ex-schoolteachers.
Shahaan piped up excitedly with his sister, “Wow! Yes. Please, Mom, please!”
Shahira looked at Hussain and then at his mother. Thinking she knew which way the wind blew,
she turned back to the kids with that special smile she had just for them. “Well, it would be
wonderful, of course, if we could all go together but Natasha, honey, your father’s very busy. You
know he works very hard for you, so you can have all the comforts you’re used to having. He doesn’t
like being away from you but he has to.”
Boy, she was good. She must have been one hell of a teacher. He heard his daughter protest, his
mother adding her bit into the medley; but he knew he held the ace in his hands and he had every
intention of using it to his own advantage. She was going on this holiday with him and she was damn
well going to like it.
“Come here, Shahaan.”
The boy came with alacrity and Hussain made him sit beside him, like an equal. He remembered
how he’d always liked Javed Uncle best because he never made him sit in his lap. Hoping it was true
for most boys, he looked at Shahaan solemnly. He was being contrary, he knew, but the way her face
fell when she thought he might be coming along had just got his back up. He could still feel the prickle
of annoyance.
“So, Shahaan do you think we should vote? Like a democracy? Instead of the parents making a
decision and forcing it on children, I think they should have a say as well. Right? Isn’t that fair?”
Shahaan nodded enthusiastically and decided to speak up for good measure, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Hussain laughed and looking at Shahira directly, with a mild smile that didn’t quite soften the
mockery of his eyes, he said slowly, “All in favor of me tagging along, raise your hands.”
Natasha’s hand shot up and Shahaan’s, then his mother added hers. Giving his wife a slow,
challenging smile he raised his own hand too…and nearly laughed out loud at her stunned expression.
The children were jumping, and shouting, hugging him then each other while Shahira stared at him,
perplexed.
“Oh, Hussain, you’re such a good father!” his mother exclaimed, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue,
and as an after-thought added, “and a wonderful son.” Pause. “Shahira, I hope that one day soon you
can also say that Hussain’s a good husband.”
She recovered quickly and spluttered, “B…but he is, Aunty.”
His mother sniffed dismissively. “So, Hussain when are you taking them?”
“ Them ?” she squeaked. “You’re coming too, right, Aunty?” She looked positively green.
And bless his mother, she was quick to cough up a fit worthy of a tuberculosis patient, as she said
with a breathlessness that was pitiful to watch, “Really Shahira…you can’t expect
me… cough … cough …to accompany…you,” a wheezy breathy pause, “young…people. I’m too old.
Cough .”
He kept a very straight face and nodded at his mother. “Of course, Ami. We aren’t so selfish and
irresponsible that we’d drag you around for our own pleasure.”
For further emphasis, he shot Shahira a disapproving look. Her bottom lip trembled and she bit
into it to steady it. Aw , had he made the disciplinary schoolmarm cry? He grinned. He hadn’t
enjoyed himself this much since his hostile takeover of a multi-national company in ’99. And he
wasn’t done yet.
“So, let’s make it a nice long trip!”
“No!” she nearly screamed. He couldn’t stop himself this time and laughed. She shot him a
suspicious look.
Clearing his throat, he said very seriously, “What do you think, Mom ?”
She wasn’t sure what was going on. She probably couldn’t quite believe that he was going
willingly but all evidence pointed towards it. He let her ponder it, his face serious and business-like.
“I…I don’t know. I mean, you’re a very busy man and you have meetings and…things,” she
finished lamely, still regarding him with suspicion,
Shahaan piped up excitedly with his sister, “Wow! Yes. Please, Mom, please!”
Shahira looked at Hussain and then at his mother. Thinking she knew which way the wind blew,
she turned back to the kids with that special smile she had just for them. “Well, it would be
wonderful, of course, if we could all go together but Natasha, honey, your father’s very busy. You
know he works very hard for you, so you can have all the comforts you’re used to having. He doesn’t
like being away from you but he has to.”
Boy, she was good. She must have been one hell of a teacher. He heard his daughter protest, his
mother adding her bit into the medley; but he knew he held the ace in his hands and he had every
intention of using it to his own advantage. She was going on this holiday with him and she was damn
well going to like it.
“Come here, Shahaan.”
The boy came with alacrity and Hussain made him sit beside him, like an equal. He remembered
how he’d always liked Javed Uncle best because he never made him sit in his lap. Hoping it was true
for most boys, he looked at Shahaan solemnly. He was being contrary, he knew, but the way her face
fell when she thought he might be coming along had just got his back up. He could still feel the prickle
of annoyance.
“So, Shahaan do you think we should vote? Like a democracy? Instead of the parents making a
decision and forcing it on children, I think they should have a say as well. Right? Isn’t that fair?”
Shahaan nodded enthusiastically and decided to speak up for good measure, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Hussain laughed and looking at Shahira directly, with a mild smile that didn’t quite soften the
mockery of his eyes, he said slowly, “All in favor of me tagging along, raise your hands.”
Natasha’s hand shot up and Shahaan’s, then his mother added hers. Giving his wife a slow,
challenging smile he raised his own hand too…and nearly laughed out loud at her stunned expression.
The children were jumping, and shouting, hugging him then each other while Shahira stared at him,
perplexed.
“Oh, Hussain, you’re such a good father!” his mother exclaimed, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue,
and as an after-thought added, “and a wonderful son.” Pause. “Shahira, I hope that one day soon you
can also say that Hussain’s a good husband.”
She recovered quickly and spluttered, “B…but he is, Aunty.”
His mother sniffed dismissively. “So, Hussain when are you taking them?”
“ Them ?” she squeaked. “You’re coming too, right, Aunty?” She looked positively green.
And bless his mother, she was quick to cough up a fit worthy of a tuberculosis patient, as she said
with a breathlessness that was pitiful to watch, “Really Shahira…you can’t expect
me… cough … cough …to accompany…you,” a wheezy breathy pause, “young…people. I’m too old.
Cough .”
He kept a very straight face and nodded at his mother. “Of course, Ami. We aren’t so selfish and
irresponsible that we’d drag you around for our own pleasure.”
For further emphasis, he shot Shahira a disapproving look. Her bottom lip trembled and she bit
into it to steady it. Aw , had he made the disciplinary schoolmarm cry? He grinned. He hadn’t
enjoyed himself this much since his hostile takeover of a multi-national company in ’99. And he
wasn’t done yet.
“So, let’s make it a nice long trip!”
“No!” she nearly screamed. He couldn’t stop himself this time and laughed. She shot him a
suspicious look.
Clearing his throat, he said very seriously, “What do you think, Mom ?”
She wasn’t sure what was going on. She probably couldn’t quite believe that he was going
willingly but all evidence pointed towards it. He let her ponder it, his face serious and business-like.
“I…I don’t know. I mean, you’re a very busy man and you have meetings and…things,” she
finished lamely, still regarding him with suspicion,
Similar Books
