A Match Made in Mehendi

by Nandini Bajpai

  Crowded around our kitchen counter, tucking into the piping-hot pakore that Mom’s just fried up, are Kiran, Marcus, Ethan, Teá, Rebecca, Hasina, Jassi, and Suraj. They’re all speaking at once.

  “You okay?”

  “What happened with Pinter?”

  “How’s Noah?”

  “Oh, these pakore are so good, Mrs. Sangha!”

  “You should have been there at lunchtime, Simi. Everyone was hating on Amanda!”

  I laugh at all the chatter. It feels good to know that I’m not alone in this.

  “It’s really great of you guys to come. You don’t know the worst of it, though.…”

  Suraj takes my hand. “There’s more?”

  “Do you remember the big book I held on to in the library on match days?”

  “The red one?” Marcus says.

  “The one that looked super old?” Teá says.

  “The family heirloom you told me about?” Suraj says.

  Mom’s eyes go wide as she listens to them talk.

  “Your friends know about the guide?” she asks.

  “Yeah,” I explain. “And they’re clients. Satisfied clients, Mom.”

  Well, maybe not Jassi and Suraj, but the rest are.

  “So the book, what happened to it?” Suraj asks, bringing me back to the problem at hand.

  “It’s missing. And it’s, like, a hundred years old, at least. My nanima is so upset that it’s gone. And I bet you guys can guess who took it, right?”

  “Amanda,” Kiran says. “It has to be her!”

  “Except she denies any involvement,” Mom says. “Principal Pinter called while you were upstairs, Simi. She says Amanda said there was no book on that shelf and she hasn’t taken it.”

  “She totally took it, Mom—I’m sure she did. I need to get it back. I promised Nanima that I would. And I have an idea. But I need help… especially from you, Ethan.”

  “Anything,” Ethan says.

  chapter thirty

  What do you mean she had good intentions?” Teá yells.

  You can hear a pin drop in the cafeteria. Ethan sits at a lunch table, speechless while Teá shouts at him.

  “I can’t hang out with someone who thinks that what that pathetic excuse for a human being did was right,” Teá says. “We’re done, Ethan Pérez. Goodbye!”

  “Teá,” Ethan says. “I didn’t… I wasn’t…” His voice trails off as Teá pushes her way through the crowd of freshmen and exits the cafeteria.

  Ethan drops his face in his hands, just like we practiced yesterday. I try to keep a straight face as I eat my sandwich, but I’m so proud of the show they just put on. Good thing we figured out very quickly that Ethan could not act to save his life. So, it was all up to Teá to stage a very public breakup. Luckily for us, she delivered.

  I just wish Noah was here to see it go down. He’s taking a few more days off to recharge at home—that’s what the text he sent late last night said. I miss him, but I totally understand. And I can’t wait for him to come back and see how our friends have rallied around Connor. Marcus, Kiran, Rebecca, Hassan, Jassi, Navdeep, Suraj, and I surround him at a big cafeteria table. He’s exactly as cool as Noah made him out to be.

  Across the cafeteria, there’s more action.

  “Ethan?” Amanda is by his side. Wow, that was quick.

  He looks up at her, and she drops a hand on his shoulder.

  “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you thought I did the right thing,” she says, her voice trembling just a touch. Ethan nods but doesn’t say anything. Amanda squeezes his shoulder and moves on. She has a triumphant look on her face as she passes me. I take a page from Ethan’s book and drop my gaze, too.

  After school, Navdeep, Suraj, and Geet sit at the kitchen counter. They have Bluetooth earbuds and a tiny camera clipped to Geet’s scarf. Navdeep’s laptop is open in front of him. As they work, Navdeep tells Geet how he nailed his alumni interview for UChicago and is working on his supplemental essays, with advice from Mr. Wall.

  “How’s the camera setup coming along?” I ask.

  “Good,” Navdeep says. “You want to see? Suraj, see if it’s live, will you?”

  They’re planning on streaming the footage from the camera directly onto Navdeep’s laptop in real time. I can’t wait to see if it works.

  Suraj clicks something behind the tiny camera.

