Mehendi Tides by Siobhan Malany

Author:Siobhan Malany [Siobhan Malany]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2018-11-06T16:00:00+00:00

BY LATE MORNING, a paddy wagon showed up to take them to Marah Bahri’s in Begumpet, on the other side of the park from Banjara Hills. The paddy wagon drove by way of a circuitous route, clamoring over the steep inclines and around the curves, many times nearly colliding with oncoming traffic. Sana had fallen asleep, her head vibrating against the window.

The modest home set precariously perched at the end of a rubble street. The driveway sloped to one side making the home appear uneven, ready to slide down and sink into the rising road.

Aunty Samina, Max, Hari, Yasmine, and Azra greeted them exuberantly, having already arrived. Nasreen, Yasmine, and Kate sat cross-legged on the floor. Azra and Sana sat off to the side whispering together, or rather Azra listening to Sana describe elementary school life in the US. Kate tried inconspicuously to dislodge betel nuts from between her teeth, stuck there from the morning’s paan.

The older women sat on the sinking sofa conversing in Urdu, Laila in a yellow cotton sari, Aunty Samina in a rose-colored one, and Nanima and Marah Bahri both in widow white.

For a while, Yasmine and Nasreen translated but grew tired of the wearisome conversation and at times broke into soft laughter at the loss in translation.

“What? What did they say? I heard my name,” Kate asked in anticipation.

“I think they are arranging your marriage,” Sana said, giggling.

“You should speak now or forever hold your tongue,” Yasmine said, joining in the teasing.

“Whatever.”

“You think we are kidding?”

Kate looked up curiously at Nanima. Behind the horn-rimmed glasses, the old woman’s eyes smiled at her, but her lips remained pursed. The nerves of her jaw twitched between smiling and pursing.

Kate bent her neck forward in an awkward bow of respect to the elder decree. Nanima smiled, revealing blackened gums and red, paan-stained teeth.

With no place to go, the afternoon passed quietly. After a lunch of spinach dal, biryani, and naan and more paan, Nasreen and Yasmine flipped through Indian fashion magazines, Azra dozed on her mother’s lap, and Sana colored a picture of Nanima’s house and sang softly to herself as she drew lifelike figures of all of her aunties and cousins. Kate fell asleep under the spinning fan until she heard Aunty Zehba’s voice fill the lackadaisical air and rose immediately lest Aunty Zehba should catch her sleeping and complain she was not adjusting to India time.

Rahim and Anees had finally arrived in India. Aunty Zehba beamed widely as she presented her sons to the family. Tariq stood off to the side while his brothers absorbed the attention and shot Kate a sly smile that made her heart jump.

Rahim had grown a beard to mark himself ready to become a married man. He wore a traditional button-down shirt and brown trousers and respectfully greeted Nanima and his aunts and gave Nasreen a warm, brotherly greeting. Anees tried to appear relaxed in a James Dean style sport shirt and jeans but shuffled nervously, seemingly uncertain about his transition into a man-in-waiting.

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