I

                                                                              

I knew that if a pearl is born in an ocean, than, even the sky will also be leaning on it to glimpse it, for how beautiful is it! I thought and took out my umbrella to be with him in rains as we had plans to have some solace under the shade of rains. The heavy rainfall was in a medium pace, as the pace of both us was slow under the similar umbrella. The umbrella was in my hand and he was passively moving, with his left shoulder exposed to the rainfall. The winter caused both of us to take overcoats, and even, I had put on a black woolen hat at my head and he was in black warm coat and was hatless.

            It was Macdonald, which was in the blossoms of rains today, with many of the couples, pairs and isolated girls, boys, men and women. The families would have their rains in the house, with fun of peeking out of the windows to have a look at the droplets of the rains. There were many travelers in this industrial city, who would have rains in the way and would have fun.

            As we entered, our choices on the table were different. He ordered for a Turkish tea, I, was given a black tea. During tea and fish crackers he started talking about babies, which were to their grandmother’s house. She herself was asking to give them some rest and have some fun at their grandmother. She was my mother, who brought me up and then, she helped me in upbringing and to be studied. She was quiet healthy and was living with my brother who was also married.  

            “They are coming back sooner, in the evening, as my mother would, herself, drop them at home.” I told him, while taking a sip of black tea.

            “That’s really original,” He told her while taking a cup of tea.

            “Sympathetically, I would love to have it with you for the next time.” I told him. As he paid the bill and we were gone back to the streets of our house, which was as bluish in shade as the merriments of the day and the nights as well to our hearts. He was looking good and happy these days, for I was staying with him for all the days. Together, we shall be making and taking breakfast, most of the times, my lunch will be in my office and the dinner will be together with family, most of the times in the outside premises.

            I was reflective in skills of pottery and calligraphy, on which I retained as one of my hobbies. At my house, I had many such samples of pottery and calligraphy, which soothes my aesthetic senses, and, sometimes would be frivolous as to initiate it again, since the time of broken departure, I had left it, busy in my daily life of office, children, husband, merry making and parents. Calligraphy was my hobby, in which I had done some fewer courses of par excellence on my behalf, but, I had done my masters in breaching my language skills of French. I gained to jot some mud and made a vase, where, I put some flowers in that vase. This vase was colored differently, as I mixed all the colors in them and made it beautiful to look at.

            It was a fun-filled activity and I liked to watch that how penniless was that vase, as I was putting it as a mere decoration piece and nothing else. It was neither beneficial for me and nor for my possessions, as I shall give it to the shopkeeper and he will earn money for me. But, being non purchased it was the most expensive in one of the fervors to my eyes.

            “I shall consider it the best time to fink lean about the similar things…” I said to him, yawned who felt flue in my voice, as he looked to my face until my drowsy voice.

            “Oh, you are sick today. Okay, next, we shall have a new time with the next office project. I shall like it if you will give me some time to sleep.” He said to me and in no minutes was asleep and I too went into a deep sleep with him on the either side of the bed.

            When I awoke up the next day, I was sitting in my office, looking straight to the black board, with a ball point thrust closer to my lip, absentminded, and I could consider that there were clouds outside, at the level of my eyes, overlapped at one another.

“What if, today, we shall go back home after receiving the children.” I thought. “But it was about the boredom of my mother.” I reinstated myself to work. The whole day, I continued on reading my French documents, which were as necessary to the job of the day, as I was essential to them. I printed the documents, put my comments on it and them signed them. My next task was to write a report of them to my project leader, and then, I was to send them back to, from where they were received.

I was now home, with him, but he was as quiet as a ridiculous animal, who is asking for food. Probably, he was asking for his fodder.

“What happened?” I asked him, after thinking about him vainly and as at a straw. He would surely mind, if I shall talk to him about it.

“No, nothing. I am missing them both.” He said to me.

“I, too.” I replied to him. “Okay, let’s try to do it again. I just want you to translate them into French.”

“Really, today, I read a lot of French documents, and did a critical commentary. It was so obvious that I shall be fine for office now.”

“Yes, absolutely. I shall do it for you as well. How many are the papers?”

“They are ten pages and they are paying for them as well.”

“Great, than.”

“I shall send your name and they will accept and consider it.” He said to me, whence, I smiled at his offer.

“I shall take them to my office and shall have a plenty of time to work on them. So tell me that what are these papers for?” I asked him.

“It’s cool to tell you. These papers are to be emailed to France. It is an international mode to work.” He told me and I was to an extent of being impressed.

”Generally, I shall start working on tomorrow at it.” I said. I went out to the drawing room and there I saw a fish aquarium, put some food to the fish and was diligently, looking fish while eating, as I shall think about it what else does it like to eat. I liked an orange colored fish. I went back to the room, where he was in an ecstasy of the sleep, and I stepped to the family’s personal computer. I switched it on, there was dark in the room, because all the lights were switched off and only a lamplight was kindled, only to the extent of sliding under the covers at the bed, and finger tips and the button to switch off the lamp. I opened google mail and selected mother’s id to send an email to her. It was a very long email, in which I told her about him, that their father was looking lethargic of living without children and all else. I also told her about some extra charges I was going to get of the French documents and the memories of being alone without her and the children. In the mid of the email I told her about, another calligraphy art, that I had made as one of the decoration pieces, one of the masters pieces of my life careers. It was as fun of a detailed email that anyone could imagine. Hence, end of every information that I went back to my covers at the bed.

