CHAPTER 9 - IN THE NAME OF…

'You should come home more often, Ahmed ji.' Aliza said, burying her face deep inside his chest and playfully nudging his fingers.

'I wish the same too, Aliza. But you know work has been tough for the past few months.' Ahmed could barely meet her eyes.

'But see what have I gotten for you. You will love them.' He unpacked his bag and carefully picked out the things he had chosen for Aliza. He gave her the red saree specially chosen for her, a set of matching glass bangles, and a Kashmiri shawl. On seeing them, Aliza drowned in joy and embraced him gently. Ahmed felt at peace and home. Just when he planted a kiss on her forehead, there was a knock at their door.

'Ahmed beta, come outside.' Ahmed's mother, Rabiya called for him while knocking continuously.

'What now?' Aliza sighed. She opened the room and peeked outside, and not so surprisingly, Rabiya stood there asking, 'Aliza, call Ahmed. He has been brooding inside this room since his arrival.' Just then, Ahmed changed into his pyjamas and walked towards his mother.

'Ah, Ahmed beta. You come home very rarely, and you lock yourself inside this room all the time. Come and have a chat with us. Abbu and Sara are waiting for you. It's not like you don't talk to your wife over the phone. Come beta.' She dragged him by his hand and led him to the hall without looking back.

After placing her gifts carefully inside her cupboard, Aliza followed them into the hall. As the family was engaged in an animated conversation about Bangalore and Ahmed's job, Aliza kept watching between their faces.

'Aliza. Why don't you start cutting vegetables for dinner while we finish our discussion? And don't forget to beat the chicken and marinate it in buttermilk before cooking it.'

'Yes, ammi.' A heartbroken, tired Aliza headed towards the kitchen, recalling the dinner menu in her head. Rabiya already instructed that she make chicken kofta korma and chapatis for dinner because Ahmed loves them. He will also have sheer korma after dinner, and for an evening snack, he will be served homemade hot piping samosas.

'Aliza, I forgot to mention that there is no Atta left. Why don't you buy some?' At this point, she was too tired to think of leaving home and glanced sideways towards her sister-in-law, Sara.

'Bhabhi, don't look at me. I have a lot of homework to complete.'

Aliza realised it was left to her to get the job done. She covered her head with the new Kashmiri shawl that Ahmed had brought for her. But before she could even leave, Rabiya stopped her.

'Aliza, wear your burqa when going out. The last time you went like this, Feroza's son, that harami across the street, was staring at you. I don't know what it was like in your home. But you should cover yourself completely before you step out of my house.' She reinforced that it was her home, and her orders ran things. If only she had known that the harami was actually waiting for Sara. Sara shifted uncomfortably in her chair after Rabiya's dismal comment about him.

'Why don't these mothers teach their sons not to ogle at women all time instead.' She muttered under her breath, wore her purdah, and headed to the shop.

Ahmed's family was served a feast of assorted dishes that night, and Aliza was left working in the kitchen till late at night. When she returned to her room, it was already 11 pm, and Ahmed was fast asleep.

To be continued…

#penbooksandscalpel

I am participating in #BlogchatterA2Z2023 challenge.