‘Family Karma’ Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: A Dual Proposal

If Family Karma Season 1 was dominated by the drama of Vishal and Richa’s engagement and the war between their two families, Season 2 has very much been focused on the evolution of Amrit and Nicholas’s relationship. Episode 5 was the cathartic coming out to Amrit’s grandmother, who found it hard to accept reality at first but eventually came around in a really poignant conversation. Last week, in Episode 6, Nicholas also received blessings from Amrit’s Nani, essentially giving them the green light to move forward with engagement and marriage plans. 

…Which brings us to this week. We’ve known that Amrit is planning to propose, but Nicholas is still in the dark about his boyfriend’s plans for their future. It makes sense that now that the Nani hurdle has been jumped, he’s eager to get on with the next steps in their lives. Nicholas approaches Amrit’s mother Lavina in a very vulnerable way, asking for her insider thoughts on what’s going on in her son’s head. I’m impressed that Lavina Aunty was able to keep her lips sealed about the plan because, personally, it would be hard to lie to those puppy dog eyes. 

Lavina Aunty seems to also be a great surrogate mother for Nicholas, who feels he can’t tell his parents everything as they don’t accept his lifestyle. Her advice is something that I think can be applied to many other situations: The other person may be waiting for you to open the door. if you take the first step, they’ll take the next ten. Nicholas seems moved by this perspective, and feels content with her noncommittal answers about Amrit’s plans for the future. For an aunty, I give her an A for managing to keep the secret even when being asked to her face. 

What looks to be the week before the proposal (honestly, I can never tell what day, week, or time of year it is on this show) Amrit, Dillon, Vishal, Bali, and Anisha go out to a gay bar and celebrate the impending engagement. It seems a bit premature—call me superstitious, but there is ALWAYS a possibility that the person could say no!—but that doesn’t stop all of them from yelling, “Amrit is getting engaged!!!” to the entire bar. So much for keeping it a secret!

Luckily, the news doesn’t spread and that crew (sub Vishal’s fiancee Richa in for Dillon) boards a boat and Amrit gets down on one knee. I imagine it’d be a bit nerve wracking to do it out in the open like that in front of all of my friends, but maybe that’s because the thought of a public engagement does not sound ideal to me. Amrit says all the right things when he’s down on one knee and it’s beautiful to see Nicholas react to what’s happening, especially given his concerns from earlier in the episode. In an adorable moment, Nicholas also proposes to Amrit and the happy couple shows off their new bling for the rest of the episode. I love weddings, so I can’t wait for Season 3 (fingers crossed!) to show us a big gay Indian wedding. 

With weddings being on the mind of literally everyone on this show, elsewhere in the episode both Brian and Monica 1.0 talk to their parents about the future of their relationships. Brian is concerned about the fact that he was laid off, and Monica 2.0’s parents won’t think he’s worthy of their daughter. It’s a toxic Indian mentality that’s shining through here—that idea that being anything other than a doctor makes you unworthy. Brian has really grown on me this season and I’m hoping that his girlfriend and her parents see that he’s a caring guy who will get back on his feet, if only he’s given time to figure it out. 

Monica 2.0, on the other hand, seems to be moving full steam ahead in her relationship, though her concerns lie more with the fact that her parents don’t get along. I know this must be tough to deal with, especially for someone who wants a big family to celebrate every life occasion with, but I think she also needs to see her parents’ perspectives. There’s no way they want to hang out with one another, and if it’s so toxic, why is she trying to force the situation?

If last season is any indication, next week will be the season finale. While this season has contained some major milestones, without a lot of storylines that need resolution left on the table, it’s difficult to predict how we’ll spend our last hour together.

Other Observations:

• I can’t believe I went this entire review without mentioning that Amrit and Vishal have started an underwear business. I mean, it only feels right. I can’t wait to see their Underwear Dance Party line out on the shelves.
• Anisha went on a date with a very cute eligible bachelor named Krish. I think he deserves a second date based on the fact that he created a petition for Taco Bell to bring back the Mexican Pizza alone. But hey, that’s just me.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Brown Girl Magazine. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.

Watch Family Karma Season 2 Episode 7 on Bravo