            I was so numb, the next day, and we had a video call with children and their grandmother. The call went for one and a half hour, and I was in trance of a child adoration. Hence, Jahan said good bye and very warm farewell to my mother and children, as, I also almost, was to sob as going to say good bye to the children and the mother.

II

 

In office, as I was reading the documents written in English, they were interesting to know, as they were about to organize a new branch in their company and introducing an new car, which will be exported to France and the profit will be both of they. I started translated them in French, so that the buyer could read it quite fluently and comfortably, and so the company will receive a letter of acceptance from French Vehicles company. The interesting fact was that, I and Jahan had purchased a car and we were fine and comfortable with it.

            “Asmara! I had a very different view, if we could exchange this with a brand new.” Jahan, once, said to me.

            :”Jahan! Although, it’s fine, we shall have a new one at the end of this year,” and I pointed him to an attic of this kitchen, and various other patterns of wall paint which needs to be repaired. “Look, they need to be fixed.” He removed his apron, while pasting jam on the upper sides of the two breads, put them at one another, cut them into two halves, and gave one part to me and started eating the other part of the bread, while sitting in front of me.

            “Asmara! I think, I should go and fetch and wall painter or mason who will clear the shades of the walls, and will, as well paint the attic.”

            “That’s really fabulous, if it would be resolved today, at any cost.” I replied to him, taking another bite of bread.

            “It will take some days, but, not more than fewer days.” Jahan said.

            “Great, we shall have a good time in the house, then.” I said to him.

            “So, when are we going to have a time to fetch babies back?” Jahan asked me.

            “I guess that,” The bread was ended, as I looked out of the window, and my eyes cornered him back to look at the sunny yellow shades out, deviating rays of sun from the next house, to the next house, and then, out into the streets, spreading in the whole of the city. “We shall pack the luggage in the evening and after the dinner, we shall get back.” Asmara suggested.

            “It is such a fabulous idea.” I replied. “We shall receive the children and shall drop mom at my brother’s house and his son’s and we shall get back them to the house, as their school is going to be started no sooner than, on the day after tomorrow.

            I called my mom back that we are coming to receive you, while her stay in her residence. My mom had a little farm house, she was fond of horse riding and fishing. The fishes were caught in the net, she and I shall have them in our lunch and mostly, in dinner that we shall have tired of fishing, as it was hard to fry them in the pan. In my adulthood, I went to my uncle, to get some lessons of horse riding from the horse trainer of that times, where me and family had brought up since their and mine childhood.

              There while having, training of horse riding, as I was fond of it, and during summer vacations, I acknowledged the habits and talking style of Jahan for the first time, that he was cool to know, as cryptic, as an Egyptian, Pharaoh, that he did neither know anything, but training through horse riding, nor he was irresponsible, that he had not done his horse-training tasks given to him by the horse trainer, as, later on, I got realized that, he was not like an Egyptian Pharaoh, but merely a horse training student, who knew his class fellows, while declarative, in getting a certificate in the final day of his horse training.

            Jahan was at the last, an apprehension to me, within a few days, when I got a parcel with a big box of a silver locket and he said me good bye forever to me and to all else in the class on that day, as we had taken all the classes, and the course was ended. I returned to my mother, with a certificate, a kind of parcel of a silver locket from Jahan and a laborious effort of a transcript where we got the marks, as well as, a very special thing was an email id, which he gave to me, where we could talk to one another.

            I made a conquest further, in myself, to take French, as one of the skilled courses, which will make me employed, that I shall get some penny, and shall get married to someone, and a post-wedding life ahead. The last day was such a memorable and delightful that all we were very well trained and good to know each other that we were horse trainers. It was a muscular training as well along with a horse training. After returning from vacations, I went out to look for a forest hunt. It was an interesting and a delightful day, that when I went out the forest from the mid of the forest, the hilly area forged me to hike up the hills and mountains. As I was hiking up the hills and mountains, I saw a bright sky, which was bright to me as an oyster is exposed to sunlight at the beach for the purpose of good culturing. It was a memorable day, when I heard a gun-shot, and sudden sound of the birds’ harsh and helpless chirps. I saw a flock of birds scattering at the skies and a soared running higher and deeper into the skies. The woods snapped, as the hunter would have taken his prey, and the storm covered the whole forest, as I had not expectations that the storm will have dominated the whole forest. There were crashes of thunder that I saw a man covered in black with a hat at his head.

“Asmara!” He called me in a meanwhile, as in no minutes, I went to him as I recognized him that today he was not a cryptic, but a non-Pharaoh, whom I met in a very troublesome time.

I gave a slight pull to the reins of my horse, so that I could reach him. The storm was followed by a heavy rain and we were patrolling with our horses in the rain to find some shelter. At least, in the forest, we had reached, in a place where, a broken house, with a shade of cement.

“O, how are you here?” I asked Jahan, as we have fixed our positions under the shade to escape from the rains. Our horses were with us, sometimes bathing in rains and soon, we had kept them under the shade, to be saved and active, so that we could travel by them.

“I live here, my house is in the second street of the city area.”

“O Alright,” I replied.

“I came here to have some fresh breathe.”

“So, you really can get from this forest.” I made a humor, and after that, he only, smirked.

“This forest is dauntless in it.” Jahan replied.

Soon, we sat under the shade to get a glimpse of the present situation. He sat and I was in his lap sooner than before. We had a deep sleep and I could see, the rain had stopped, the horses were grazing and I saw Jahan, who had crouched near the trunk of a tree and sniffing the muddy water. After sniffing, he looked to the mud all around and as he saw me that I am awake, he smiled to look at me and then, he, like, hoarded me at my horse and my horse galloped, out of and into the way of the forest. As I and my horse reached home, I had severe pain in my whole body and I was asleep due to the cold of heavy rain.

