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Chapter five

Blood Pressure

Josh

“It’s hopeless.” I bury my head in my arms. “You can stop trying to set me up. Nobody’s ever going to want to go out with me.”

JR keeps writing in the notebook in front of him. ‘Hookups for Josh’ is scrawled across the top in big, bold letters. Below that is a long list of names. My best friend is determined to ‘pay me back’, no matter how many times I tell him not to.

“What about Brandon Prescott?” he asks.

“He’s gay?” I lift my head. I’ve never actually talked to the guy before, but he’s good-looking in a hip hop sort of way. Not that I know anything about hip hop fashion or music—or any fashion or music, to be honest. What could we possibly have in common? I groan as I drop my head back into my arms.

JR pokes my shoulder with the end of his pencil. “Dude, that guy is most definitely—“

”—a moron,“ Fletcher says as he types on his titanium laptop while sitting on our shabby, second-hand sofa. He couldn’t look more out of place in our tiny apartment if he tried. “Mr. Prescott flunked out of my Organic Chemistry class. His structural formulas were atrocious.”

My roommate scratches a line across the notebook, then taps his pencil against the list. “What do you think about Josiah?”

“Josiah Baer ?“ I peek my head back up. The gorgeous running back from the Golden Gladiators? With his dark hair, light gray eyes, and lean muscles, he’s handsome enough to be a model. Add to that, he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. There’s just one problem. “Josiah isn’t gay.”

JR shoots a look at his partner, who answers it with a snort. “Trust me, buddy. Josiah’s gay, whether he’s figured it out yet or not.”

“Doesn’t he come from a religious family?” I ask. The athlete told me about his family’s rules and beliefs. I’m pretty sure being gay went against their church’s doctrine.

Fletcher snaps his laptop shut. “Since when did that stop anyone from loving who they love? Or being who they’re born to be? You can’t pick your family, after all.”

For once, I agree with the professor. Still… “Josiah may not be the best choice for a hookup. He probably has even less experience than I do.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” JR sighs. His finger trails down the list of names, most of which have lines scratched through them. “Are you sure Karma’s a bad influence, Fletcher? I really think he’s into Josh.”

So, about that.

I haven’t told my best friend that Karma asked me out on a date. And, no, I didn’t tell him about that kiss on the cheek, either. How can I be sure that it even happened? It could’ve been another one of my crazy dreams. Let’s be real—why would a hot guy like Karma Wilson want to go out with someone like me?

The buzzing of my phone’s alarm interrupts the match-making session. Crap . Is it that time already?

“I need to check on a few experiments,” the professor says as he tucks his laptop into his leather briefcase.

“Yeah, I gotta go, too.” JR stuffs the notebook into his backpack. “I’ve got class until three, then I’ll meet you in the lab.”

They lean toward each other for a kiss.

Eww. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to them being a couple—but right now, I’ve got other things to worry about. It’s almost time for my parents’ daily check-in. With a wave goodbye, I pick up my phone.

Family pressure in 3… 2… 1…

“Hello, Junoon.” My father’s face fills the small screen. “Are you studying hard for your final exams?”

“Yes, Father,” I tell him, as I do every morning. Our conversations are always the same. ‘You must study hard...’

“You must study hard if you want a successful career,” Dr. Daksh Malik gives me his usual lecture. “It is not enough to be smart, you must...”

‘Act smart.’ I finish the sentence in my head.

“... act smart. What you do today may affect your entire future.”

“Yes, Father. I will study hard,” I repeat on auto-pilot.

The virologist moves on to his next topic. “And how is your speech coming along? Your university has given you a great honor by asking you to speak at the graduation ceremony. You must perform well.”

A sharp pain stabs me in the gut. “Dean Owens has found someone to help me write my speech. We have an appointment this afternoon.” Hopefully, they’ll have some idea of what I should say. So far, I’ve come up with nothing.

“Your mother and I are excited to hear your speech,” he says with his usual flat expression. “Your brother and sister are excited, as well.”

“Siddharth and Pradnya are coming to my graduation? Aren’t they too busy with work?” In a family full of scientists, someone’s research is always at a critical stage.

A small frown creases his forehead. “Of course they are going to your graduation. It is an important day for the Malik family. We will all be there.”

“Even Nani ?“ I ask.

The line between his eyebrows deepens. “You’ll have to speak to your mother about that. She should be finished with her work soon. Tell me about your internship. Are you prepared for your appointment with Dr. Yoshida?”

