enemies with a dangerous person.”
“She’s a bully. I’m not afraid of her. I’ve had enough of her bossing everyone around, mistreating all of us for no reason. Noah will get over what happened today. I’ll help him. Don’t you see? We can’t let her get the best of us.”
“What about the guide? How will we get it back, Simi?”
“Amanda’s taken it. I’m sure of it.”
“Just like you took it. Without asking permission. And for what?” Mom shakes her head. “You wanted people to know your name? You wanted to prove that your method of matching is better than the traditional method? None of that was worth risking the guide for.… I just don’t understand.”
I don’t know what I was thinking, risking a priceless heirloom like that. I don’t know what’s gotten into me this year. Everything’s changing, everyone’s changing. But especially me. Was being popular really worth all of this? How could I ever have thought that? I shake my head. I was such an idiot. But I can’t just let this end like this. I have to fix it. I have to explain. But I owe it to Mom to try and explain.
“Noah and I felt sidelined freshman year. We were shy and didn’t participate. It bothered him more than it bothered me. This year he wanted to be a part of the action. He wanted to matter. I wanted to help him and… maybe I wanted to matter, too.”
“Puttar, you do matter!”
“I know that now. This whole thing, for all our mistakes, helped show me that. But there’s something else.…”
“What?”
“I’m really not sure how I feel about being a matchmaker, like you and Masi and Nanima. Maybe the time for traditional matchmaking is in the past. These days, you can look at a picture online, swipe, and find the perfect person without hiring outside help to agonize over your match.”
“You don’t have to be a matchmaker, Simi.” Mom sounds sad and tired. “Maybe our time has passed.”
“No, but don’t you see?” I say. “The matchmaking app works. We put new questions into the survey, sure, but it worked because of your and Nanima’s and Masi’s methods—they’re a part of Navdeep’s algorithm! We found people that were compatible by looking at who they are deep inside—not just on the surface. Our generations-old methods do work, even today. They just needed a little… tweaking.”
“You just said our methods,” Mom points out.
“I did, didn’t I?” I’m as surprised as she is. “I haven’t decided one way or the other about what I’ll do in the future, but I haven’t ruled anything out, either.”
“That’s something,” she tells me. “But don’t think you’re in the clear. You still need to tell your nanima that you borrowed The Shagun Matchmaking Guide without asking. And that it’s been stolen.” Mom cracks a smile. “Trust me, if you think I’m bad, just wait.…”
You cannot roll a boulder on your own. The only way to tackle such an obstacle is with the help of your village, your family, and your friends.
—THE SHAGUN MATCHMAKING GUIDE
chapter twenty-nine
Hey, how come you’re home early?” Navdeep says as I walk in. He has his headphones on. I roll my eyes and jerk my head toward the door.
“Uh-oh,” he says as Mom storms inside. “What happened?”
“Amanda Taylor happened,” I say. “Long story. Very very long.”
“Nice older brother you are, Navdeep Sangha,” Mom says sternly. “Good work keeping your sister out of trouble.”
“Uhh…” he says, clueless.
“The app,” I say. “Trouble. Major trouble.”
His eyes go wide as Mom crosses her arms and stares him down.
He raises his hands in surrender and says, “Hey, using the app at school was Simi’s idea.”
“Chup kaar,” she says. “You could have been in so much trouble today. What if they had given you a suspension? And expulsion? And don’t think you’re out of the woods. No one’s in the clear yet.”
Navdeep has the grace to look worried. “For real? I just scheduled an alumni interview with someone from UChicago.”
“I think they’ll let it slide,” I say, squeezing his shoulder. “At least where you’re concerned. Mr. Wall went to bat for you.”
“I swear I’ll apply to Case Western, regular decision,” Navdeep declares piously. “Wally deserves it. It’s his alma mater and he’s been telling me to apply forever.”
