Home > Author > Sonya Lalli
41 " My whole life I’d made practical decision after practical decision, and yes, my parents were happy with me, but I wasn’t. I had a career I wasn’t passionate about and an older sister I was jealous of and an addiction to romantic comedies that I lived through vicariously, and that was it. "
― Sonya Lalli , A Holly Jolly Diwali
42 " know you girls grew up . . . differently.” My mouth gaped open as I watched her disappear inside. Differently? "
― Sonya Lalli , Serena Singh Flips the Script
43 " Because it’s hard to create a friendship from scratch, without history. It’s a lot of effort, and especially when you’re a grown-up with responsibilities who still wants to sleep seven hours a night, it’s hard to make time for that effort. "
44 " Excluding her from her life and her pregnancy, acting like she was ashamed of where she came from. According to Mom, Natasha wouldn’t even let her bring a dish to the gender reveal party. (Just let the woman make you samosas, you brat! Everyone likes them.) "
45 " Already thirty-six, and to have a younger sister married first? What ever happened to that nice boy Jesse? Did she scare him off? She is not too old yet, nah? My cousin’s nephew has a job now. I will make the arrangements! "
46 " Not only had Mark proven to be a great buffer at tense family dinners, but ever since he entered the picture, Mom had stopped hounding me about the fact that I wasn’t married. "
47 " Just a few years ago, I could count on scores of dynamic, caring women in my life, from school or college or whom I’d met at work. But one by one, they’d gotten married and had families. And one by one, their commitments to our friendship took a backseat. Our movie nights, weekly phone calls, or Saturday dinners became less and less frequent, morphed into forty-five-minute catch-ups at a Starbucks "
48 " Seriously, what did he say this time?” Ainsley interrupted. “Did he say I was too old for you again? Used goods?” She ran her hands through her hair. “I heard the word ‘Greek.’ Does he still want me to learn make to daal? You can cook daal. Did you tell him that? So why do I have to fucking learn how to make it? "
49 " You’re right,” he said finally. “This wasn’t meant to be. I mean, the truth is I don’t even know you that well.” What he said was true, but it didn’t feel good to hear those words out loud. Six months and he didn’t know me, but it wasn’t his fault. I’d never let him in. "
50 " Diwali was the Festival of Lights. The celebration of the goodness in this world over darkness. A holiday that could be whatever anyone wanted it to be. And for Sam and me, having first fallen for each other on Diwali, I knew it would always be the day we celebrated our love for each other, too. "
51 " I shook my head. Why was I trying to justify Deborah’s decision to pick me over Ginger Spice? Why did I care so much what some spiteful person thought about me? I deserved to be here, and everyone damn well knew it. Still, I couldn’t stop ruminating. Ginger thought I was just some “middle manager.” She thought I was . . . “lonely.” It hurt when the aunties said it, but it hurt more when it came from the mouth of one of my own peers. And maybe it cut so deep because they were right. "
52 " Mom was right. I would never understand or agree with her decision to stay, but I knew I was judging her from a place of privilege. I grew up in a different country, a different time, and the choices available to me were ones that my mother, and "
53 " No, I didn’t fucking know that. He didn’t tell me, nor had he ever expressed any emotion toward me beyond apathy unless I’d disappointed him. He was proud of me? Really? All this time, I thought he hated me, too. "
54 " On the verge of a scandal. Had broken up with her deadweight boyfriend du jour. (Oh god. Let it be that!) Or maybe she was just being a run-of-the-mill pain yet again, and my parents wanted to vent about it before they ran off to whatever function was on that evening. "
55 " She knows very well what a dating app is. Niki, are you on the Tinder? The Bumble? The Hinger?” I smiled, even though I was irritated. Clearly, they’d done their research before the big talk. "
56 " Mom narrowed her gaze at me. “And when do you see all these boyfriends and girlfriends? On the bus home from work? Do you sneak them into your parents’ house after you come straight home every day? "
57 " And then, as if overnight, we’re of marriageable age. Suddenly, we’re not girls in need of protection but women, and being very single was our very own fault. "
58 " And it simply wasn’t fair. I did everything right, and she did everything wrong. Jasmine spent all her money to live that city life and travel the world over, while I dutifully stayed home to save money for the future, to be there for our parents. "
59 " Being in love wasn’t just about how you felt about the other person. It was how you felt about yourself when you were with that person. It was knowing, without a doubt, that you were living each day as the best version of yourself. "
60 " clearly. I’d been searching out all these ways to meet new, like-minded people, but I couldn’t just expect a new friend to appear out of nowhere. It took work. It took effort. "