Raj's friendship continues with Katherine

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Raj stayed friends with Katherine the friendly librarian. Neither of them wanted rush things with their relationship but they somehow managed to keep "bumping into each other" at Caltech fairly often. Katherine would sometimes attend Raj's planetarium lectures and Raj volunteered to be one of the academic science members of the library users committee, for which Katherine acted as secretary. The next time Katherine's sister-in-law invited her for dinner Katherine had no problem finding a date. Raj introduced Katherine to Howard and Leonard when they met at Caltech but he didn't bring her to meet the whole social group.

In Halley's first year studying at Caltech she took an astronomy class given by Dr. Koothrappali. Raj kept his relationship with his honorary niece professional in the classroom but he had no problems if Halley visited Uncle Raj in his office if she wanted help with her work.

Then late one afternoon in December Halley was getting some help with her astronomy work from Uncle Raj. As usual Raj's office hours to assist a student with her studies would degenerate into a general chat about anything and a chance for Raj to tell Halley funny stories about her parents when they were young.

Then there was a knock on the door "COME IN"

"Hello Dr. Koothrappali, I didn't know you were busy."

"Hello Katherine, it's time for the lecture isn't it. OK Halley, that's enough for this week."

"Thanks Uncle Raj, see you at Aunt Penny and Uncle Leonard's on Sunday."

Halley left the office.

"No Katherine, she isn't really my niece, just the daughter of two family friends. You met her father Howard Wolowitz last month. She is a student in my freshman astronomy class."

"How many other nieces and nephews have you got?"

"I have three nieces and two nephews back in India but I haven't seen them or anyone else in my family for years. Halley is a member of my substitute family, my social group. Three married couples who are all my best friends, four of the six work at Caltech. They have five children between them and I am their Uncle Raj."

"Nice to have some kind of family, all I have left these days close by these days is my sister-in-law Elaine and her husband John, my brother Stephen lives in Florida.

"It's Halley's birthday next week, she shares a birthday with my friend Amy so we usually have a joint birthday party. Would you like to come to the party and meet my friends?"

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December 17th 2035

"Hello everybody, happy birthday to Halley and Amy. I would like to introduce you to my friend Katherine, she works in the library at Caltech. Katherine, these are my best friends in the world..."

Three days later at Caltech in Raj's office

"Hello Katherine, good to see you again. Have you recovered from the birthday party?"

"That was quite an interesting evening. It was good to meet your friends, that was quite an interrogation those ladies gave me."

"Ah yes, Amy, Penny and Bernadette can be quite protective of me after what happened after my last wife left me. They all thought that you were wonderful and they asked if you would like to come to some our Sunday lunches in the New Year?"

"That is very kind of them, I look forward to doing that. Anyway, I am off to Florida tomorrow to visit with my brother over the holidays, I will not be back until the New Year. So I have a gift for you, open it up."

Katherine handed over a package which Raj opened

"Oh Katherine, it's the old astronomy textbook you found for me."

Katherine kissed Raj "see you next year."