Unmarriageable(63)

‘Agar uski betiyan ghar behtee reh jayen – if her daughters rot at home for the rest of their lives,’ Bobia muttered, ‘it will be Pinkie Binat’s fault for giving them standards instead of teaching them to make do.’ Bobia kissed her daughter’s forehead. ‘I cannot wait to tell snooty Pinkie our good news.’

But Sherry made her family promise that they would keep this a secret until she told Alys herself. Everyone agreed, though Kaleen wished he could go straight to the Binats and inform them that he was marrying Alysba’s friend. Instead, when he returned to the Binats’ house, he packed his suitcase to immediately leave for Islamabad and surprised the Binats by his graciousness and promise to return very soon. As his car drove away, Mrs Binat mentioned to Mr Binat that she was sure Kaleen meant to turn his attentions to Mari, since she seemed to actually enjoy his sermons.



Sherry avoided telling Alys her big news during the school day on the pretext that it was the wrong venue but that evening, as they had their smoke in the graveyard, she could no longer stall.

‘Alys,’ Sherry took a deep breath, ‘Alys, I’m engaged to Farhat Kaleen.’

‘What?’

‘I’m engaged to Farhat Kaleen.’

Alys had wondered whether Kaleen might be interested in Sherry, but she’d failed to imagine that Sherry would reciprocate.

Sherry lit a fresh cigarette with trembling fingers. ‘Stop looking at me like that.’

‘When did this happen?’

‘This morning,’ Sherry said. ‘Before the school van came.’

‘I see.’

‘You see?’ Sherry said. ‘That’s all you’re going to say?’

‘Congratulations on a fine catch,’ Alys said. ‘If he could, he would come for you on a stallion, did he say?’

‘Tch! Don’t be like that! He doesn’t care that I can’t have children, and because he doesn’t care, perhaps one day I truly won’t care. Alys, the biggest attraction in marrying him is that his children will be mine. I will become a mother. I swear, his youngest already looks at me with so much trust and affection.’

Alys wanted to tell Sherry yet again that she was more than a childbearing and child-rearing machine. But what was the use? Perhaps you truly could not make someone disbelieve what they’d been so thoroughly conditioned to believe.

‘You know,’ Sherry said, ‘if you had accepted his proposal, you could have resigned from British School today without having to listen to Mrs Naheed and Rose-Nama’s mother’s demands ever again.’

‘I’d rather be accused of imaginary crimes my entire life than become that man’s wife.’

‘He has shortcomings. He’s human! No one is perfect. Not even people like Darsee, or you.’

‘You’re taller than him,’ Alys said feebly as she looked up at Sherry.

‘I don’t care, and he hasn’t said anything,’ Sherry said. ‘And, anyway, only by one inch.’

Alys took a deep breath. ‘Listen, Sherry, I’m happy for you if this is what you really want.’

‘I want.’ Sherry took a long puff. ‘Of course I want. Children. Hel-lo: S-E-X. Car, driver. And he’s a British citizen because of which I will become a British citizen. And then I will be able to sponsor my parents, my brothers, and my sister. This will change our lives. Do you understand that?’

‘Love? Like? Respect? Or do only the material things he can provide count?’

Sherry shook her head. ‘You want to call me a gold-digger? Go ahead. But my name should be Budgeting, Saving, and Serving. I’ve been working outside the home ever since I can remember, as well as inside cooking and cleaning, and I want to be in a relationship where duties will be shared. My husband-to-be may say ridiculous things like “Dignified women do not work outside the home” and “Men who expect their wives to earn are losers”, but I am perfectly capable of being content in a traditional marriage. He will be an excellent provider and, I guarantee you, I will be the best mother and homemaker in the world.’

Alys sighed. ‘Sherry, people marry for money, for security, for children, then get stuck in crappy financially dependent relationships.’

‘Alys, stop being dramatic. I’m not saying I won’t ever work outside again and earn my own income. When I choose to, I will.’

Alys raised a brow. ‘And you think your husband-to-be will give you that choice?’

Sherry took a moment to answer. ‘I am practical, Alys. I am not you. Please try to understand. Please. For me marriage is not a love story; it’s a social contract. Inshallah you’ll get your love story and never have to compromise, and I sincerely pray you find a man who’ll respect and appreciate you exactly as you are, and you a man you respect exactly as he is. But let me tell you, if Farhat Kaleen talks about me half as affectionately and respectfully as he talks about his late wife, I will be a very lucky woman.’

‘Affection and respect,’ Alys said, ‘increase exponentially once one is dead.’

Sherry spluttered on her smoke. Alys patted her on the back.

‘I’ve said it before,’ Sherry said when she could speak, ‘and I’ll say it to my dying day: there is no guarantee of happiness in any marriage, and being in love with your prospective partner is not going to solve that. People change, relationships change.’