Hustle and bustle was the name of the game around the Gare du Nord train station in Paris, where Indian and Sri Lankan restaurants intermingled with purveyors of imported groceries and textiles.

The noisy street sounds quieted to a hush inside a cozy Indian restaurant, where the usual outdated touches were on display. From the dark wood paneling to the dining chairs reminiscent of the nineteen seventies, this restaurant challenged the very idea of Paris.

The Bhandar family were the central focus of the lunch service, as they awaited their food in the comfort of cultural familiarity. Dad in particular was having himself a time. He took in the music, the smells, and the fellow brown faces with a marked level of glee. It was in that moment we learned that yes, even Dad could grin from time to time.

Neela studied him closely, feeling somewhat assured that her plan thus far had been a good one. Bring her family to an Indian restaurant, having them feeling safe...relaxed...comfortable...it was the best possible way to drop a personal life nugget that would rock them to the core.

Grease 'em up...and then reveal the white boy lovin'.

It was still entirely possible that her grand reveal would result in them running out of the restaurant screaming, a dramatic prelude to them cutting her off for good. Entirely possible indeed, but alas there was only one way to find out.

The bell attached to the restaurant door jingled as it opened, a subtle sound that trapped Neela's breath in her throat.

Okay so this is actually happening? This a literal thing about to unfold?

She managed to release her breath and snuck a peek at the restaurant's entrance.

In walked Luc, looking dashing as ever in a fitted blue suit.

Mom immediately eyed him with suspicion.

"Is he lost?" she said skeptically.

To the family's utter surprise, Luc headed straight to their table.

Yep, this is happening. Deep breaths.

Luc flashed a winning smile. "Hello. I hope you have been expecting me."

All eyes fell on Neela, her forehead alight with the glisten of nervous sweat. She managed to catch Luc's eye and shot him a confused look. Should her family have been expecting him? Was he assuming she would have already given them a quick executive summary of his existence? THAT WASN'T IN THE PLAN.

As the realization set in that Neela's family had no idea who in the hell this white boy in a blue suit was, Luc's smile started to waiver. If Neela knew Luc as well as she thought she did, he would blow her big reveal and nonchalantly spill the news himself. So she had to act. Immediately if not sooner.

Neela cleared her throat. "Mom, Dad...this is Luc."

Maneet clapped her hands together hard, a slow dramatic clap that made a crisp echoing throughout the restaurant. "Well well well," she said smugly, obviously savouring the scandal.

Dad's grinning face was now a distant memory, replaced with the expression that precedes the sight of smoke blowing out of an enraged person's ears.

As for Mom? Mom resembled a woman who was ready to take a life.

"I invited him to join us," Neela explained, mustering up every ounce of confidence that existed in her body to force her hand into a gesturing motion that signaled for him to sit. "He umm...he has good manners, he works in finance..."

The mention of 'finance' registered a brief flicker of approval from Mom, a semi-acknowledgement that lasted long enough for Neela to say more.

"He's also never done drugs," she went on, "or been arrested..."

She could see that she was losing them with the lack of criminal record plus point. Dammit. She needed something else to conquer their unaccepting stares. But what? What would resonate most with judgy Indian parents? A lightbulb suddenly went off in her head. "And...even though I'm so old and I'm not rich..."

Mom and Dad suddenly took interest in this highly self-critical appeal. Describe yourself as trash. Bingo.

"He still really likes me," she added. "So isn't that good? Since you probably thought it was too late for me to find someone and settle down?"

She watched Mom and Dad with a laser-eyed focus. Dad barely moved his head, but the subtle half-an-inch up-and-down motion was enough to detect a head-nod of approval.

And Mom?

"We definitely thought it was too late for you," she said flatly.

Never in her life had Neela felt so great about being seen as a tradeable good that was critically losing market value by the minute.

Mom now gestured to Neela's face with disdain. "I mean look your wrinkles; they show everywhere now."

