A Girl Like That(79)
habibi (Arabic): literally translated as love or my love; used by friends or lovers or to casually address strangers of the same gender halala (Arabic): unit of the official currency of Saudi Arabia; one hundred halalas make up one Saudi riyal humata, hukta, huvareshta (Avestan): good thoughts, good words, good deeds inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un (Arabic): we surely belong to God, and to Him we shall return iqama (Arabic): Saudi Arabian residence permit or identity card isha (Arabic): the fifth of five daily prayers in Islam; prayed at night jaanu (Gujarati): an endearment meaning life Jummah (Arabic): Friday
kabaadi (Hindi): person who buys used goods, usually clothes, in India kaka (Gujarati): paternal uncle
kameez (Hindi): tunic
Khallas! (Arabic): Enough!
khatara (Hindi): broken-down vehicle
khodai (Gujarati): God
kusti (Gujarati): sacred woolen cord used in Zoroastrian prayers and worn around the waist, over a sudreh loban (Gujarati/Urdu/Arabic): frankincense rock, used in Zoroastrian prayers ma’salaama (Arabic): good-bye
maghrib (Arabic): the fourth of five daily prayers in Islam; prayed at sunset Malayali: a person from the south Indian state of Kerala who speaks the Malayalam language malido (Gujarati): sweet pudding made of semolina, whole wheat flour, and nuts, used as an offering in Zoroastrian prayers masa (Gujarati): maternal uncle
Masha’Allah (Arabic): an expression of joy or praise, literally translated as God has willed it mashrabiya (Arabic): bay window enclosed with carved wooden latticework, found in buildings in Old Jeddah and parts of the Arab world masi (Gujarati): maternal aunt
masjid (Arabic): mosque
miswak (Arabic): a teeth-cleaning twig, a traditional alternative to the modern toothbrush miyan (Urdu): a term of respect; could stand for sir or mister muezzin (Arabic): one who calls for prayers from a mosque Mumbaikar (Marathi): a resident of Mumbai
muttawa (Arabic): religious policeman; plural: muttawe’en navjote (Gujarati): ceremony that initiates a child into the Zoroastrian faith niqab (Arabic): veil worn by women in the Arab world Parsi: a member of the Zoroastrian community in India qadi (Arabic): Islamic judge
quayamat (Urdu): judgment day
rava (Gujarati): semolina pudding
riyal (Arabic): unit of the official currency of Saudi Arabia salah (Arabic): Muslim act of prayer, to be observed five times every day at prescribed times salwar (Hindi): pantaloons
sayeedati (Arabic): lady
shurta (Arabic): traffic police
soo-soo (Hindi, slang): urine
sudreh (Gujarati): sacred undershirt worn by Zoroastrians thob (Arabic): long garment worn by Saudi men and women walad (Arabic): boy
wasta (Arabic): connections or influence (usually with the government) ya (Arabic): vocative particle, used to address a specific person; translated as “O!”
Author’s Note
The word Qala in Qala Academy comes from qala’t, which is Arabic for fortress or citadel. When I started writing this book, I intended to explore each room and corridor of this fictional world, and the Saudi Arabia I knew and grew up in. I did not realize how massive this undertaking would be, nor how often I would have to revisit my own past to make sense of my characters’ present.
While all the major landmarks and districts in Jeddah are real and still exist, many of the locations mentioned in this novel are fictitious: (Jeddah: Qala Academy, Lahm b’Ajin deli, Al Hanoody Warehouse, Al-Warda Polyclinic; Mumbai: Cama Parsi Colony, Char Chaali). Any inaccuracies are entirely mine.
My own story is different from Zarin’s and Mishal’s. Yet it does not make their stories any less true, nor does it diminish the reality of living in a world that still defines girls in various ways without letting them define themselves.
This book is a love letter to them all.
Acknowledgments
My heartfelt gratitude to the Ontario Arts Council for funding this project.
Thank you:
Mom, for inspiring my love for reading and Dad for being the first to read everything I wrote.
Bruce Geddes and Sayeeda Jaigirdar, for reading this book in its many forms over the years and being the best critique partners anyone could ask for.
MG Vassanji, for being the first to look at Zarin Wadia with a critical eye.
Joe Ponepinto, for publishing Zarin’s story in The Third Reader in 2008, when it was only 5,000 words long.
Barbara Berson, for her valuable advice on a very early draft of this book.
Eleanor Jackson, for always championing this book and me.
Susan Dobinick, for seeing this book’s potential.
Janine O’Malley, for patiently answering all my questions and coming up with the best final title.
Elizabeth Clark, for designing this book’s beautiful cover.
Melissa Warten, Chandra Wohleber, Mandy Veloso, Kelsey Marrujo, and everyone else at FSGBYR, for their support in making A Girl Like That the best book possible.
Brian Henry, Lauren B. Davis, Sherry Isaac, Mayank Bhatt, and Heather Brissenden, for their encouragement as I was writing this book over the years.
And last, but not least: Jeddah, for the memories.