Kartography

Read Online Kartography by Kamila Shamsie - Free Book Online Page B

Book: Kartography by Kamila Shamsie Read Free Book Online
Authors: Kamila Shamsie
Tags: Itzy, kickass.to
Ads: Link
sari and tugged. She twirled towards him, the train of the white sari diaphanous between them. Her hands pressed against his shoulders, and pushed. Zafar fell back against the grass, laughing. Maheen looked up at the windows again.
    â€˜There’s no one there.’ Zafar’s bare feet drummed against her ankles. ‘Come here, come on.’
    â€˜No, darling, don’t be silly. Someone could be watching.’
    Zafar lit up a cigarette. He looked like a panther after a rainstorm, with his black turtleneck, catlike eyes, hair slicked down to gleaming, and the assurance with which he reclined on the grass. ‘We’re engaged. We’re allowed to be slightly indiscreet.’
    Maheen kicked off her shoes and sat opposite Zafar, her feet pressed against his. ‘There’s enough talk about me as it is, jaanoo, so why add impropriety to the list of my failings?’
    Zafar raised himself slightly from his supine position. ‘What are you talking about?’
    â€˜Last week, at the Sind Club. Rukhsana heard your boss singing your praises. Born to be an ad man, he said. Pity about his fiancée. Number of our clients won’t like working with someone who has a Bengali wife. Still, months to go before the wedding. Maybe he’ll see the light by then.’
    Zafar pivoted round so that he was sitting beside Maheen. He put an arm around her shoulder, a cigarette dangling between his fingers. ‘So, I’ll change jobs.’
    â€˜You’ll find that attitude everywhere, Zaf.’
    â€˜OK, so I’ll change fiancées.’ He laughed and buried his face in her hair. His hand touched her midriff, between sari and skin, and Maheen covered it with her own hand, pressing his fingers to her flesh for a moment before pulling his hand away, and slapping it lightly. He made a sound of mock exasperation, the fingers of his other hand brushing lightly against her neck as he brought his cigarette to her mouth so she could inhale the headrush. ‘Silly girl. Why do we need the rest of the world?’
    Maheen leaned against him. It was this she loved most in him: he could say everything but love was irrelevant, and come so close to making it seem true that when she looked up at the shifting clouds she almost did not see them pulling apart, rending into pieces, wisps of smoke spiralling...
    Â 
    ...round the dining table cries of ‘Happy New Year’ stilled as Asif stood up, clinking a fork against his glass.
    â€˜I’m too drunk,’ he said. ‘And I’ve been an appalling host. Plus, I’m a decadant feudal, as Zafar so eloquently reminded us all last night. I will now pause so that you can all contradict me.’
    There was silence from the eleven guests around the table, save for muffled sounds behind hands clamped over lips to prevent laughter.
    â€˜Well, if that’s your attitude, none of you are invited back for New Year’s Eve next year,’ Asif said, grandly, waving one arm in the air and tangling it among the streamers that trailed down from the chandelier. ‘Oh, hell. Zaf, you do the toast.’ He fell back into his chair, ripping streamers in two.
    Zafar stood up, and held up a glass. ‘Ladies and gentlemen and Laila...’ Cheers and catcalls rang from the crowd around the table, and Laila stood up imperiously and blew a raspberry at him.
    Zafar winked at her, and continued. ‘Before we move on to dessert——’
    â€˜Ice cream,’ Rukhsana shouted, leaning across Asif to prong a fork into Zafar’s arm. ‘I want ice cream.’
    â€˜Isn’t ice cream a sign of sexual frustration?’ Laila said.
    â€˜Nonsense,’ Yasmin said expansively. ‘That’s just a rumour started by those polygamous diabetics.’
    â€˜Bastards, the lot of them!’ Maheen yelled.
    â€˜Maheen’s drunk!’ Yasmin said gleefully, putting an arm around her best friend’s

Similar Books

Taking Chances

Nina Perez

State of Grace

Hilary Badger

VoodooMoon

June Stevens

HisMarriageBargain

Sidney Bristol

The Living

Anna Starobinets

Treachery's Tools

L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Heartbreaker

Linda Howard