Okay this is getting out of hand.

Mom turned to Luc and acknowledged him directly for the first time. "Is your eyesight bad? Do you not see all these wrinkles?"

This added declaring of collagen deficiency was not exactly making Neela feel like a million bucks, but she held on tight to the hope that she would make it out the other side (while strategically moving her face away from the unforgiving glare of the restaurant's lighting).

"My eyes are very good," Luc said, his smile as earnest as ever. "And your daughter is very beautiful."

Maneet reactive 'snort' echoed throughout the dining room.

Neela shot her a glare but it got lost in translation when Sonya jumped out of her chair. She pointed at Luc and frowned. "Mommy he doesn't look like us!"

The kid had a point.

Dad crosses his arms, almost as if he had suddenly remembered that he didn't approve.

But what about the half-inch head nod?!

As the stress built up Neela rubbed her forehead in frustration. She had almost been at the finish line, but the unwelcome gust of judgy parental wind had pushed her back. "Anyway..." she said, losing hope by the second, "we've had coffee a few times since we met..."

It was the typical 'good little Indian girl' lie, meant to cover up entire relationships of sexual throwdowns and co-habitation.

A few sips of coffee and we're ready to be together 'til we die!

Maneet knew this lie just as well as Neela. So she snorted again. "Just coffee?" she said. "My ass..."

"And the park!" Neela sputtered, trying to make it seem more legit. "We went for walks in the park, and had dinner..."

"Dinner?" Mom said, not even trying to conceal her shock. "At night?"

Mother was clearly scandalized by Neela's accidental admission, and as Luc watched this strange conversation unfold, it seemed like finally, for the first time, he was starting to understand her family.

Neela decided it was probably best to skip right over the inadvertent confession of being a whore who eats dinner with men. "So after getting to know each other really well..." she said. "I mean..."

Neela suddenly realized there was nothing more for her to say. Her awkward monologue had finally reached its end and it was time for Luc to take over. This conversation handover had been previously discussed and perfectly planned out. Indeed, this here was the exact moment when Neela would gesture to Luc and he would close the deal.

So she did. He nodded in acknowledgement and took a long breath.

It was time for the charming salesman to take over.

"It is true we have gotten to know each other very well," Luc confirmed, "And so today, we have gathered here, Mr. Bhandar, to ask your permission....to ask Neela..."

He pulled a ring box from his pocket and Neela inadvertently gasped, even though she'd already been wearing said ring for weeks.

The dramatic 'ring box' effect. Just another item to check off the to-do list.

Luc opened the box and turned to Neela, but she shook her head. Didn't he remember how this was supposed to go? She pushed the box in Dad's direction, because to get the deal done, Luc would need to quasi-propose to the male head of the family. As one does.

"To marry me?" Luc said, as he awkwardly stared at Dad.

There was a long silence, so Luc did his best to dig deeper for the deal-closing words. "I know our cultures are very different, but our values are the same, and isn't that what matters?"

Mom snatched the ring box from Luc's sweaty hands.

She inspected it.

She exchanged a look with Dad.

And then the two of them exchanged a flurry of back-and-forth looks reminiscent of a heated tennis match.

On the eleventh look, they finally nodded to each other.

"Okay," Mom and Dad replied in unison.

It was one word, but it was more than enough to Neela freeze in place.

Luc tapped her shoulder.

Neela managed to unfreeze long enough to move a few inches, and that's when she noticed Luc's grinning face. A blinding, euphoric grin.

"They said yes!" he exclaimed.

She somehow got the corners of her mouth to shape themselves into a smile, but she couldn't actually feel herself smiling. It was almost like she was standing outside of her body, watching herself be totally unprepared for the scenario where her parents would actually approve of Luc.

Yes, they had approved, which officially meant there were no more obstacles in Neela's way to stop her from marrying Luc.

It was exciting. It was great. It was a huge relief.

Unfortunately, she couldn't feel a thing.