Am I going on a date?

Raj entered Leonard and Sheldon's apartment with an uncommon urgency.

"My parents are going to call any minute!" he announced, his eyes wide with anxiety. "They want to meet you."

"Why do they want to meet us?" Leonard asked, confused.

Raj ran a hand through his hair, as he always did when he was nervous.

"I… I mentioned you guys. And now they're curious. You know how Indian parents are—they want to know who their son is hanging out with." He looked at the laptop on the coffee table, already set up for the video call. "They're traditional, you know?"

Sheldon: "No, I don't understand. I've never had the pleasure of interacting with Indian parents. But, based on what I've read, I can assume their behavior follows the statistical norms of parents eager to ensure the social stability of their offspring."

"Translation: They're going to want to talk about arranged marriage," Howard commented.

Raj grimaced.

"Exactly. And… please, don't do anything weird when they call."

"Like being ourselves?" Leonard asked.

Raj took a deep breath, trying to keep control of the situation. He needed his friends to act normal for once, which, of course, was asking too much.

"They'll probably ask about you guys… My mom wants to know who are the 'influencers of her son's life'." Raj made air quotes with his fingers. "My dad is a gynecologist. And my mom… well, she runs everything. Actually, she runs the office, the house… basically, she runs my dad."

Sheldon seemed more interested now.

"Fascinating. She's a matriarch. This reminds me of the social structure of bees, where the queen exercises absolute control over the hive."

Raj opened his mouth to respond, but the laptop chimed. It was the video call. He looked at the computer, wide-eyed, and then at his friends.

"Take a deep breath. And remember: act normal," he muttered to them before pressing the button to accept the call.

The screen lit up with the image of Dr. and Mrs. Koothrappali. His mother was dressed in an immaculate saree, and his father looked more relaxed, as always. Both smiled broadly at seeing their son.

"Oh, Rajesh!" his mother exclaimed excitedly. "You look… different!" She seemed relieved. "Thank the Gods, you finally look a bit more… refined."

His father chuckled lightly, nodding.

"Yes, yes. Looks like America is doing you good, son. No more of those strange clothes…"

Raj laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair.

"Yes, yes, mom. Uh, these are my friends. Leonard, Sheldon, and… Howard."

They all waved in unison, trying to look normal.

"Ah, Leonard, Sheldon, and Howard." Raj's mom smiled politely at them. "Rajesh talks a lot about you."

"It's an honor to be mentioned," Sheldon said. "I presume Raj highlighted my intellectual contributions to the group."

Raj's father chuckled softly.

"Yes, something like that. And you, Leonard?"

"Uh… I'm an experimental physicist," Leonard replied, trying to appear as relaxed as possible.

Howard leaned in, staring directly at the screen.

"And I'm an aerospace engineer, or as the ladies prefer to call it: sexy genius."

Raj's eyes widened. He waved his hands frantically at Howard, signaling for him to stop.

Before Raj could say anything, his mom spoke again.

"Rajesh, we were recently talking with Lalita Gupta…"

Raj choked. Lalita Gupta. No way.

"Lalita? Lalita Gupta?" Childhood memories flooded back in a flash. "The girl who was… well…"

"Yes, exactly." Raj's mom smiled. "She's in town. And we thought it would be a good idea for you two to meet up. Did you know she became a dentist? She's doing very well."

"Mom! I've already told you I'm not interested in arranged marriages."

His father laughed.

"Oh, Rajesh, you still think you have a choice? Lalita always had a soft spot for you."

Raj shook his head in disbelief.

"She used to chase me around the playground!" he exclaimed, indignant. "Steal my lunch and call me 'little duck'! She was… chubby and mean!"

"Children change, Rajesh," his mother replied. "And, by the way, she's doing very well now."

"Oh, so she's gone through a physical transformation," Sheldon interjected. "That explains your hesitation, Raj. Reliving childhood traumas often results in fear of change."

Raj looked at him, exasperated.

"Sheldon, you're not helping."

Leonard tried to lighten the mood, "Maybe she really has changed, Raj. Who knows… she might be a completely different person now."

Raj scoffed. "She was a nightmare."

Raj's mom just laughed.

"You're so dramatic, Rajesh. Give it a chance. She's still single, and… well, you're not getting any younger, my dear."

Raj sighed, sinking into the couch. It was the end. There was no escaping Lalita.

Howard nudged Leonard, laughing.

"Hey, Raj, at least now you can return the favor and steal her lunch."

Raj's mom was still smiling on the other end of the screen.

"Well, Rajesh, dear, we're so happy to see you and your friends. We'll leave you now, but remember: give Lalita a chance."

Raj forced a polite smile as he leaned closer to the screen.

"Yes, mom. Thanks for calling."

Raj's father, always more laid-back, waved, "Goodbye, son. And think about what your mother said."

Raj pressed the button to end the call, and the laptop screen went dark. As silence filled the room, he let out a deep sigh and slumped into the couch.

"I'm not going on that date. Definitely not. It's impossible."

Leonard: "Are you sure? It seems like they're taking this pretty seriously."

"That's exactly the problem! How am I supposed to become a real man if my parents keep controlling my life? They always do this—pushing me into things I don't want to do! This time, I won't cave. It's totally out of the question, absolutely out of ch—"

Before he could finish his sentence, his phone rang. Raj looked at the screen, and his eyes widened when he saw the name flashing. Lalita Gupta. His eyes grew even larger as he stared at the phone.

"I… I'm definitely not answering." He shook his head, "This is ridiculous. I'm not that insecure little boy anymore. I'm not going to let them control me!"

"Seems like your parents are taking this to the next level," Leonard commented.

Raj opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by Howard, who, without hesitation, reached out and pressed the answer button on Raj's phone.

"Howard, what are you do—" Raj started, panicking.

But it was too late. On the other side of the line, a sweet, feminine voice.

"Hi, Rajesh?"

Raj froze completely. Suddenly, all his bravado disappeared. He swallowed hard and responded as softly as he could, "Lalita! Hi! What… what a pleasure to hear your voice." He smiled, trying to make his voice sound as smooth as possible.

"A date? With you? Of course, it would… it would be a pleasure! I can't wait!"

On the other end of the line, Lalita said something that Raj just nodded to frantically.

"Yes, yes, of course! I… I'm really looking forward to seeing you too."

He slowly hung up the phone, still smiling, before looking at his friends, especially Howard, who was barely holding back laughter.

"You… you answered!" Raj exclaimed, pointing at Howard.

Howard shrugged, "You looked like you needed a little help, my friend. And, judging by your tone, I'd say I did you a favor."

"If anyone asks," Raj said, pointing a finger at Leonard and Howard, "you're going to say I firmly refused the date, understood? Firmly."

Howard: "Sure, Raj. If anyone asks, we'll say you were a fortress of resistance… until Lalita's sweet voice tore it all down."

Before Howard could make any more jokes, Raj grabbed a pillow from the couch and, without hesitation, threw it directly at Howard's face, who let out a grunt as he was hit.

"Hey! That's no way to thank someone who just saved your love life!" Howard said, as he fixed his hair.

Leonard: "So… are you going on the date?"

"Yes… I'm going on the date."

Sheldon: "So, basically, what you're saying is that, no matter how much you resist, fate will be fulfilled, and you're doomed to follow the path your parents have laid out for you."

"Something like that, Sheldon. Something like that…"

.

.

.

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A/N: I'll leave Lalita's picture in the comments. I really thought she was very beautiful when she appeared on the show. If she had appeared more and had more significance to the story, I'd be inclined to make her the FML (female lead), but unfortunately, she only appeared in one episode.