Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

Author:Sabina Khan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

The next afternoon, Dr. Mehta comes in to discharge Abbu. I’m worried that this will mean he goes directly to jail—but Shireen Khala assures me it’s under control. As we’d hoped, the accusations against Abbu are beginning to fall apart. At least two neighbors saw the incident, and neither believes that Abbu was carrying a weapon. The Bensons also have a doorbell camera that may have captured the whole thing—the police have gotten a warrant and are reviewing it now. Abbu’s not off the hook, but right now the charges against him are on hold.

It’s the weekend, and Ammi goes off to deal with hospital paperwork while I call Nick to give him the great news. He and his parents are there even before Ammi comes back into the room. Nick has the biggest smile on his face as he bends to give my father a hug and there’s a lump in my throat as I watch them, but my stomach is just one giant knot of anxiety because I can’t shake the feeling that it’s not over yet. I take a deep breath and remind myself to savor this moment. The last few weeks have proven that I have to be prepared for anything.

A couple of hours later, Abbu is finally back at home and resting, while Ammi and I are floating around on a cloud of joy, preparing all his favorite dishes. The tantalizing smell of nihari fills the kitchen as I prepare the raita and pulao. Zorro is running circles around our feet, hoping desperately that a tasty morsel will find its way to the floor. I want everything to be perfect for when Abbu comes down, which should be any minute now since Ammi’s gone to check on him. The roti dough is sitting in neat little balls, and I begin to roll them out one by one, throwing them on the tawa until they are puffy and hot. I’ve already made the borhani, Abbu’s favorite buttermilk drink, and it’s chilling in the fridge to let the black salt, cumin, and mint settle in.

I hear my parents at the top of the stairs and run up to help Abbu walk down. He’s still quite weak, and the doctor has recommended physical therapy for the next month to get his muscles working properly again.

“Why did you two do so much?” Abbu asks as soon as he sits down at the table. “You must be exhausted.”

“Iqbal, my jaan, we are so grateful that, Allah ke fazl se, you are back home,” Ammi says. “All this is nothing.”

“But, Abbu, remember what the doctor said,” I say. “You have to be careful not to overdo it. So, you can only have a little bit of everything.”

“This feels like cruel and unusual punishment,” Abbu says with a smile, pulling me closer for a hug.

Ammi begins to serve the food, and then we’re eating and talking like we usually do. Abbu has a lot to catch up on, but soon he starts to fade.

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