Up in the Main House & Other Stories by Nadeem Zaman

Author:Nadeem Zaman [Zaman, Nadeem]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: The Unnamed Press
Published: 2019-11-04T16:00:00+00:00

By lunchtime the house was in the same frenzy of building and work as the day before. Men streamed in and out like devotees to and from a house of worship. Helal Sobhan held court in his office, loud and laughing, fed by the encouragement and support being lavished on him, until his two older sons arrived, and he postponed the business of politics for lunch.

He talked throughout the meal. His other sons had come without their families, for which Mrs. Sobhan briefly and meekly admonished them. Sobhan scolded her into silence.

“They’re here for more important business than lugging around a wife and kids where there’s no need for them.”

“They would have liked to have come,” the eldest, Shahriar, said.

“Nonsense,” Sobhan interrupted. “They’ll be here for the wedding. Otherwise all they’ll do is take up space.”

Suleiman, the second son, said, “How can there be space for your family with all these strangers in here? Who are these people?”

“Boy, don’t tell me who I can have in my house,” Sobhan warned. “Keep your mouth shut until you’re told to speak. You see this?” he addressed Hamid. “Everything they have is because of their father, and now they sit at my table and challenge me.”

“Keep your mouth shut,” Shahriar told Suleiman.

“I said nothing wrong,” Suleiman protested.

“Talk sense into your stupid brother,” Sobhan told Shahriar. “Don’t make me do it.”

Shahjahan sat at the far end of the table, next to his mother, and during the meal never raised his eyes. He was so unlike his brothers it would not be a stretch to presume he was adopted. Kulsum had placed Shiuli strategically across from him. Shiuli stole a few glances at him, which went unreturned.

After lunch Shahriar and Suleiman went upstairs. Hamid heard the older sons grumbling to each other. Helal Sobhan thumped back to his office having announced that the wedding should be gotten over with within a fortnight at the latest; he had more pressing business that needed his time. Mrs. Sobhan approached Kulsum fearfully and asked quietly to speak with her in private. Kulsum ordered Shiuli to go to their room and stay there. Shahjahan, already fidgety during the meal, made his getaway as soon as his father was out of sight. The dining room emptied out with the urgency of a forced evacuation. Hamid, concerned about Shiuli, wishing to know her mind for once in the absence of her mother, went to their room and found her sitting on the bed, her head leaning back, staring at the ceiling.

“How are you?” he asked from the doorway. “You didn’t eat much.”

“Baba,” she said, without turning to him, “he’s not a prince.”

From the front of the house came the thuds of a lone hammer on wood. Most of the loud, busy work had been paused for the afternoon. Hamid listened for the workers on the back lawn. He went to the end of the hallway to the door leading out to the lawn. When he tried it, it opened.

The sun was fierce, the afternoon burning in its unforgiving fire.

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