  “Should be good now,” he says. “See anything?”

  “It’s loading,” Navdeep says. “Wait for it.… Yes! It’s live. Just a second or two of lag, but we don’t care about that.”

  “See! It was simple, right?” Geet says. She is the one who helped them figure out what equipment they needed and borrowed it from her boyfriend.

  “Now for the hard part,” I say. “We have to get Ethan to ask Amanda the right questions, so we can get her to own up to taking the guide.”

  “Pity Teá can’t do that for him,” Suraj says. “That would be so much easier.”

  He smiles at me. We’ve been so busy setting up this sting operation we haven’t really talked since the day of the fire alarm. I smile back at him.

  Geet watches us with interest and turns to Navdeep.

  “Are they…”

  “Don’t!”

  “But what’s this…”

  “Gross. Can you leave it alone?” Navdeep pulls off his Bluetooth and stalks out of the room. “Little sisters don’t date,” he calls before heading up the stairs. “That’s just—it’s a rule!”

  “Whatever,” Geet says, laughing.

  It’s taken a few days to set the sting up, but we’re ready.

  A very public breakup between Teá and Ethan: check. A couple of innocent hangout sessions for Ethan and Amanda: check. A crash course in hidden camera technology for Navdeep and Suraj: check. Casing possible tables in the lunchroom for the operation: check.

  Today’s the day. Ready or not, we are a go.

  The team’s in place. Everyone knows what they should be doing. The most important role, of course, is Ethan’s. Can he actually nudge Amanda into confessing?

  I look over to the table where he’s sitting. If all goes well, Amanda will join him soon and, if we’re lucky, he might get her to talk. I’m all the way at the other side of the cafeteria with Noah, so we won’t know until after if the operation was a success or a failure, but for now we’ll focus on doing our part: keeping Amanda’s posse from interrupting the conversation Ethan plans on having with her, the conversation Navdeep and Suraj have wired him up to record.

  I text the team.

  Is Amanda there yet?

  [Navdeep:]

  Almost.

  Camera working?

  [Suraj:]

  Like a boss.

  Good luck, guys.

  My lunch tray sits untouched in front of me. Noah’s is the same. We’re on high alert. Amanda’s taken from both of us; it’s time to even the score.

  “You ready for this?” I ask, squeezing his hand.

  “Completely,” he says with a resolute nod.

  Amanda walks to Ethan’s table and sits down. No Cami or Natasha in sight. So far, so good.

  Someone slides in on the other side of Noah.

  Not. Part. Of. The. Plan.

  But it’s Connor.

  “What’s up, guys?” He smiles at me, but beams at Noah.

  They haven’t talked since the video broadcast, according to Noah, and I so want them to. Just… maybe not right now?

  “Nothing good,” Noah mumbles.

  I want to correct him—this is good! Except, I don’t want to interrupt, and I’ve got to keep an eye on Ethan and Amanda.

  “Well, that’s not true,” Connor says. “I got a crush confession the other day—kind of unconventional, but definitely cute—and the guy’s finally back at school. I’m kinda pumped, to be honest.”

  Noah flushes, glancing down at the table before meeting Connor’s gaze. “Really?”

  “Yeah, I kind of figured it was nobody’s b
usiness,” Connor says. “But it is. Because I like you. And I think you like me.”

  Noah looks surprised. “Yeah, I do.”

  Connor nods. “I’m glad you’re here,” he confesses. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you, but Simi’s so protective—she downright refused to give me your number.”

  “Oh, um, cool,” Noah laugh-stammers. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “For starters, I wanted to tell you that I recently broke up with the guy I was going out with back in San Francisco because it wasn’t working long-distance. So there’s that. Also, I wanted to tell you that what happened the other day sucked. That girl who shared the video of you really sucks. But to be honest—I’m glad I know.” He grins again. “You’re a pretty hard guy to get a read on.”

  Okay, I freaking love this guy—I haven’t seen Noah smile this big in weeks!

  “So now what?” he says.

  “Now… maybe we can hang out. You know, go do something fun, instead of just studying for chemistry together.”

