The Book of Gold Leaves by Mirza Waheed

Author:Mirza Waheed [Waheed, Mirza]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241968116
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2014-08-19T00:00:00+00:00

Here

Farhat runs from her doorstep to Roohi’s in one breath. Off-balance, because her right hand is clasping the paper in her pocket, she nearly tumbles over at the door. In normal days, in ordinary times, she and, of course, Roohi and Faiz would have been more discreet. In fact, for Roohi and Faiz, discretion, muted, precautious footsteps, voices nearly always at a whisper, had gradually become their habit, relaxing only inside the basement of the shrine or during the occasional trip in Seythhả’s curtained auto-rickshaw. Farhat, their aide in love, their constant co-conspirator and sometimes alibi, had perhaps become even more careful than the lovers themselves had. Now, she throws aside caution and takes a particular delight in her carelessness, even though she is aware of the circumstances that have emboldened her.

She knocks loudly at the door, and then, realizing she was perhaps too forceful, slows down. Must let my breathing settle first, she tells herself, and stops knocking. She reminds herself that she cannot, should not, spend too much time here as Roohi’s brother makes her uncomfortable. It’s the way he looks at her. What made them call him Rumi?

The door opens slowly and a hand pulls her in. The hallway is darker than before but Farhat walks on led by Roohi’s firm hand. In the cool darkness, she relaxes and smiles to herself. As she climbs the many narrow steps to Roohi’s private world, Farhat thinks about the future. Will this hallway still be so cool? Will she still be doing this, acting as go-between for her brother and Roohi? Will she be gone, far away for higher studies or married to someone she likes? What will Roohi be like? Will she really become Farhat’s sister-in-law at some point? Will there come a time when Farhat will realize that she is never going to see her friend, her beautiful friend, ever again? That would make her brother very sad. Did he really have to go?

Farhat had been the least surprised when Faiz left. She was, in fact, surprised it had not happened earlier. Nearly every day at school she had heard of someone’s brother, cousin or uncle who had left to fight, and a part of her might even have hoped that someone from her family would go, too, so she could join in the conversation in her class. She is not too sure now. She has seen the colour drain away from the face of the most beautiful girl in the world. Last week, she tied two votive threads, one in their own little shrine room on the top floor and the other at Roohi’s shrine, sealing within the narrow folds of the silk kerchief she had used a promise for her brother’s safe return. She will open it when he comes back and she will feed many poor people as a mark of gratitude. She is sure Abba will give her the money for it.

As she sits down in her favourite corner by the L-shaped bookshelf in Roohi’s room, she puts the envelope on Roohi’s desk.

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