III

 

Next day, I got two emails from two companies dealing with French and I was recruited in those two jobs, as I was to select anyone of them. Hence, I chose a French Organization dealing with the matters of French costumes and apparels. I disregarded the other job and showed me convincing interest in the previous one. I had a slight flue today and I was abrupt in me that my red nose was frequently and constantly rubbed by a tissue paper. I joined the office on tomorrow, as I had hazy illusions but still the day went ahead, that, on one day, I saw an email from Jahan in my inbox. It was a serious proposal for marriage for me. I accepted proposal with a yes in reply.

We were soon bonded together, that the days went by and we had two babies. In the initial days of life, we visited the hilly areas, we had photographs in our memory book and they were preserved. We had shared white gold rings with one another at the day of the wedding, and he was an example of a courteous husband for me, all the time, everywhere and in every place.

“Asmara!” At the start of the wedding, in one night, when I was prudent in love, prudent in behavior and prudent in being talkative, and I told him that I do not want to have a horse riding at his willingness, instead I want to patrol on the sidewalks with you, so that we can have some chat about future. This was for the first time, that we visited the hill panorama and after that had a lunch in the restaurant. We ate Russian salad and lunch menu including corn and chicken vegetable soup and we ate, then, egg fried rice and chicken shashlik. I went back to his mother and I spent some time in my mother’s home. Soon after a few days, as the office holidays ended, I got an email from Jahan. It was that we shall have a meeting together again and together, and shall have some time spent together. I stayed with Jahan for more than a year, with frequent visits to my parents and his parents, that we had two babies until now.

              It was a sunny day that I wore golden coat shoes, with blue pants and shocking pink shirt fabric. The shocking pink shirt was laced and lined in white net pattern around the circle shaped neck of the shirt and it was lined with light brown lace at the slits and underneath the shirt, and it had French humps on the shirt, that I saw Jahan, entering into the house through the glass pane of the window walking, running and jumping at the stairs.

            “Jahan,” I called him.

            “Yes,” He smiled to look me as shocking color at me made him more attentive to me. “I had finished working at your documents. I hope that         they are complete and perfect now.”

“Okay, Al-right,” He said to me and went to the room. I stepped out to my beige colored car, and drove straight to office, that the brakes were applied in front of my office hall room, after parking my car in the garage I forwarded my steps to my office, one of my possessions only. I took a cup of coffee, as it was an end of August and September, with moistness in weather arrived. It was a windy weather, and reflected my nerves to office work that soon I realized, my sub-ordinate colleagues, sitting in the hall way area were standing outside, all males and females, enjoying the weather. The married and to be wedded couples were seen holding mugs and cups of coffee and tea with fried chips and chocolate and coffee flavored pastries. The weather fed their aesthetic emotions well and they were all seated in their seats. As I saw the porch vacant, I guess they were all inside the working dormitories with the chocolate and caramel fudges which were full time available in the canteen free of cost. I was now to announce, the next activity which was relating to the office. I posted the work for today, which can be pending on the day after tomorrow, but not after that. By the end of day, my mobile phone beeped, for the payment of the French documents I did for Jahan. I was glad to hear the message and after the mobile was all dull and black in front of my eyes I put it back in my purse and went ahead back to home with Jahan.

As I returned home, Jahan told me one more news, which was as plausible as acceptable. I admired this offer that we were heading to France for one week tour. He had some important office work there, it meant that we and the children are having a tour of one week, before schools shall begin.  I applied for holidays of seven days of one week and they were accepted at once as the documents were attached for an instantaneous tour that the same chance is hard to come again.

  Hence, it was a busy Friday, while receiving children from grandmother’s, while dropping my mother at the house of father who was staying there with her son and my brother, and then, packaging luggage and other accessories for children and me myself and hence, Jahan picked the booked tickets of all of us, and we were accompanying in the car until the airport with all the accompanied luggage. After spending one hour at the airport, we left for our homeland to France.

Hence, I saw Jahan who was relying on an office budget. I had also such an opportunity from my office, when, I had to rely only on office budget, and it is really informative to tell that, what if, we shall have a mutual collaborative time to share our views.

“Asmara,” Jahan said, the first Monday night, while we were having a street seating, where the instruments were being played, and Jahan smiled at me, while a melodious flute was being played. Sometimes, I felt I was in an orchestra and at other times, I shall feel that I was sitting in an art performing big hall. The children were sitting on the either sides of us.

“Yes, Jahan,” Asmara replied.

“I think we should go tomorrow to the zoo.” Jahan said.

“Yes, that’s great, it will be fun to be there.”

“What do you want to have some?”

“I think we should call the one who is holding the menu, as we are hungry.” Asmara said.

            “Okay… Alright.” Jahan said.

We ordered French foods and French drinks, and after fulling our appetite we left the restaurant and went ahead to sleep at a French hotel. Next day, we visited the zoo, where there were animals of different species and descent from various parts of the world. My children enjoyed the zoo and animals acting and lazily behaving in front of the spectators. In a week, Jahan was waiting for the call that when will the Manager call him and he will go, taking the documents and the next day, we shall be packing the luggage and going back to our homeland.

I was at the study table studying a prose book, with its either side folded in my left hand when I heard Jahan talking to someone at a phone call:

            “I could not receive the call until yet.” He was talking to his boss, who had sent him for an official responsibility.

            “But we can wait until Saturday as it is Wednesday today.” Then he stopped for some moment as to listen to someone else’s conversations.

