When the memory faded, he drank the last of his Coke and got up to throw away his trash. But it wasn't hard to notice the strange looks that he received from the few patrons who now occupied nearby booths.
"You try living in India for a while." He muttered under his breath. "And when you return to Seattle, you'll worship McDonald's, too!"
Without looking back he pushed the door open and stepped outside into the crisp air. He stood on the sidewalk for a moment, staring at the Golden Arches. "I wish you were here, Asha." He said out loud as though she could hear him. At that moment, he made a promise to himself that if he ever saw her again, he would take her to McDonald's for a cheeseburger.
The scrolling sign on the side of the Bank of America indicated that the month of June was nearing its end and July would soon be upon them. Normally he would be happy, but now the thought of the seventh month of the year made his chest ache.
To the residents of Seattle, the month of July was the official start of summer. The clouds lifted and the crowds began to emerge from the comfort of their homes, ready to enjoy the endless summer days that seemed to last forever. But to Todd, July was a harsh reminder that a wedding would soon be taking place; the wedding of Asha and Ashok.
He swallowed hard, willing the thought away. But still it stayed, firmly planted in his mind. It just wasn't right. Asha was a grown woman and grown women shouldn't have to have their lives mapped out for them; even in India, where doing so was the custom. The insanity of having their husbands chosen for them at the much too young age of four was incomprehensible. Four years old! Children four years of age had absolutely no concept of marriage!
But, Todd reasoned, that was beside the point. The point being that parents in India, or any country, shouldn't force their daughters to marry someone that they barely knew, let alone had no romantic attraction toward. And from the way Asha had spoken of Ashok during their time in Mumbai, she clearly didn't love him at all. But sadly, their lives would soon be bound together by marriage in a matter of weeks.
He wished that there was a way to intervene on their upcoming nuptials, as crazy as it sounded. But doing so was completely impossible. He was in Seattle and Ashok and Asha were in Mumbai, which felt like a world away. His only consolation was that he hoped that Asha, Ashok and their future children would have a wonderful life filled with happiness. He owed her that much, even if the thought hurt like hell.