  My heart’s doing cartwheels. Noah’s must be, too—he looks like he wants to jump out of his seat and do a celebratory dance on the table.

  Just as he’s responding with a resounding “Sure!” Natasha and Cami walk by.

  Shoot! I’m supposed to be watching for them—I’m supposed to stop them—but I was so distracted by Connor and Noah, I dropped the ball. Now they’re headed toward Ethan and Amanda, who are deep in conversation.

  I stand up. “Natasha! Cami!” They swivel around to look at me. So do most of the people in the cafeteria—oops. Not Ethan and Amanda, though. Whatever he’s saying has got her captivated. Her friends, however, make a U-turn to come by the table I’m sharing with Noah and Connor. They’re both wearing skeptical expressions.

  “Hey,” I say, flustered. It’s hard to lie on the spot, and under pressure. “I was, uh, wondering how the henna tattoos I did for you at Woofstock held up.”

  “Faded away now,” Natasha says, “but it was beautiful while it lasted.”

  Cami smiles, but her eyes are bright with remorse. “I loved mine, too,” she says. “I’d love to try the traditional henna sometime, if you wouldn’t mind, Simi.”

  I shrug; she was the one who hit play during Amanda’s broadcast the other day. I’m not sure I want to do something nice for her.

  She sighs, a sad sound, then addresses Noah, Connor, and me. “I’m glad the three of you are here—I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. The morning announcements. The video. Amanda had it set up and ready to go. She never showed me what was on it—she just said to play it when she gave the signal. Had I known…”

  Noah lets go of a breath. “Thanks, Cami. I appreciate the apology.”

  “Same,” Connor says.

  I smile. “Me too.”

  It feels good to have cleared the air. Cami isn’t a bad person—I think that if she ditched Amanda, we could be friends. Same goes for Natasha. They take off, heading out of the cafeteria this time, officially over whatever they were headed toward Amanda for.

  Success.

  Speaking of Amanda, I look up to find her and Ethan still in the midst of an intense conversation, which has to be good news for Operation Fake Out. I scan the cafeteria for Suraj and Navdeep. They’re at a corner table, Navdeep’s laptop in front of them, each wearing a Bluetooth ear clip. Suraj gives me a covert thumbs-up.

  They’ve got something on Amanda.

  “Play it again,” I say. We’re home, crowded around the kitchen table, watching the hidden camera footage. Navdeep, Ethan, Teá, Suraj, Noah, Connor, and me.

  “It was just so wrong of them to try and break us up, Ethan. We’ve known each other since we were in diapers. Our moms are friends. I’m just glad you realize it now.”

  The screen blurs as Navdeep fast-forwards the footage. “I think this is where she says…”

  “They didn’t care about my feelings and took what was important to me without a thought. That’s why I had to get back at them.”

  “But the rumors about Simi. And humiliating Noah,” Ethan says. “Don’t you think you took it too far?”

  Amanda scoffs. “No! I was so upset when they set you up with that girl. Someone so far below you. She’s so not worthy. I had to show them how it feels. I had to hurt them the way they hurt me. That’s why it was only fair that I humiliated Noah and took Simran’s stupid book. I mean, yeah, maybe that was kind of silly, but at least now she knows how it feels when something you care about is stolen.”

  Navdeep claps Ethan on the shoulder. “Well done.”

  “I still feel kind of bad about lying to her,” Ethan says. “She wasn’t mean when we were younger. We spent a lot of time together, because of our families. We were friends. But man, she’s so bent out of shape now.”

  “‘Someone so far below you,’” Teá repeats, sounding disgusted. Ethan squeezes her hand as she goes on. “We should play our video on morning announcements. That’d serve her right.”

  “No, we have to do this right. We go to Pinter with the footage. Let her deal with Amanda. She’ll get what she deserves. And Noah will get his apology, the right way.”

  The team agrees.

  “Please explain yourself, Ms. Taylor,” Principal Pinter says, all steely-eyed and stern. Amanda squirms in the chair across the desk from her.