            “Okay alright, we shall be back to Cairo at the instant soon, on Sunday evening.” Jahan replied after few minutes.

            “No, No, trust me, I shall be back. You would not have to face any loss.” My eyes closed in mixed emotions of worry and disappointment and I prayed for the success of Jahan and his company as it was one of the big projects he was hoping for, that may lead to the success of his company. I slid my feet in my flip flops and heard the door produced the sound of opening and a slight thump that it was closed. I stood up and looked into the glass pane of the window, and I could see Jahan, down at the green grass, sitting at a bench for all visitors with laptop in his lap and was working on it. We were Egyptians and were here in France, and I could expect that we shall have some more fun time, as the project will be accepted sooner. I looked to find the children and I saw them in the play area, swinging and playing with other children. I thought of giving him sometime to work better on the project. When I reached the living area of the restaurant, my mobile phone bell rang, and saw my mother was on call.

            “Asslam o alaikum!” I said as I was happy to have her on call.

            “Wa alaikum us salam.” My mother replied and I smiled at what she said. “How are babies and hubby?”         

            “All they are good.” I said. “Jahan is waiting for the project task to be accomplished.”

            “Are you at your own expenditure?”

            “At the expenditure of Jahan’s office.” I replied.

            “Oh, that’s great.” My mother said. “I miss children and you both.”

            “Oh, alright, we shall reach to you sooner.” I said.

Luckily, Jahan had an email with a project acceptance from the organization. He said that he would appear on Saturday, in the evening and, hence, we were having a fresh treat in the evening from Jahan. On Friday, when Jahan went out to the final accomplishment of files from a printing agency, I went out to the market area of France with children. I was with children and children felt happier in play area than at any other place. As I glanced at the shopping area, when I was with my baby children, I wished to have them with me and stepped ahead to the market. My elder daughter, named, Zukhruf, was quintessential about making dolls as dressed and beautiful faced, while my younger son named Tihami was reluctant to such girlish activities. He liked a big car and I left them in the play station and they chose the games of car racing and a big hulk who was stomping the ground and chasing each and everything he liked and his possessions, while, he was running.

            As I left children and heard some females chatting on my either side, aesthetically, my hearing sense made me attentive towards them, and while I would escape my glances from them, I overlooked them, my eyes stopped to look at a jeweler shop, where the shopkeeper was making me a guarantee that, in this shop, he was having the real gold items and pearl items. They were not fake and all true. Looking at my children as they were busy I went to the Jeweler shop and there, I saw, a pearl necklace, with large white pearls and a ring made up of pearls, preceded by a enchantingly beautiful bracelet than the necklace and tops. As I read the price, the price was readable, so it was payable as well, because, I could remember that Jahan had paid for the hard work I had done for his office. I paid through my payment card, the shopkeeper packed me the pearls and I went out holding the card made bag with me. It was ecstatic, because I like pearls and I purchased one of them. Even at wedding, my mother had gifted me a red ruby necklace until an elegant bracelet, but before, wedding, whatever I had with me to look pretty I had worn in front of Jahan, but this was the new one I shall wear now as we had an important function in our family, sooner, the birthday of my nephew.  Then, later on, I took Tihami and Zukhruf to a gift shop, we bought gifts from there and went back to the restaurant. Tihami and Zukhruf would have enjoyed the meal and refreshment, as Saturday came and we soared again back to Cairo, a city of credence in whole Egypt. I liked here, Moses escape, the news of Jesus redemption and Joseph’s tale out of prison hood, hence, I adored Cairo, for I had spent my childhood with my parents and the city, where I met Jahan and we had children, which we brought up and spent our lives together.

            “At which prophet are you stepping in Cairo?” I asked Jahan, where Zuhkhruf and Tihami were asleep. The dark of the night had dominated the whole sky and we could not see anything apart from one another.

            “I shall talk about Jacob that he will be coming to escape his son Joseph.” Jahan said and smiled, where I roared into laughter.

            “No, No, but he could not reach here.”

            “For this, I liked his blindness.” Jahan said and I liked his justification as a biggest justification of the nights and days of miseries of Prophet Joseph.

            “Okay, alright you are at last stuck to Jacob.”

            “Yes, exactly.”

            “Sure, not going to change.”

            “Exactly, not going to change it at all.” Jahan again said.

Our children shall be hearing the conversation and I shall, often hear them talking, choosing and relying their daily activities on varied prophets, for we are Muslims and we have a firm belief on all prophets.

            “Okay, alright, I am happy with this choice of yours.” I called out, stretching my arms, as if I was tired. I was sitting right along with Jahan, Zukhruf was with me, and right beside Zukhruf was Tihami.

            “What shall you choose for you, yourself?” My tiredness finished as my arms stretched back to my bag and I looked on my either sides to comfort my neck and smiled.

            “I shall choose Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to come to us and have a dinner with us.”

            “Such a good idea.” Jahan replied. He raised his brows, as if inspired by my choice. I yawned that I had to sleep. Soon, I was asleep, that the daylight let me to open my eyes. It was the effect of the last night’s conversation that the spirituality of dawned brightness strayed me that I was in a pond of lightness of beauty. It was not an enlightened light of knowledge, but, an authentic pilgrim of words that I did last night. I saw Jahan, he was eating, sandwich and juice and children were served with fries and apple punch juices. As they awoke up I gave them butter biscuits from my cloth bag and we stepped down at airport and straight to my mother’s home. At night, we returned our house and we took dinner at a Turkish restaurant in Cairo, with Turkish foods and Turkish syrups like tea and coffee. Children only relied on Turkish spaghetti.

