unwilling to believe that it was going to happen.
She’d have to honor the contract, which was to look after Natasha as befit a mother. The contract had
mentioned holidays and it did not specify his whereabouts on said holidays.
“I do have a lot of meetings but luckily they’re all in Europe. We can easily work around them.”
He ventured an innocent look towards her. She smiled, but there was a dangerous glint in her eyes.
“How wonderful for you and Natasha, you two really need to spend some quality time together.
What a wonderful plan.”
He scoffed at her pitiful attempts. He wasn’t worried; he knew the others would do his work for
him.
“ We’re not going?” Shahaan wailed.
“What nonsense! Shahira, that’s rubbish. You can’t do that to Shahaan. You didn’t even go on a
honeymoon like any normal couple would have. At least go on holiday as a family.”
His mother was on fire today.
Softly, in a trembling voice, Natasha whispered, “You won’t come?”
Shahira didn’t lose her nerve, yet. “Really Natasha, there’s nothing I would like better. I can’t
leave your grandmother alone and I can’t expect your father to look after Shahaan as well, so darling,
it’s impossible.”
“I don’t need anyone to stay, I’m fit as a fiddle.” Realizing her strategic mistake, his mother
backtracked, “ Cough …but I can’t travel in all those… cough… cold places.” She shivered for good
measure before adding, “I have Susan, Nusrat and Allah Yar. I’ll be fine.”
All eyes were back on her. She looked at Shahaan. “Baby, come here.”
The wrong thing to say.
“I AM NOT A BABY!”
Shaking his head at her lack of tact, he settled back, already savoring his assured victory. For a
teacher she sure could put her foot in her mouth. Shocked, stunned silence followed. Shahaan was
still glaring at his mother angrily. She was the antagonist now against the rest of them. Perfect!
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to call you baby, Shahaan…but it’s impossible for us to go…”
“Why?”
Yes, why indeed, let’s see you get out of this one. But she was a teacher and she was used to
handling cranky kids. She smiled her most winning smile. It lit up her face. There it was again, that
sudden need for her. What was this, some nikaah- related emotion? Why did he want her so badly?
“Not everything has to have a reason, Shahaan. Some things just are. Do we ask the reason why the
sun comes up or goes down? Some things we have to accept just because.”
Shahaan looked stumped. His shoulders were beginning to droop. It was time to help the little
trooper.
“Actually, we do know why the sun comes up and goes down, don’t we Shahaan? What happens
when the sun comes up?”
The boy gave it a thought and then yelled, “Morning!”
He smiled and asked, “And what happens when it goes down?”
This time Natasha too joined him, “Night!”
“Hence everything does have a reason.”
Having established that she didn’t have one, he looked back at her, trying not to seem too smug.
Apparently, he failed because she smiled tightly and said, “Can I talk to you for a minute in private?”
He gave it a thought, debating whether or not he could use the moment to his advantage, but
decided against it. This was not the time. He shook his head decidedly.
“Later. Let’s finalize this plan first. After all, we agreed to be a democracy. What kind of parents
would set the example for their children that it’s acceptable to go back on one’s word? We said it was
going to be a democratic choice, didn’t we? Shahaan, correct me if I’m wrong but the last count was
four to one, wasn’t it?”
More shouts and this time he didn’t bother to hide the mockery that must have been obvious to her.
Perhaps he’d allowed more than just the mockery he was feeling to show, because her face registered
a slight horror and excusing herself, she fled.
* * *
“You’re what?” Nudrat
She’d have to honor the contract, which was to look after Natasha as befit a mother. The contract had
mentioned holidays and it did not specify his whereabouts on said holidays.
“I do have a lot of meetings but luckily they’re all in Europe. We can easily work around them.”
He ventured an innocent look towards her. She smiled, but there was a dangerous glint in her eyes.
“How wonderful for you and Natasha, you two really need to spend some quality time together.
What a wonderful plan.”
He scoffed at her pitiful attempts. He wasn’t worried; he knew the others would do his work for
him.
“ We’re not going?” Shahaan wailed.
“What nonsense! Shahira, that’s rubbish. You can’t do that to Shahaan. You didn’t even go on a
honeymoon like any normal couple would have. At least go on holiday as a family.”
His mother was on fire today.
Softly, in a trembling voice, Natasha whispered, “You won’t come?”
Shahira didn’t lose her nerve, yet. “Really Natasha, there’s nothing I would like better. I can’t
leave your grandmother alone and I can’t expect your father to look after Shahaan as well, so darling,
it’s impossible.”
“I don’t need anyone to stay, I’m fit as a fiddle.” Realizing her strategic mistake, his mother
backtracked, “ Cough …but I can’t travel in all those… cough… cold places.” She shivered for good
measure before adding, “I have Susan, Nusrat and Allah Yar. I’ll be fine.”
All eyes were back on her. She looked at Shahaan. “Baby, come here.”
The wrong thing to say.
“I AM NOT A BABY!”
Shaking his head at her lack of tact, he settled back, already savoring his assured victory. For a
teacher she sure could put her foot in her mouth. Shocked, stunned silence followed. Shahaan was
still glaring at his mother angrily. She was the antagonist now against the rest of them. Perfect!
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to call you baby, Shahaan…but it’s impossible for us to go…”
“Why?”
Yes, why indeed, let’s see you get out of this one. But she was a teacher and she was used to
handling cranky kids. She smiled her most winning smile. It lit up her face. There it was again, that
sudden need for her. What was this, some nikaah- related emotion? Why did he want her so badly?
“Not everything has to have a reason, Shahaan. Some things just are. Do we ask the reason why the
sun comes up or goes down? Some things we have to accept just because.”
Shahaan looked stumped. His shoulders were beginning to droop. It was time to help the little
trooper.
“Actually, we do know why the sun comes up and goes down, don’t we Shahaan? What happens
when the sun comes up?”
The boy gave it a thought and then yelled, “Morning!”
He smiled and asked, “And what happens when it goes down?”
This time Natasha too joined him, “Night!”
“Hence everything does have a reason.”
Having established that she didn’t have one, he looked back at her, trying not to seem too smug.
Apparently, he failed because she smiled tightly and said, “Can I talk to you for a minute in private?”
He gave it a thought, debating whether or not he could use the moment to his advantage, but
decided against it. This was not the time. He shook his head decidedly.
“Later. Let’s finalize this plan first. After all, we agreed to be a democracy. What kind of parents
would set the example for their children that it’s acceptable to go back on one’s word? We said it was
going to be a democratic choice, didn’t we? Shahaan, correct me if I’m wrong but the last count was
four to one, wasn’t it?”
More shouts and this time he didn’t bother to hide the mockery that must have been obvious to her.
Perhaps he’d allowed more than just the mockery he was feeling to show, because her face registered
a slight horror and excusing herself, she fled.
* * *
“You’re what?” Nudrat
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