  My mom’s in the office, too, along with Amanda’s mom. We’ve just watched the footage that Suraj and Navdeep captured, as well as the unedited clip Amanda took in the library. After some convincing from her mom, who is not happy, she finally produced it.

  Amanda’s miserable. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I had no idea any of this was going on,” Mrs. Taylor says. “Amanda’s a good kid. I assure you, she’s never done anything like this before.”

  My mom nods graciously, though I can tell she doubts Mrs. Taylor. “I just want our family’s book back,” she says. “Then you may deal with your child however you see fit.”

  “I can show you where the book is,” Amanda says. “It’s here at school. It’s safe.”

  “No time like the present,” Principal Pinter says. “Let’s go.”

  We stand and file out of the office. Because school let out thirty minutes ago, the hallways are empty. Amanda leads us to the sophomore corridor. She goes to her locker—just a few down from mine. She turns to the combination, opens the door, and silently removes both The Shagun Matchmaking Guide and my sketchbook from its top shelf.

  My mother snatches the guide out of her hands and holds it close to her chest. I think she’d kiss it if we weren’t all watching. Maybe I would, too.

  Amanda hands me my sketchbook. “I’m sorry.” She doesn’t look me in the eye as she apologizes, but instead at her shoes. “Nothing is damaged. I was careful with both books. I shouldn’t have taken them. I realize that now. And”—she hesitates before continuing with a wobble in her voice—“I couldn’t read most of the matchmaking guide, but the writing in it is beautiful.”

  Amanda saw generations of my family’s notes on matchmaking and liked them? My brain is not able to comprehend that possibility right now.

  “Thank you,” Mom says. “It’s a treasured family heirloom.”

  “My mom and my grandmother are really proud of its history,” I say. “So am I.”

  “All right, Amanda, Mrs. Taylor,” Ms. Pinter says. “Let’s head back to my office. We have some things to discuss.” She nods toward my mom. “Mrs. Sangha, thank you for your patience, and for not calling your jolly lawyer.”

  I stifle a laugh, practically running out of the building with Mom close on my heels.

  After dinner, after the rest of my family has turned in for the night, I sit down in the kitchen with Mom. She puts on a pot of chai and tells me that Amanda’s mother called while I was in my room doing homework.

  “She apologized. She told me that Amanda’s been suspended for a week, and she has to go to antibullying classes. She also said that she and her husband are going to see a counselo
r with her. Apparently, some of Amanda’s issues have to do with keeping up with her extremely successful siblings. There’s a lot of pressure there.” Mom pauses, giving me a stern look. “I’m sharing this with you because I want you to consider Amanda’s motivations. What she’s done is very wrong, but she’ll pay the price, and hopefully she’ll grow. I trust that you’ll keep this to yourself, and treat Amanda with compassion.”

  Nanima comes into the kitchen wearing a fuzzy robe over her pajamas. She knows the guide was returned—she was just as elated as Mom and I were—but not how it all went down. I share the details as Mom passes her a mug of chai.

  “How is your friend Noah?” she asks when I’ve stopped talking. Nanima adores him, as Mom and Masi do. Still, I glossed over the details of his crush on Connor, and the fact that Connor was outed in front of the whole school. Nanima is the best, but she’s very traditional in some ways.

  “Really good, considering everything that’s happened.” I take a deep breath. “Nanima, did you know that Noah is—”

  “Gay?” Nanima says. “Of course, beta.” She puts an arm around me. “He reminds me of my cousin Jaggi.”

  “Your cousin Jaggi is gay?”

  She nods. “He’s a journalist. Writes for the Times of India, the Indian Express, Hindustan Times. Such a talented writer. So many stories to tell. Everyone loves him, including me.”

  I smile. “Nanima, you’re the best.”

  “No, but I do know some very interesting people.” Nanima smiles at me. “As do you.”

  chapter thirty-one

  Masi’s house is decorated with flowers, and her new furniture looks exactly right. There is balance, harmony, and excitement between the sofa, side table, lampshade, and rug—just as there is between the two people who are getting engaged today. Everything looks beautiful.

  I, on the other hand, look like a hot mess. I’ve been running around, helping to prepare for the saghai all morning.