            I was forgetting the glimpses of French prevailing, the Eiffel Tower Welcome, and silent null exchanges of communication as we were visitors. I joined my office after so many days, after reporting them about my return and seated in my office, and I saw it was a huge inbox, with a lot of paper work in them, provided with last dates. I was lucky about it that I was given, the tasks and activities of seven to ten days with a final date. Yet, seven days were left, for I left the office and I was to work at each and every task and activity. I stayed there, until 05:00 pm, as the closing hours of my office were 03:00 to 04:00 pm.

IV

 

Children were back from school and Jahan was also in home. When I stepped into the dining room, where Jahan, had a maid in his house had put evening meals for me. I changed my clothes, wore a red maxi and took my meals with Jahan and children.

            “Is everything good at office?”

            “It’s really compromising today.” Jahan said.

            “It is obvious, as I was dealing with official emails.”

            “Alright, so it will be a huge work to be done with.”

            “Yes, Jahan.” I was as tired from the daily essentials and all the works that I went straight into the bedroom and slept calmly. All we had a deep and sound sleep the whole night.

            In office, I could see a lot of the people coming here and there, for being present for the interviews and other such works. I as tired from the work after work, took a frapuccino packet and dissolved its powder into the hot water and gulped the coffee sip by sip. I saw, it was again a cloudy weather, and I could see the sky became dark than before, it was dark at 02:00 pm in Cairo at this time. The storm roared with thunders and paced fast gushes of winds with hazy whirlpools. Soon after it started drizzling. The office employers including me could hardly reach in their houses and when I came home, I could see that, Jahan’s maid was alone in the house and I saw, Zukhruf was watching Television, where, Tihami was driving his mini cars with his little palm and scrolling them to the next car and surpassing the still toy bicycles and motorbikes at the carpet.

            “Is Jahan not at home until yet?” I asked her.

            “Probably, there might be any blockage? I-I-I- mean, its heavy storm aside.” She called. I considered his justification as a mockery as I was hoping that he will return sooner.

            I took my mobile phone from my bag, where all the essentials were; including makeup and other items of official use. I rang the bell of the mobile phone and I felt that the there was no tone travelling at my auspicious mobile phone for him. There were no signals, there were no, responses, no tones, which made me worried. I again tried to dial but there was no response. The storm was still bursting like a roaring evil which will dissolve everything in it. I went into the bedrooms, there was light, but everything was dark outside. I called Arhab into my room.

            “Yes, Madame”. She said standing right near me, while I was sitting at the right side of the bed.

            “I guess, there is an internet dis-connectivity that is why he could not reach home.” I told Arhab that let the children to sleep and get back to home, as the storm will end.

            “Okay aright.” She said and went out of the room.

I did not sleep the whole night, as it had been 12:00 am. As I went out I saw, Arhab was sitting on a couch in the drawing room. At the instant, I looked out of the kitchen window, the storm has stopped roaring.

            “Arhab! It has stopped raining. You can take some rest here in the room, upstairs. Take out the blanket from the cupboard and get back tomorrow in the evening, as the weather will be better.”

            “Okay, Madame.” He went up to the stairs, and I could hear, the door opening and closing after me. Arhab was a French, as her parents came back from France, after his father intended to immigrate to a Muslim country. His father was a peasant in France and in Egypt his father was a loyal Muslim, the one who only worships God and stays there for the sake of God and his prayers. His father worked in meat shop, helped butcher in butchering. Jahan considered Arhab a good choice for his errands, like kitchen, rooms, me and children. Sometimes, I saw Jahan talking with Arhab, on weekdays, in porch while going out to his father’s house. Even that, Arhab, was given salary in the porch. She was such a noble that he would be considering anyone else.

            I saw to the clock in the bedroom, it had been 01:00 pm. When I heard, the brown car screeching its tires and standing in the porch. I ran out to look, and I saw the car was in bad condition, its back part was badly broken as if hit by a fallen log of the tree. I saw Jahan, coming out of the front seat of the car, he was looking tired and could hardly walk to the front door of the room.

            “Oh, you are late.” I asked politely, as I opened the door after he had knocked it.

            “Yes, it was a huge storm and the car’s engine was destroyed. I refilled the CNG.” Jahan replied to her, side by side, heading to the bedroom.

It was only one of the nights in my life that I had to, remove this midnight from my life, that he was in trouble, and then, out of the trouble. I looked towards him, he was sleeping silently and quietly. I had earlier received a call from the office, that all the official places and schools are closed due to heavy storm. I was sitting outside before. He was all fresh and healthy.

            “Did you take the breakfast?” Jahan asked me.

            “Yes, I have taken.” I replied to him. It was again moistness in weather and grass. “And what did you take in the breakfast?”

            “I took it, as I take it daily.” I laughed at him, probably, he annoyed that I have taken breakfast without him.

            “No, No, I do not do it again.” I replied. He looked towards my right hand, where Jahan had gifted me a diamond ring at engagement which we did in a wedding hall in Cairo. He then looked towards, the white gold ring in rhodium, gifted from me in his ring finger of the left hand. He held my right hand, and my ring finger was in between the upper part of thumb and first finger of his right hand.

            “I am grateful to you that you stayed here for me.”

            “No, no, not any issue.” I said. It was the aesthetic expression of his gratefulness and as I accepted him without his presence. Soon, my whole hand was in his hand, we hugged each other that it was the affinity for one another and devotion for one another and to one another. Melancholy, he was stuck in the storm and heretically, he was as obvious to me as a saved person of my presence.

            “And you came back to me.” I said to him.

