Home > Author > Sonya Lalli
21 " She’d enjoy doting on a young man, which wasn’t to say she hadn’t relished having two little girls to raise. In fact, daughters were what she had preferred. She despised that in their village, the birth of boys had been celebrated and the arrival of girls mourned. "
― Sonya Lalli , Serena Singh Flips the Script
22 " two bridesmaids’ lack of compassion and awareness over their own privilege was nothing short of astounding. Not everyone could afford to holiday at beachside resorts and eat out at restaurants. Until recently, they were luxuries my own family wasn’t able to afford. "
― Sonya Lalli , A Holly Jolly Diwali
23 " Family kept you grounded, but they’d all been uprooted, scattered, and were now like tumbleweeds blowing recklessly around the globe. Sandeep had done everything in her power to change that, to build anew. She cleaned houses, despite the upturned noses of some her friends, so they could save more quickly, "
24 " Our presents on Christmas morning were minimal, our school supplies the generic brand, our extracurricular activities limited to those freely available through the community center or local Y. "
25 " rubbed my eyes as it dawned on me. Natasha was selfish. Plain and simple, she was a spoiled brat. Maybe she always had been. And I was done making excuses for her. "
26 " Rationally, I knew I shouldn’t feel guilty. My parents had worked for the life they built in the US for their daughters’ futures, but I wasn’t feeling all that rational these days. “I don’t know how I feel. "
27 " If she told her every little thing—a harmless argument with Veer, a bill they hadn’t yet managed to pay, a blood pressure reading that was slightly higher than what her doctor felt comfortable with—it would only cause worry. "
28 " Because, what if Sandeep were to ask the wrong question? What if the question made Sandeep sound . . . stupid? It was easy to feel inferior around two bright girls fully versed in American, in the way of life this country demanded. Her daughters were constantly correcting Sandeep, pointing out when she made missteps or missed social cues, like "
29 " I laughed out loud, as if changing the name of the skin lightening cream made a single bit of difference. As if people of color all over the world, particularly women, weren’t still made to feel inferior for having a healthy dose of melanin. "
30 " Of course I knew that. My old boss Iain had been equal parts jealous and pleased that my interview (and skin color) had painted his workplace to be capable, diverse. "
31 " Basically, every auntie who’s ever been told to buy Fair and Lovely.” “Haven’t you heard? Colorism has been dismantled,” Sam joked. “It’s called Glow and Lovely now.” I laughed out loud, as if changing the name of the skin lightening cream made a single bit of difference. As if people of color all over the world, particularly women, weren’t still made to feel inferior for having a healthy dose of melanin. "
32 " The extent of her toxicity really hit home the day before when she was out sick. Without their ringleader, the other team members were actually super friendly with me, and it made me realize I needed to do something about the situation. I gulped. I needed to be a bawse. "
33 " Becoming true friends and transcending our work friendship built on convenience, common ground, and office space? "
34 " All we can do is stand up for what we believe in, be a good person, and do our best not to harm anyone in the process. "
35 " Diya was exactly like her namesake. She was a light, a shining gift to the world. And I was determined to help wind her back up to the one hundred percent sparkly, optimistic, and love-fueled Diya she always was. "
36 " And to him,” Ainsley continued, “a real mother shouldn’t be the breadwinner. She should be home raising her son. Can you believe it?” She shook her head. “And he never says that stuff to my face, but I know that’s what he’s saying to Nikesh.” “They speak in Punjabi together?” “Yeah, but even if I don’t understand all the words, I just know what he’s saying. Is that crazy? "
37 " I’d taken pains to avoid. It didn’t matter how hard we tried to be the perfect woman or daughter or daughter-in-law; it would never be good enough. Our rotis would never be round enough, and I was very tempted to tell her she shouldn’t even bother to try. "
38 " Jasmine was right. I’d caught feelings. I’d caught them bad. And lying there with Sam as he looked so deeply into my eyes it hurt, I knew that he’d caught them, too. "
39 " As I gave him a brief recap on the past twelve years, all I could think about was the new knowledge that Natasha and Jesse were Facebook friends. She’d never told me, and I didn’t know whether to feel gratitude for the secrecy, or betrayal. "
40 " To her family’s dismay, one girl moved all the way to Los Angeles to pursue acting, of all things, and another just across the state line to her boyfriend’s. "