In the morning, while Penny was still fast asleep in bed, Raj quietly got up and made his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He moved carefully, not wanting to disturb her rest as he gathered ingredients and began cooking.
Afterwards, he arranged the carefully prepared breakfast—eggs, toast, and fresh fruit—on the small dining table. He carried it over to where Penny was just beginning to stir awake.
"Oh, honey, you are so thoughtful. I feel like I can't live without you," Penny said, visibly moved by the gesture. Her eyes glistened with genuine appreciation as she looked at the spread before her.
Raj smiled warmly at her reaction.
Actually, he was just doing what boys from his country would do back in his previous world. May I ask which middle-earth boy doesn't know at least a little about cooking, and doesn't spoil his girlfriend like a little princess? Even with all that effort, they were always scolded as "straight men of steel"—not gentle enough, not considerate enough, accused of not understanding girls' hearts.
But he hadn't expected that when these same gestures were brought to America, the effect would be so dramatically different. Raj was just being a little more considerate and gentle, giving modest gifts that cost maybe a thousand dollars, and Penny was already this moved. Back home, the last time he had a blind date, he'd given his partner nearly ten thousand dollars' worth of gifts, and he hadn't even been allowed to hold her hand. He really couldn't help feeling somewhat emotional about the contrast.
In the days that followed, apart from his work obligations, Raj spent most of his time with Penny. Passionate and experienced in relationships, she proved to be an excellent teacher for him in the ways of romance, and he learned a great deal from her about American dating culture.
However, his newfound devotion to his girlfriend was unanimously condemned by Howard, Leonard, and Sheldon. Without Raj, the three of them found themselves unable to engage in many of their regular activities. There was Klingon Spelling practice, their ongoing Dungeons & Dragons campaign, Halo nights every Wednesday, their God of War gaming sessions, and numerous other scheduled events that required all four members of their group.
"Dude, you can't always be around girls! We need you too!" Howard complained to Raj one afternoon, his voice tinged with frustration.
"Yeah, and because I didn't have a fourth player for Halo on Wednesday, you know how much I was nagged by Sheldon!" Leonard added, his expression pained at the memory of Sheldon's relentless complaints.
"If you don't participate in this weekend's paintball battle, I think you'll face a court-martial for desertion," Sheldon threatened with complete seriousness.
Before meeting Penny, Raj had been something of a fringe character among the four friends. According to Sheldon's own assessment, "Koothrappali is a lovely foreigner who tried hard to integrate into our lives, but ended in failure." This marginal status was exemplified by the fact that when they ate together at the apartment, the other three always had designated seats on the couch, while Raj could only sit cross-legged on the floor.
But now that Raj is lost, the three of them realize how important he is to their group dynamic.
"I'm sorry, everyone." Raj spread his hands in a placating gesture. "Actually, I'm not doing this just for myself—I'm also doing it for the good of all of you."
"What do you mean?" Leonard and Howard asked in unison, their voices tinged with suspicion.
"I have to get closer to Penny, so I can ask her to introduce you guys to her friends," Raj explained patiently.
"Is there any progress?" Howard asked eagerly, leaning forward when he heard this.
"It's coming soon," Raj said with a confident smile. "I'm going to hold a birthday party for my birthday. She'll bring her friends, and I'll invite you too. Isn't that perfect?"
Rajesh's birthday was October 6th, still a week away.
"Good idea," Howard and Leonard said enthusiastically. Hearing his plan, they were both very excited and no longer pursued the matter of Rajesh's earlier abandonment of their friendship.
Later that evening, after returning home, Raj brought up the idea of holding a birthday party to Penny.
"Is October 6th your birthday? Of course, I'll help you celebrate it!" Penny agreed straight away, her face lighting up. She herself loved social gatherings and any excuse for a party.
"Thank you so much," Raj nodded gratefully. "Also, I was hoping you could invite some of your female friends."
"Huh?!" Hearing this request, Penny looked over at him suspiciously, her eyes narrowing.
"Don't get me wrong," Raj waved his hand quickly and smiled reassuringly. "I'm hoping to introduce them to Leonard and Howard."
"Leonard is nice—he's sweet and smart. I can introduce my sister to him," Penny nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this. "But Howard is too creepy and weird, and he still lives with his mother. If I introduce my friends to him, they'll definitely stop being friends with me."
"Actually, I think you've misunderstood Howard," Raj said earnestly. "Although he comes across as very inappropriate, deep down, he's actually a very gentle, filial, and devoted person."
"With his income as an aerospace engineer, he could easily afford to rent his own place. But he hasn't moved out all these years because he's afraid of leaving his mother sad and lonely. The reason why he dresses so childishly is because his mother likes him to dress that way, and he wants to make her happy."
"Besides, the reason why he acts so desperately—in a way that makes people feel uncomfortable—is mainly because he's so eager to connect with women that he goes too far. He doesn't mean any harm; he just doesn't know how to express himself properly."
"I promise I'll talk to him and get him to restrain himself. Please help him out, just as a favor to me," Raj said sincerely.
Hearing his heartfelt explanation, Penny softened and nodded. "Okay, fine. But you absolutely must persuade Howard to really tone it down. I don't want him to scare off my friends or make them uncomfortable."
"Deal. Thank you so much—I owe you one," Raj said, his face breaking into a happy smile as she agreed.
It was the weekend, and Raj didn't need to go to work, so he called Howard and went to see the house with him.
Through a real estate agent, he had found several promising houses. The prices were relatively affordable, and they were conveniently located close to the university, but he knew he needed to see them in person to determine whether any would be suitable for his needs.
"Raj, wait—why are you moving all of a sudden?" Howard asked, his voice tinged with confusion as they drove through the neighborhood.
"My rent is too expensive. I sat down and went through my finances carefully two days ago, and it turns out that my rent is actually $4,500 per month. Can you even imagine that? My entire salary is practically being swallowed up by it," Raj explained, shaking his head at the absurdity of it.
"What does that matter? I believe your father will help you pay for it," Howard said with a knowing smile, curling his lips. He was well aware that Rajesh's father ran a successful hospital back in India and was quite wealthy.
"Please, Howard. I can't always rely on my parents to bail me out," Raj said firmly, waving his hands dismissively.
"So what if you do? I live with my mother too, and I'm doing just fine," Howard said with a shrug, his tone indifferent.
"Howie, I know you love your mother very much, but you should really think about moving out," Raj said gently but persuasively. "No girl is going to be interested in dating someone who still lives with his mother."
Howard's expression suddenly became uncomfortable and unnatural when he heard this observation.
"Also, let me tell you some good news," Raj continued, changing the subject to lighten the mood. "Penny has already agreed to introduce one of her good friends to you at my birthday party next week."
"Really?!" Howard's face lit up, and he became excited again, his earlier discomfort forgotten.
"Of course, it's true," Raj nodded. "However, she specifically told me to advise you to restrain yourself a bit. You need to stop acting so impatient and over the top, or you're going to scare her friend away before you even get a chance."
"Dude, look at me—if I don't take the initiative and put myself out there, how else am I supposed to meet girls?" Howard protested, unable to help but smile wryly at the criticism.
"Hey, Howie, although you can speak Chinese, you clearly haven't grasped the deeper essence and wisdom of it," Raj said, shaking his head thoughtfully. "There's an old Chinese saying that goes, 'Haste makes waste.' The more desperately you rush to achieve your goal, the more likely you are to have it backfire on you. You've failed at this so many times already—can't you take a step back and actually learn from your experiences?"
Hearing these words, Howard fell silent, contemplating his friend's advice as they pulled up to the first house on their list.
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