The day went on, everywhere, the discussion on storm and its disasters. Soon, by the mid of the day, the internet got fixed, and we call back to home, the first call was done to my mother, and then to his mother. Everybody was alright and everywhere there was solace, but the Egyptian government was mourning on the disasters of the storm. There were fallen logs at the roads and many other such atrocities of the climate. Our day with Rehab spent in taking care of house against the storms. Jahan took out a packet of glistening lights from the store and spread it all at the house. We did lightening on the inside and we ignited lanterns in whole house, for the removal of atrocity in our house. It was as a sympathy to the house. The night came with a news of stoppage of the storm and we had a lavish sleep under the covers. Now, the same routine of both of us started and we took out the lights and preserved them in the store.

V

 

Again, there was a day, in the office, when I saw the emails and while rolling down the mouse button I caught sight of an email in French, which had a compelled training for fewer of the office employers, in which I was one of them. It was a training in Mesopotamia, in December, a training on Inculcating French Language in Business Management and Leadership. It was a training of five days in Mesopotamia. So the organization was in an attempt to launch a new project and this training workshop will help to distinguish this project from the earlier one. Hence, it was September, and the training workshop was after three months. As I told Jahan about the training workshop, he became sad without me.

            “Asmara,” Jahan started.

            “Its really appreciating that you are going to work as a trainer of the workshop, and you will have a log stay in Mesopotamia of 5 days. We shall wait for your return.” He said to me and I was sad than before that I shall be without babies and without him.

            “Jahan!” Asmara called out. “Take care of babies, and I said good bye to Arhab.” The only thing was that Jahan dropped me at the airport and I with my colleagues was having an aero-plane flight to Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was a big city of luxury and to have fun times with family. After staying at a restaurant, I received many messages from different members of the family, and Jahan told me that he will receive me from the Cairo airport and we shall go to my mother’s home.

            In December, I and Jahan, had nothing to do except to sleep in warm blankets and are having sound sleep. We had in the morning an activities of looking at the slide show of basics and fundamentals of business leadership. There were also examples of different kinds of businesses and then was an option of French jewels which I liked the most and is started making the designs of jewels. I took some photographs from the workshop and shared them with Jahan and sent fewer to my mother. Then, the photographer came, and the photographer took some photographs of mine and then, it was a group photo which were made. In the mid of the week, we were having a big dinner for all of the organizers. /

I saw Neferetti, one of my colleagues, who was appraised not due to her punctuality, but she had a dual degree in various courses of French, and I liked this addition. I was heading to the chicken broth and similarly she, and then, we had a face to face discourses.

“How are you?” Neferetti asked me holding spoon of chicken broth in her hand.

“I am good and how are you?” I said.

“I am great. I saw you last day.” Neferetti was in a consciously happy mood.

“Yes, exactly, it’s only business and what else.” I said.

“The priority is solely on, how to work for the company?” Nefretti argued.

“It’s absolutely important to stay alive and to stay comforting.” I said,

 “But, what if, new project of our prospects is launched.” Nefretti spoke.

“It would be more training and more chances of job retaining.” I suggested.

“Did you look at the last book of French at the literary club website.”  Nefretti said.

“Yes, I saw, it would surely be in the library.”

“At the start is a por femme picturesque, which is as, desultory, as one of the contexts of the book.” Nefretti was in an argument and I looked to her, who was one of the closest to hug my post, if I would be staggering on the managing post, rather, I shall look for some new opportunities and shall cling to my aspects of being an extraordinary manager at my seat, but, in this non-native city, I had a good partner with me and she looked grateful, rather than, being competitive to me today. I had an odd some out feelings to see Nefretti, as I had a lot of frequent estranged feelings about each and every one in the workshop, as their brains seemed thrust into the topic for pondering on, focusing at and discussing.

We were all as frequent learners as would be the many at that time from other cities of Egypt. Hence, it was a flight to return to Mesopotamia, along with daily calls, and daily conversations with my mother and with family, and, now I knew that as I shall return from this training, which will be a catharsis for me, as I was hollow with a new knowledge and the previous knowledge was evacuated. The lesser knowledge had dominated the more knowledge. But I know that this aesthetic feeling will be lost within a day, as I shall join my office, with a lot of icons opening and viewing the files, as well as, working on them. The whole office team had left Mesopotamia for Cairo. It was again a flight to Cairo, where, I thought that I shall be meeting my babies, my parents and Jahan as well. Soon, I heard the wheels of an aero-plane rolling at the road and an aero-plane was soon exposed to everyone and I was, no sooner, with Jahan, who came to receive me.

“Zukhruf and Tihami are very anxious to meet you” Jahan took my hand in his hands. I smiled with gratitude at his affection and the name of those whom I love and he loves, and their grandparents adore.

“What did they do all the time without me?” I said in excitement.

“I could tell that Zukhruf’s doll was her only companion during these days and Tihami’s I witnessed that he was playing piano and none else.” I roared into laughter as Jahan finished his conversation.

“Alright, I thought that he will have forgot his toy and shall have start playing at the new one.”

“And we have made plans that we shall come at the engagement party of your nephew, we all and whole family.” I was happy to listen from Jahan that his whole family was coming to meet us on the birthday celebration of his nephew.

“And how was Cairo like?”

“Cairo was excellent. It was a workshop training all about business management and I would call that it was a business culinary.”

“Oh, I would not take that knife and spoon which cannot remove the hunger.” This time, I and Jahan both laughed loudly that the driver who was partially and frantically involved in our conversation also laughed.

“Anyhow it was good, and it was helping in future ahead.”

