บท 20: Raj and Lalita’s Date
Raj was sitting at the bar where Penny worked, absentmindedly watching as she cleaned some glasses. Howard, Sheldon, and Leonard were next to him.
"I'm only here out of obligation. My parents won't stop bugging me about this marriage thing," Raj said, shaking his head. He wore a navy blue polo shirt, unbuttoned, with a white T-shirt underneath, along with dark jeans.
"I'm just a friend. Nothing more. She wasn't even that nice when we were kids."
"You're exaggerating, Raj," Penny replied, not taking her eyes off the glasses. "I'm sure she's super nice now."
Raj scoffed and leaned forward. "Super nice? She stole my lunch every day at school! One time, I brought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich… it was perfect! And she just snatched it from my hand and ran off!"
"The point is: I'll be polite, cordial, but if she thinks I'm gonna forget that, she's dead wrong."
At that moment, the bar door opened, and Raj stopped talking. He swallowed hard, and his eyes locked onto the figure that had just walked in—tall, with long brown hair falling in loose waves, large expressive eyes. She wore an emerald green dress that fit her perfectly.
Penny, always straightforward, smiled as she saw Raj's reaction. "Wow, Raj… She's gorgeous."
Howard: "If you still don't wanna go on the date, I can sacrifice myself for you, buddy."
"Who said I don't wanna go on the date? I totally wanna go on the date."
Sheldon: "Raj, you were the one who said you didn't want to go. Your previous statement contradicts your current one."
"Shhh!" Raj motioned to silence Sheldon. "I've got a date to go to."
Lalita walked up to Raj with a friendly smile on her face. "Hi, Rajesh," she said, extending her hand. "Long time, huh?"
Raj smiled. "Hi, Lalita… Yeah, it's been a while. You've… changed a lot since the last time we saw each other."
She laughed softly. "I hope for the better."
"Definitely better."
"Well, let me introduce you to some friends before things get weird. And also so they stop staring at me like they're in some kind of documentary."
Raj gestured toward the bar, where the others were. "This is Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Penny."
"Hey there." They all waved politely.
Sheldon raised his hand in a formal manner. "This isn't a usual sociological experiment, but since it's happening… how do you feel about the expectation placed by your parents regarding marriage? After all, forcing a relationship based on cultural norms might not be sustainable."
Lalita blinked, a little confused. "Well, I wouldn't call it 'forcing,' Sheldon. I think our parents just want to help. They're pretty traditional, and trust me, it's easier to go along with it than to try and argue."
Raj laughed, agreeing. "Yeah, that's true."
Penny: "So, where are you guys going for the date?"
Raj glanced quickly at Lalita. "I don't know, the truth is… we didn't plan much, right?"
Lalita shrugged. "We can improvise. I'm not a big fan of rigid schedules."
"Neither am I. So, how about we explore the city a bit? Maybe walk around and see what comes up?" Raj suggested.
Lalita nodded. "Sounds perfect. I think the last time I was here was during college."
Raj looked at his friends and gave a quick smile. "Well, guys, it was a pleasure introducing you, but we've got… a date to get to."
Howard: "Go get 'em, champ. Show her why your parents were so eager to set you up."
"Thanks, Howard. I'm gonna… ignore what you just said."
He then turned to Lalita. "Shall we?"
As Raj and Lalita got ready to leave, he looked at her with a mischievous grin on his face.
"So, Lalita," he began. "Are you afraid of riding motorcycles?"
Lalita raised her eyebrows. "Motorcycles? Uh… yeah, a little. Why?"
Raj let out an amused laugh. "Great, that'll make it even more fun."
She blinked, trying to keep up with what he was saying, as he walked toward the door. "Wait, you have a motorcycle?"
"A Harley," he answered casually, pushing the door open for her. Outside, the bike gleamed under the streetlight.
Lalita stood there for a moment, staring at the bike, hesitant. Raj noticed and stepped closer, holding out a helmet with a calm smile.
"Relax. Just hold on tight, and you'll be fine," he said as he gently placed the helmet on her head. He fastened the strap carefully and took a small step back to make sure it was secure.
She smiled, still a bit nervous. "Okay, if you say it's gonna be fine, I believe you."
"Trust me," he said, mounting the Harley and motioning for her to hop on the back.
Lalita climbed on, lightly placing her hands on his shoulders until she heard the engine roar to life. She quickly grabbed onto him more firmly, which made Raj smile with satisfaction. "Ready?"
She nodded, and with a slight movement, they sped down the street. The wind whipped through her hair, and though she was a bit apprehensive at first, she quickly felt comfortable holding on tightly to Raj.
After a few minutes, they arrived at a more secluded spot, far from the city lights, where the stars shone brightly in the sky. Raj stopped the bike, and the two got off. Lalita looked up at the sky and sighed, admiringly.
"The stars are beautiful tonight, don't you think?" she said with a soft smile.
Raj looked up and nodded. "Yeah, they are… It's nice to see them like this, away from the city pollution."
The two sat on the nearby grass, enjoying the silence and the peaceful air of the place.
Lalita looked at Raj and smiled, "Do you remember when I used to steal your lunch at school?" she asked.
Raj scratched his head, "Wow, that was so long ago… I think I barely remember."
Lalita laughed, leaning forward a little. "Liar! I bet you still remember that peanut butter and jelly sandwich I took."
