Ayesha At Last(68)

“Don’t you mean wives,” Mo said. “You can have four, you know.” He nudged Khalid, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“One is sufficient for me. Amir, you brought me here to make fun of me, didn’t you?” Khalid looked around at the men and sighed. “I should have known better.”

This time Amir didn’t stop him when he walked away.

Andy the Bouncer nodded at Khalid at the door. “You with those idiots?”

Khalid shook his head. “Definitely not.”

“Look at that A-meer guy. It’s a new girl every night. Like he doesn’t have his own place or something. He’s pathetic.”

Khalid looked back at Amir, who was flirting with a brunette in a halter top. She was laughing and he was leaning close. Khalid noticed the stubble on his friend’s face, recognized the familiar emerald-green shirt and black pants.

Andy looked disgusted, and Khalid gripped his keys. He contemplated returning to the table, but when he looked back, Amir was gone.

On the way to the car, Khalid checked his phone again. Still no word from Zareena.





Chapter Twenty-Nine

The waiting room was full when Ayesha brought Nana in for his six-month checkup with Dr. Adams, the cardiologist. Nana had a heart condition—a very minor one, he assured Ayesha—that had to be monitored regularly.

“Remember, you promised to tell Dr. Adams about your smoking,” she said.

“I do not wish to alarm him. It is only the occasional cigarette.” Nana looked at his granddaughter to see if she bought his story.

She didn’t. “You promised to quit.”

“A man my age has few joys left in life,” Nana began, but Ayesha stopped him.

“If you don’t tell Dr. Adams, I will.”

“He always sides with you. Actually, jaanu, I would like to switch doctors. It is my right as a patient.”

The chore of taking Nana to the doctor had fallen to Ayesha after he had declared several years ago that he no longer believed in Western medicine.

“Your blood pressure medication is the only thing that is keeping you alive, you idiot,” Nani had said when she found out.

“It is Allah who is keeping me alive,” he argued. That hadn’t worked either, and now his days of solitary doctor visits were a thing of the past.

Ayesha’s phone pinged with an incoming text message. It was Masood again:

I’m about to trademark “Punch of the Seven Veils.” If you don’t want it, one of my preschool mixed martial arts students is showing a lot of promise. Actually, she reminds me of you. If not wrestling, how about joining a Fight Club? I hear they’re really relaxing.

Ayesha smiled and put her phone away. Though she had never responded to his notes, Masood’s texts were a comforting absurdity.

Nana leaned back in his chair. “Beti, tell me the truth. Are you angry with Nani?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“There are no secrets between married people. I know that Nani conducted an investigation on your behalf and that it was unsuccessful. Are you very hurt?”

Ayesha bit her bottom lip. “I’m happy for Hafsa and Khalid. Even if the only reason they are getting married is to please their parents.”

Nana bowed his head, his face sombre. He seemed to be thinking something over.

“‘The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief,’” he offered instead.

Ayesha remained silent. Sometimes, even Shakespeare could offer no comfort. Right now, she was also worried about Tarek’s warning. She had been turning it over and over in her head all day, trying to figure out the right course of action. Perhaps Nana could provide some guidance.

“What would you do if you heard something very bad about Khalid and his family?” she asked.

Her grandfather picked up a magazine from the shelf. “Is this ‘something’ from a reliable source?”

Ayesha thought about Tarek. He was unpredictable and moody, but he seemed familiar with Khalid’s family. Besides, only a monster would make up such a terrible story. It had to be true. She nodded and filled her grandfather in on the details. His face grew serious and he bowed his head.

“This is a dreadful accusation indeed,” Nana said. “If it is true, Hafsa cannot marry into such a family.”

A sadness filled Ayesha. If the story was true, Farzana was even worse than she had thought. It also meant Khalid was hiding the forced marriage and banishment of his sister. The idea horrified her.

Dr. Adams emerged from his office and smiled at Nana, who rose. “Leave this matter with me only. I will attempt to ascertain the veracity of this story,” her grandfather said.

Except Ayesha couldn’t leave it with Nana. She had promised Sulaiman Mamu she would keep an eye on Hafsa. She called Clara from the waiting room and related Tarek’s accusations.

When she finished, Clara was silent, thinking. “I find this hard to believe. I can’t imagine Khalid would keep quiet about something so underhanded,” she said, and Ayesha felt relieved. Clara continued. “Still, you never know what happens in people’s families. I think you should tell Hafsa. We don’t know if it’s true, and there’s no point telling her parents yet. But she has a right to hear these rumours and decide what she wants to do.”