“Great and alright.”

This taxi was mobile on road and we had soon reached near the house, where, we held our luggage and we went into the house to meet Zukhruf and Tihami. It was all dark, whence, I saw Zukhruf and Tihami were fast asleep.

VI

 

In office, many people came to my office for meetings and conversations. They greeted me well for my training workshop and praised for my addition in one of my workshops. As the office became vacant, I thought about Zukhruf, who had put her doll in her bag before going to the office, and I remembered Jahan also helped her, held her bag and went out to the school bus, whereas Tihami also followed holding his bag after his father to the school bus. Jahan caressed him, and I was looking out of the window, when I saw Jahan returning.

I stepped forward to my office and I hoped for Jahan that he would be in his office. I thought about my nephew’s birthday party and I saw that my nephew was growing, as May he be saved from evil eyes and me and my family as well. I recited the prayer of an evil eye by heart and went ahead to my work. We had already purchased their gifts. In the evening we had plans to join the birthday party and have fun with my father.

Zukhruf and Tihami were as ready for the birthday party as the sun and moon were glistening at one another. The glitter of the sun is showering at the glitter of moon. They were all dressed in shining gold and silver colored costumes, with Tihami in grey pants and Zukhruf was glistening in golden colored pajamas. I had worn red maxi and Jahan was in red shirt and his family was also accompanying him in no later than as we shall have reached at the birthday party.

My mother met me and saw towards my neck where she saw pearl necklace and two pearls stuck on my either two ears with a pearl in the ring and a similarly white pearled bracelet around her wrist.

“From where did you purchase it? It’s so cool and nice.” My mother asked.

“Oh, I purchased it from France on my own.” I told her.

“Oh great. Come on,” My mother said and we were soon around the table with cake.
            “Happy Birthday.” No more than sooner, there were a huge claps for the baby nephew from all of us and we stayed there for one night. The parents of Jahan were gone back sooner in the night. It was a weekend ahead.

I with children went back to Jahan’s house and there in the evening, as I was to go to office, the next morning. It was a good weather, when I remembered Jahan in office, we had a horse-riding test in the mid of our course, and I and Jahan decided to go by horses a few days before the test so that we could solve it properly while taking training and guessing the slight leaps and steps of the horse. Jahan offered me a coffee, and both of we turned the faces of the horses to the Coffee café which was considered the most famous in the city, where all the gatherers shall come and taste the coffee from different areas coming to take coffee. As we reached near the café, it was crowded with decent educated people, that we could hardly find a seat to get some coffee. I was with Jahan at the coffee table, that we were taking the coffee at the table. It was the first time, that he recognized my choice of a frapuccino, and taking coffee. When the server presented it, it was as displayed and presentable, as creamy was almost about to pour out if it. Jahan also ordered the cream pouring and filling out of this cup of coffee.

            I had a shoulder back, out of which I took out pocket book and told Jahan that I have written a new poem about rainy weather.

            “Oh that’s really activated, that you have written something new.” Jahan appreciated me. “Okay, now tell me what it is all about?” Jahan continued.

            “Yeah sure.” I said.

             In the glimpses of those stances

             Where my emotions for sure bounces

             Those rain waters draining in an ice cream shop

             I take an ice cream with a mild hop

            Tenderness is as swift as tender is an ice cream

            As I finished I realized it was not a dream

            That as the rain drops pour

            The more engaged I am as Bonjour

             To the friend who is as close to me

             As close is enchantment between me and thee

            He smiled as I finished it. I lifted up my gazes from the travel notebook and looked towards his moderate face with no expressions at them. My giggle made him attentive towards me, my giggle was a spontaneous jerk to his drenched emotions of an impressive assault of mine at his tenderness. He roared into laughter and, soon we were, holding the reins of the black horses, as both of our shoulders were touching the mouths of our black horses, and we were not physically close to each other, instead we were emotionally adored for each other.

            “Listen, what is up to you?” Jahan said to me.

            “I have to start my Masters in French and a philosophy in French.” I told him.

            “So after, leaving this horse’s training, we shall meet after two years.” Jahan said.

            “It’s obvious.” I replied to him.

“It’s a promise, I can live with you for two years.” Jahan said while caressing his horse. “I also have intentions to start my Masters after this horse’s training.” Then he made attentive towards him.

“Oh great. There are good courses in universities these days. What are your intentions that what do you want to find here?” I asked him.

“French is absolutely a good subject. But I have intentions for business administration. I want to set up my own business after some training.”

“Alright, it’s obvious.”

“So I shall see you sooner as a business proposal.” He roared into laughter and then he looked towards me.

“Let me propose you, first.”

I got shocked and as I looked towards him, he was looking towards me in the same way.

“Alright.” I said.

“Let’s get married to one another, than.”

The horses were constantly and slowing patrolling as we have held the reins of the horses and we, both were also stepping slightly and slowly.

“How did you came across this horse riding that we met one another?” I asked him suspiciously.

“Taking into consideration, it’s a suspicion.” I can guess.

“No, no, not at all.” I replied, that he will get to know me, that I was sincere with him in asking him.

“Actually, I just got rid of my undergraduate classes, and I hope same will be with you.”

“Yeah, absolutely.” I replied that my left shoulder touched his right shoulder that he again smiled back at me.

“And then, we were so pertinent about ne another that we started this horse’s training.”

“Yes absolutely.” I looked towards him and I saw him very fondly for the first time. He was a man, a human, in uniqueness in front of me. He had long eyelashes with big eyes.

“We met as we were destined to be, one of the Graces of God, out of the whole closures of humans.”

