Unmarriageable(68)

‘That’s not true.’ Alys sat up. ‘Wickaam has faced much adversity, as you know—’

‘Oh yes.’ Nona discarded a turmeric-stained sweater into the rags pile. ‘How could I not know? He is very eager to tell everyone all about his misfortunes. Look, Alys, it was my duty as your aunt to guide you, I have done my duty, and now I will keep quiet.’

‘Your duty is several hours too late!’ Alys smiled at the alarm on Nona’s face. ‘Wickaam called me this morning. He’s recently got engaged to one Miss Jahanara Ana Aan.’

‘Engaged!’

‘He met Miss Jahanara Ana Aan during a work trip to Karachi. Miss Jahanara Ana Aan is her father’s only daughter and stands to inherit his accounting firm, and Wickaam intends to inherit it with her. Obviously well-off-enough people for him to see a good match.’

‘I see,’ Nona said. ‘You’re very forgiving when Wickaam grabs it, not so forgiving when Sherry does.’

Alys flushed. ‘I’m sure Wickaam’s fiancée is not an ass-kissing social-climbing buffoon.’

‘Poor Qitty. Does your mother know yet?’

Alys shook her head.

‘And you, my treasure, are you all right?’

‘Too all right.’ Alys shrugged. ‘I believe that if Wickaam had money, or I did, I would have been his first choice. In any case, Miss Jahanara Ana Aan sounds like a smart and nice girl. I wish them well. Qitty and Lady were crying, but I thought, What’s there to cry about? I’m telling you, Aunty Nona, I’m truly not cut out for marriage, children, that sort of thing. I’m actually quite pleased that Miss Jahanara Ana Aan has inadvertently resolved this “situation” for me.’





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN





Jena readily accepted Nona’s invitation to come to Lahore. Mrs Naheed was not thrilled at Jena’s wanting to take off the remaining two months of the semester, but Alys volunteered to teach Jena’s classes and Mari would substitute as a teacher-in-training. Mari was disgusted with the change in her lifestyle but, since it was for Jena’s sake, she didn’t grumble too vehemently.

Mrs Binat prayed that fate would bring Jena and Bungles together in Lahore, and the thought cheered her. Satisfied that she might yet have her coup through Jena, Mrs Binat enquired after Wickaam. Where had he disappeared? She was informed of Miss Jahanara Ana Aan. Her heart sank, but, then, she’d never truly believed Qitty would be able to attract such a gorgeous man, and neither could she blame Wickaam for grabbing a moneyed woman, and so she searched for a silver lining. Of course! Her daughters would be invited to Wickaam’s wedding.

Immediately she began to discuss what outfits would be best for the events. Alys, Jena, Qitty, Lady, and Mari shared a glance and then looked at their father, who wore the same expression of dazed relief. Was Pinkie Binat back to normal and all right in their world?

Nona, the children, Falak, and Jena packed to leave for Lahore, and it was a tearful parting as the remaining Binats stood watching them drive away. Alys turned to Sherry’s house for a cigarette, then remembered that Sherry too was gone.

Alys was not restless for long. Her days began with a whirlwind of a schedule as she managed her own classes as well as the workload for Jena’s. Mari was turning out to be of little help, because she was more interested in preaching religion than in teaching the syllabus. Then there were the underprivileged children whom she, Jena, Sherry, and Mari used to tutor together, and now Alys insisted that Qitty and Lady get involved too.

Sherry called Alys frequently, and no sooner would Alys hang up than Mrs Binat would enquire, ‘And what does your friend have to say for herself today?’

Alys would tell her mother the truth. Sherry was having the time of her life. Sleeping in. Car and driver at her disposal to go wherever and whenever she wanted. She’d joined a gym and had developed a yen for yoga and power aerobics. She was making friends, whom she met for brunches and kitty parties. She and Kaleen had dined at Beena dey Bagh’s; both mother and daughter thought highly of Kaleen. Kaleen’s elder son was respectful to Sherry, while the seven-year-old son said the cutest things and clung to her like a duckling. Kaleen’s daughter was as friendly as she needed to be. Sherry’s cat had also settled into the new environment as if she’d always been living there. All in all, all was good and Kaleen had only one request, which Sherry was beyond delighted to fulfil: that she cook for him.

‘Hah!’ Mrs Binat said. ‘Even he knows all Sherry is good for is the kitchen.’

‘They have a cook, Mummy,’ Alys said. ‘All Sherry says she does is add spices.’

‘Let’s hope,’ Mrs Binat said, ‘Kaleen gets food poisoning and drops dead. Then Sherry will be a widow and that’ll teach her to steal men interested in other women.’

‘Tauba! Dear God!’ Mr Binat said. ‘What a thing to say!’

Alys did not share with her mother the prevailing awkwardness between Sherry and herself and how they had to force the closeness they’d once so easily shared.

It was Jena’s phone calls Alys looked forward to. Jena called home daily to share news of her activities: shopping, films, restaurants, taking the children on outings. She would help Nona in the kitchen and they would make cake deliveries together. She visited Falak Khala once a week and was helping Babur prepare for an interview with a recruiter from Cornell.