“Forget about colleges for a minute, will you?” I say. He still doesn’t know the full story. “There’s more. Amanda humiliated Noah in front of the whole school, and she stole the matchmaking guide.”
“Wait, what? How? Is Noah okay?”
“I don’t know. She recorded him talking about having a crush on Connor and played it during morning announcements.”
“What a loser!” Navdeep’s been protective of Noah since first grade—pretty sure my brother thinks of him as another younger sibling to look out for. “Poor Noah. He must have been wrecked.”
“He was. Went home with his mom and hasn’t answered a single text I’ve sent.”
“And she took the guide? You know I’ve been saying you guys should scan every page of that book and archive it so you have a digital version. It could get wet, or burned, or damaged, or stolen.”
“If we get it back, we’ll do that,” Mom says. “Simi, you better go talk to Nanima. Now.”
I look at the family room, where I can hear Nanima’s favorite daytime Hindi soap opera blaring. It would be so much easier to let her stay in the dark while I work on a plan to get the guide back, but that would just be another lie. This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but I take a deep breath and approach her.
“Nanima?” I say.
“Huh, puttar?” Her gray hair frames her face like a halo. “Ki hoya? You’re back from school already?”
“There’s a problem,” I say, and she looks instantly worried. “Not with me; I’m fine. Navdeep’s okay, too.” I know that would be her first concern, so I put that to bed quickly. She looks relieved. “The Shagun Matchmaking Guide has been stolen.”
Her face crumples with confusion. “But it’s always here, no? In the house. How can it be stolen?”
“I brought it to school, and someone took it.”
“But why? It’s no use to anyone who isn’t making matches. How could your mother say it’s okay to take the book to school?” She looks at Mom, who’s standing in the door.
“It’s not Mom’s fault, Nanima. I didn’t ask her for permission.”
The hurt and disappointment on Nanima’s face makes me feel awful. “So it’s gone,” she says. Her hands shake a little as she pats my shoulder. “So many memories, bachche, all taken with the book.”
“I’m going to find it,” I say. I don’t know how, but I’ll figure it out. “I’ll make sure we get it back. Promise, Nanima.”
“I know you’ll try your best, Simi,” she says sadly. She looks pale. Unwell. Her voice sounds weak when she says, “It’s up to you and Mata Rani now. I hope you’ll be able to find it.”
“Are you all right?” Mom asks Nanima.
Nanima holds her side and winces. “I have a stomachache. Help me up, will you? I think I’ll go lie down for some time.”
“How?” I pace up and down the hallway between my room and Navdeep’s. He has the door open for a change. “How am I going to get her to give it back?”
“We’ll think of something,” he says. “What about her friends?”
“Cami and Natasha,” I say, waving a hand dismissively. “They won’t help.”
“Is it worth talking to her parents? Maybe if they know how much the book means to our family, they’ll lean on her to give it back?”
I think of how all the Taylors were sitting together at Woofstock and shake my head. Not a chance they’ll break rank.
“Does she have a blind spot?” Navdeep asks. “Something we can exploit to get her to give it back?”
I stop suddenly, nearly knocking Navdeep over. “Ethan. Ethan’s her blind spot.”
“Will he help?”
“Maybe,” I say. “But there’s no way she’s going to admit to taking it and hand it back just because he asks. She’s really mad that he’s going out with Teá instead of her.”
“But what…” Navdeep grins suddenly. “What if she thinks that he and Teá have broken up and he now wants to go out with her?”
“Oh, she’d love that,” I say, arms folded. “But there’s no way on earth that’s about to happen. Ethan is so not into Amanda.”
“What if she thought he was?”
“Simi,” Mom yells from downstairs. “There are some people here to see you.”
Both Navdeep and I rush downstairs. I can’t think of who would have bothered to come check on me. It’s 2:40 p.m. and school’s out, so it could be anyone. But I’ve never been able to count on anyone besides Noah. And I’m pretty sure it’s not him.
A Match Made in Mehendi Page 19