“Yes, Father. We’re meeting next week, and I can hardly wait!” The pain in my stomach disappears, my heart leaping in my chest. Only a handful of students have been chosen to assist the head of the Cosmology department. We’ll be analyzing data collected from the Dark Energy Survey project, an international collaboration of over four hundred scientists. The goal of DES is to uncover the nature of dark energy, a mysterious force that is accelerating the expansion of the universe. I can’t imagine anything more thrilling than to take part in the research, even in the smallest way.

“Why would you want to spend your entire summer on this silly project, Junoon?” Father takes off his glasses with a sigh. “An engineering internship would have been a smarter choice to prepare for your graduate studies.”

We’ve had this conversation before.

“It’s an honor to be chosen to assist Dr. Yoshida. The project is a historic undertaking of immense scientific value. Scientists from around the world are devoting time to DES.”

“Yes, yes. So you have told me.” He puts his glasses back on. “Who cares if the universe is expanding? How does that impact anyone’s life here on Earth?”

I know better than to answer his questions. My father has devoted his life to preventing infectious disease. I’m proud of his life-saving work—I just wish he could see the value of my own scientific research. Instead, I’m treated like a starry-eyed child playing with toy rockets and plastic telescopes.

“At least building spacecraft for NASA has some value,” Father concedes. “That same technology can be used to improve machines on Earth. Though I don’t understand the need to explore other planets when this one has such urgent issues.”

Mother appears at his elbow, still wearing her white lab coat. “Stop pressuring the boy about his career, Daksh. I need to speak with him about his future wife.”

Wife? Holy crap! I’m the baby of the family—I didn’t think I’d have to worry about marriage for years! How am I supposed to tell them that I don’t ever plan on having a wife?

I have to come out to my parents. Eventually.

But I don’t have to do it today.

“Um… hello, Mother,” I say, searching my brain for a change of subject. “How is your research coming along?”

“Just fine, Junoon.” She takes the phone from my father. “Do you remember the Yadav family and their second daughter, Sarika? Did you know that she’s attending the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, right here in Jaipur? I’m told she’s a very good student.”

So much for changing the subject. My mother, Dr. Varenya Malik—an epidemiologist—would be thrilled if I dated a medical student. Me? Not so much. I’m literally surrounded by doctors.

“Oh. That’s… uh, nice.” Sarika who?

“Fatima Kumar is also lovely,” she plows ahead. “You remember Fatima, don’t you? She has grown into quite a beautiful young woman. Beautiful and smart. She will make a fine wife someday.”

“I-I’m sure she will.” Oh, my god—I do remember her . I pity the person who marries Fatima. She’s the biggest busybody I’ve ever met.

“It’s never too soon to consider your future, Junoon,” Mother pushes. “Choosing a spouse can take time. We must start now if we are to find someone suitable for you.”

Now? What’s the hurry? Besides, Siddharth and Pradnya are both older than I am and neither one of them is married yet. Shouldn’t she worry about them first? “Mother, can we please talk about this later? It’s not like I’m going to get married anytime soon.”

She glances off-screen at my father, her lips thinning. Turning back to me, she takes a deep breath. “Your grandmother has had a vision.”

A shiver runs down my spine. Nani ‘s had a vision about me ? But what does that have to do with my mother’s sudden interest in finding me a wife? This couldn’t have anything to do with the dream I had a few nights ago… could it?

“Varenya, we’re scientists. We don’t believe in visions,” my father chides.

Which is true, except for one fact. My grandmother’s visions are never wrong.

The last thing I want to do, besides coming out to my parents, is to hear Nani’ s vision of my future. I don’t think I can handle having a destiny to fulfill. I’m under enough pressure as it is.

“Is Nani coming to my graduation?“ I scramble for another change of topic. “Father said I should ask you.” Not that I need to ask—the chances are next to nothing. My grandmother has spent her entire life in Rusirani, never leaving the ancient village for more than a few days. She refuses to live in a modern city like Jaipur, no matter how much my parents plead with her. Getting her to fly in an airplane halfway around the world is about as likely as my father believing in visions.

Mother lets out a frustrated sigh. “Actually, your grandmother insists on attending your graduation ceremony. She says that is where we’ll meet your future family.”

My… my what?

I jump from the sofa and grab my backpack. “I’ve got to go. I-I need to work on my speech. Dean Owens will be expecting me soon.”

“Fine.” Mother crosses her arms. “But this conversation isn’t over.”

Maybe not. But it’s over for now.

I say a distracted goodbye to my parents, my thoughts tied in knots. What could Nani mean by my future family? Could her vision have anything to do with my nightmare? What had she been trying to tell me before the dream-lightning had struck?

As I hurry across campus to the student writing center, I swear I can hear my grandmother’s voice. “I had a dream, my sweet one. Someday you will marry…”

I break into a run, trying to escape the voice in my head.