apologetic and quickly made a pretence of leaving. Taken aback by the appearance of her two friends, Sardara got heavily to her feet. More ‘unwanted’ guests! And she had only just this moment sat down. She had no choice but to call the women back. They, however, had truly scuttled away, not even tempted by the sight of the feast laid before their eyes. ‘Oh dear. Now I will have to get out from behind this large table’ Sardara sighed to herself.
With her legs already placed at an awkward angle, it was quite a task to ease herself out from the tight corner without rocking the breakfast things on the table. One of its legs was already wobbly. Oh, these women! she thought crossly. Don’t they have any sense of timing at all? This is too early for social calls. If they wanted milk they didn’t need to come to the house. Now where have they gone?
Aargh
. Sardara groaned in pain as she felt the sharp edge of the table corner dig straight into the padded layers of fat on her thigh. Aloud, ‘Excuse me. Please carry on with your breakfast. I’ll go and see mytwo friends and find out what they want,’ she apologised to her guests, looking longingly at her bowl of creamy yoghurt. Should she take it out with her? On second thoughts, no! It wasn’t good etiquette, especially in front of her Zeinab’s mother-in-law.
Sardara managed to ease herself out of the breakfast room, but she couldn’t pin a smile of welcome on her face for her two friends, even though they were very good to her. These days beleaguered with her arthritis, she had come to rely quite heavily on the two women who kept her abreast with local news. Naimat Bibi even did her washing every two days and for very little. For three jugs of milk. Sardara was also particularly beholden to Kulsoom Bibi for helping to arrange her daughter’s match with a boy from the neighbouring village. She just wished, however, that Kulsoom had warned her about her kurmani’s smoking habit. When confronted about it later, Kulsoom had just laughed in her face, thoroughly amused. ‘Surely you were not going to turn down a great
rishta
, a match, just because the mother-in-law smoked. Most people smoke these days. That is silly. Forget about her – think of the boy.
He
doesn’t smoke!’ she had teased her.
She saw them sitting on the charpoy on the verandah, their heads bent together, deeply engrossed in a conversation.
‘Now what are those two hatching up?’ Sardara asked herself with amusement. If anybody wanted something broadcasting in the village, they didn’t need a telegram. Those two could do it faster. Far more efficiently and with added frills.
‘Assalam Alaikum, Kulsoom Jee and Naimat Jee. What can I do for my two sisters? It is lovely to see youso
early
this morning. It can’t be for our milk. My son has already sent some over to you both,’ Sardara began sweetly.
‘Oh no, it is not for milk we have come.’ Kulsoom excitedly shook her head. ‘Will you tell her or shall I, Naimat Jee?’
Naimat Bibi had guessed correctly that Kulsoom Bibi was desperate to break the news to Sardara and was generously according her the privilege.
Kulsoom graciously signalled her thanks. Straightening up, and twitching her earrings ceremoniously into place, she was in her element, as she began in the most dramatic of tones she could muster.
‘Sardara Jee, you will not believe what happened last night! While we were all fast asleep in our beds, dreaming our innocent dreams, little did we guess what extraordinary events were afoot on the pure soil of our village!’
For effect her voice had dipped dangerously low, and her small round eyes, shone in their sunken sockets. The multi-coloured, over-sized glass bangles jangled up and down on her bare arm, as she twirled her heart-shaped gold locket around her finger with nervous movements.
‘No! But I can guess, Kulsoom Jee – you are going to tell me,’ Sardara judiciously commented, chuckling to herself, trying to
With her legs already placed at an awkward angle, it was quite a task to ease herself out from the tight corner without rocking the breakfast things on the table. One of its legs was already wobbly. Oh, these women! she thought crossly. Don’t they have any sense of timing at all? This is too early for social calls. If they wanted milk they didn’t need to come to the house. Now where have they gone?
Aargh
. Sardara groaned in pain as she felt the sharp edge of the table corner dig straight into the padded layers of fat on her thigh. Aloud, ‘Excuse me. Please carry on with your breakfast. I’ll go and see mytwo friends and find out what they want,’ she apologised to her guests, looking longingly at her bowl of creamy yoghurt. Should she take it out with her? On second thoughts, no! It wasn’t good etiquette, especially in front of her Zeinab’s mother-in-law.
Sardara managed to ease herself out of the breakfast room, but she couldn’t pin a smile of welcome on her face for her two friends, even though they were very good to her. These days beleaguered with her arthritis, she had come to rely quite heavily on the two women who kept her abreast with local news. Naimat Bibi even did her washing every two days and for very little. For three jugs of milk. Sardara was also particularly beholden to Kulsoom Bibi for helping to arrange her daughter’s match with a boy from the neighbouring village. She just wished, however, that Kulsoom had warned her about her kurmani’s smoking habit. When confronted about it later, Kulsoom had just laughed in her face, thoroughly amused. ‘Surely you were not going to turn down a great
rishta
, a match, just because the mother-in-law smoked. Most people smoke these days. That is silly. Forget about her – think of the boy.
He
doesn’t smoke!’ she had teased her.
She saw them sitting on the charpoy on the verandah, their heads bent together, deeply engrossed in a conversation.
‘Now what are those two hatching up?’ Sardara asked herself with amusement. If anybody wanted something broadcasting in the village, they didn’t need a telegram. Those two could do it faster. Far more efficiently and with added frills.
‘Assalam Alaikum, Kulsoom Jee and Naimat Jee. What can I do for my two sisters? It is lovely to see youso
early
this morning. It can’t be for our milk. My son has already sent some over to you both,’ Sardara began sweetly.
‘Oh no, it is not for milk we have come.’ Kulsoom excitedly shook her head. ‘Will you tell her or shall I, Naimat Jee?’
Naimat Bibi had guessed correctly that Kulsoom Bibi was desperate to break the news to Sardara and was generously according her the privilege.
Kulsoom graciously signalled her thanks. Straightening up, and twitching her earrings ceremoniously into place, she was in her element, as she began in the most dramatic of tones she could muster.
‘Sardara Jee, you will not believe what happened last night! While we were all fast asleep in our beds, dreaming our innocent dreams, little did we guess what extraordinary events were afoot on the pure soil of our village!’
For effect her voice had dipped dangerously low, and her small round eyes, shone in their sunken sockets. The multi-coloured, over-sized glass bangles jangled up and down on her bare arm, as she twirled her heart-shaped gold locket around her finger with nervous movements.
‘No! But I can guess, Kulsoom Jee – you are going to tell me,’ Sardara judiciously commented, chuckling to herself, trying to
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