“Maybe I should give my mom what she wants tonight, the dutiful daughter who is thrilled to wear gold jewelry and high heels and wants to be a doctor. But the high heels alone are so uncomfortable I can only imagine how painful the rest of the act would be.”

At the wedding of a family friend, Maya wears Indian clothing and otherwise conforms to her mother’s expectations. Maya knows it is an act and finds being untrue to herself painful, both in the physical experience of high heels and the overall experience of acting like someone she is not. The struggle to balance parental expectations and personal passions and dreams is a central conflict in the book.

“Dad clears his throat. ‘Well, it’s a good hobby, anyway.’ Translation: don’t get any ideas.”

Maya enjoys videography, and she brings her camcorder to the wedding to make a special movie for her newlywed friend. Even though he gave Maya her first video camera, Asif does not consider filmmaking a legitimate career. His disapproval adds to Maya’s stress and guilt about her secret application to NYU to study film.

“I guess I don’t know how to live the life I want and still be a good daughter.”

Maya struggles to accept to her parents’ expectations that she be a doctor or lawyer because it’s not what she wants. The dilemma is compounded by Asif and Sofia’s cultural expectations of an Indian daughter and their desire for Maya to act more like a traditional Indian.