"Maybe. But I think I'll forgive you… just this once."
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The two had been talking for a while, and anyone who saw them would think they were a young, lovestruck couple.
"Raj, I… I have to confess something to you." She hesitated for a second, looking at him, then continued. "At first, I didn't want to come to this date." She chuckled softly, almost embarrassed. "In fact, my parents had to insist a lot for me to accept."
Raj raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
She nodded, a bit awkwardly. "Yes, you know how it is… my parents are kind of persistent. They're always reminding me that I need to get married, that it's about time, those kinds of things. So they sort of… pushed me into it. I called my mom this afternoon, and she didn't leave me alone until I said I would come."
She shrugged, as if trying to unload a burden. "I don't know, sometimes it gets a little exhausting, you know? They act like I'm the only single person in the world."
Raj laughed, shaking his head in solidarity. "Wow, that sounds… incredibly familiar. My parents are exactly the same way! Every time I call home, the topic of marriage comes up, even if I'm just trying to talk about the weather or something else."
"It's like their whole life revolves around us getting married and… having kids soon."
Lalita smiled, relaxing a bit. "Exactly! And when you finally give in and set up a date, they act like they've won a battle."
Raj nodded, letting out a chuckle. "Yeah, like: 'Congrats, we're one step closer to being grandparents!'"
They both laughed.
"You know, Raj… I just thought of something." She paused. "How about we get a little revenge on our parents?"
Raj narrowed his eyes. "Revenge? Like… how?"
She laughed, tossing her hair back. "I mean… we pretend the date was a total disaster! They're so confident that they nailed it by setting us up, it would be fun to ruin it for them."
"You mean… make them think the date was a complete mess? Like, we fought and swore never to see each other again?"
Lalita nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! They can't get the satisfaction of being right. This would mess with them so much."
Raj thought for a moment, then burst out laughing. "I like it. Like, they'll freak out, thinking we ruined everything. This is gonna be great!"
Lalita laughed along with him. "We could say you were super rude, and I spilled wine on you on purpose!"
"That's an interesting idea…"
She nodded, still laughing. "They'll be so disappointed. It'll be our little revenge for all the drama they caused."
"You're evil, Lalita. Really evil."
Lalita shrugged with a mischievous smile. "I try."
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Lalita looked at Raj. "You know, you've changed a lot since the last time I saw you."
"Really? I hope for the better."
She let out a light laugh, shaking her head. "Definitely for the better! When we were kids, you were so shy, always staring at the ground. Now you seem much more… at ease. Not like the boy I used to know."
Raj shrugged, "You've changed a lot too since we were kids."
Lalita playfully pushed his shoulder, "If you say I was chubby, we're gonna fight!"
Raj raised his hands in surrender, laughing. "I wasn't gonna say that! I was thinking about your shiny bracelets. Remember? You used to wear a bunch of them and swing your arms around just to show them off."
Lalita burst out laughing. "Oh my God! I loved those bracelets! Each one was a different color."
Raj laughed. "It was like you were a walking Christmas tree."
"Hey!… And what about you? Always with that Superman shirt. Seriously, Raj, every single day."
"That was a fashion choice! And what if, I don't know, Superman needed a sidekick to save the world at the last minute?"
She laughed. "Save the world? You couldn't even save your own lunch at school!"
"And whose fault was that?"
Lalita laughed loudly, gently pushing him. "Oh, Raj, that was so long ago! But, you know what? I think you still have a little bit of fear of me, huh?"
"Okay, fine… maybe I still have a little trauma. You were a ruthless thief!"
They laughed together, the conversation flowing naturally.
"But seriously, you've really changed, Raj. You're more confident… more relaxed."
Raj smiled, looking up at the sky. "I guess we all change over time."
Lalita nodded. "But there's one thing that never changed."
Raj raised an eyebrow. "What?"
She turned to face him, her eyes sparkling under the soft light of the stars. "You still make that little face when you're nervous."
Raj laughed. "Me? Nervous? Now?"
"Maybe just a little," she teased, moving closer.
"You're imagining things," Raj replied with a laugh, but didn't back away.
He leaned in without hesitation, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before pressing his lips against hers.
The kiss started soft, but soon grew more intense. Their tongues intertwined as she gently lay back on the grass. Raj's hands firmly held her waist as he pulled her closer… it was obvious tonight would be a long night.
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A/N: I tried to create a romantic scene, the rest is up to your imagination…
A/N: Let me give a quick explanation for those who didn't understand this part about the arranged marriage: In India, it's normal for parents to arrange marriages for their children, especially their daughters. In the show, we even see this, but of course, Raj's parents don't force him to get married, but they did try to set him up with Lalita. (In the series, Raj messed everything up.) It was the same for Lalita, even though she only appeared in one episode. But I wanted to bring it up here to lighten the mood. Just to remind everyone, neither in the series nor here in the fanfic were their parents forcing them—they just insisted. A lot. And for those who were still wondering, Raj didn't want to go on the date mainly because Lalita was a chubby girl who used to steal his lunches. (I made up that part too.) He changed his mind after seeing her in person.
A/N: Don't forget to review the book, or I'll take another 3 days to post anything, I'll threaten you with that now haha! A kiss of light to everyone's hearts.
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