“Nobody is like you here who got his own, in front of the horses.”

“So I have won a big war.”

“No, I am not type of Cleopatra.”

“Alright. So, we shall meet together, after two years.”

“Sure.” He had shaked hand with me.          

Hence, I met him before my philosophical studies and then, we got married and we had children. After marriage, I stayed all the time with him at his house. Now the time had come, when I had a good collection of EGP in my bank account. So, I thought of purchasing a new house for me. So, I can show Jahan that as he was devoted to me, so I was devoted to him. I also thought of gifting this house to Tihami from Jahan at his wedding and one I shall give to Zukhruf at the weddings of both of them. It was apprehensible for me that I was to purchase a new one. I went to my mother’s house, met her, and I took a cup of tea with evening snacks there. I went, after taking my car from my mother’s house and went ahead to find some new accommodations. I drove through the city and found a house, where there were all the accessories and facilities of life available. I purchased my house which was as expensive, that all my savings were finished. I had purchased this house, out of the center of the city in some way. I did not have intentions to tell this to Jahan as I was comfortable with him in his house. He himself was there with children and we shall go on weekend to the children’s grandparents.

Tihami and Zukhruf shall be happy to see me as I went inside Jahan’s house. He was looking quieter than before. I gazed him considerately, he was as still, without knowing that I had entered the house.

“Asmara,” He called me while I was in washroom, while following me through the hallway into the bedroom, when he saw me coming into the room.

“Yes, Jahan.” I replied to him curtly. “Can you wait for a second, as I am washing my face.” He peeped into an inch opened door of the bathroom, from which he could see the yellow lights almost going to burst out of the bathroom into the bedroom. I slightly opened the door and I saw Jahan standing in front of the dressing table, with his back visible in the mirror and he was looking towards me.

“I need to know that what are you doing in these days?” Jahan asked me.

“In these days, I am as lethargic as I am pensive about something. Something which I do not know.” I said and sat at the bed with both legs touching the floor.

“Not any issue. Stay relaxed. I mean you need to change the mood. You must be choosy about spacious environment. You must have a friendship with the pet. We shall purchase one.” In no instant, we all were out with Jahan for purchasing a pet. She was Zukhruf, who bought a kitten from a cat shop. She had held it softly at the either of her right arm.

“We shall grow it up.” Tihami said and I was as busy in removing melancholy as interesting was the pet. I drank a glass of water, in the thought to purify my inner self. As it was weekend, Arhab always demanded a holiday on Sundays, and, Jahan would gleefully give him a holiday on Sundays. At dinner, we were sometimes be out in either anyone of the family halls or both of we were in kitchen in boiling chicken, potatoes and boiled eggs, then we spread it over the toast and we ate and served the children with fries.   

 It was such a delicious dinner, that we enjoyed the taste of black pepper in them. Children devoured the ketchup and green chili sauce with sandwiches; the most. Zukhruf and Tihami shall daily be throwing carrots in front of little rabbit, and it would daily pick it up with its little paws, and started to churn it up. We all then, went to bed to sleep, that in the mid of the night, what I saw was a neutral dream. It was neither seem to me any nightmare and nor any one of the fair dreams. I saw a lot of the black sparrows were sitting on the wall and on the trees, there were black sparrows, with pearls in each and every sparrow’s beaks. There was hollowness in the space, and every place seems barren.

When I opened my eyes, the dream was an attempt to make me more barren than before. I was worried that what this sparrow and pearl meant, that suddenly, the mere idea of the pearl necklace came to my mind and I went back to my mother’s house in the next day. When I reached there, I asked for my pearl necklace from my mother, what made me satisfied that it’s still saved. Upon asking, I told her the whole dream, and she let me to take some rest from your routine life, which will pacify you. I recited some purified verses from the Holy Quran, which made me more calm and relaxed.

I met a dream interpreter in the evening and we had a long conversation with black coffee in his office.

“Dreams have a strong connection with our lives. Mostly, what happens that whatever we think about in our life, what we want to achieve, comes in the form of failure or success in our dreams and it depends that how much hard work we might do for becoming successful.” I was listening to the dream interpreter quiet calmly and passively.

“Alright, what are the dreams about? I can call it, that, I am in an ecstasy, in a mansion, where I am positive.”

“This abstract mansion, is a curiosity, which needs to be maneuvered.”

“So, it needs to be tactful.”

“To somewhat.”

“You want to say, that I am week in looking at dreams”

 “No, not at all. Your dreams are your possessions. You might be strong in them.”

“Okay, thanks.” I lifted my pink handbag at my left shoulder and went ahead to Jahan.

He was quiet in himself, and it was a big complain, he did with me. He said that I am not having a strong mood.

            “I am quiver about the estranged dreams.”

            “If they are foggy, let them to remain foggy.”

Jahan was right about it, that I should not think about the dream, I saw a few days ago. I kept my pace in my daily tasks of office, and, as well as, in the company of friends and family.

VII

 

I was sitting on a couch, my legs elongated at another couch besides mine one, by the side of the window, where I use to sit in Jahan’s house. The marbles in the house of Jahan were as obligatory as were he to himself. I saw Zukhruf outside the window in the lawn, playing with her plastic doll, which had golden hair. She was combing the hair, and Tihami was playing basketball with Jahan, as I thought that he was trying to make his attempt of career building on one hand, and physical activity of doing exercises, on the other hand.

            I saw a sparrow sitting nearby the window. I saw it, pricking the glass window with its beak. I abruptly, got up from the couch and put some rice grains and poured them in front of the little sparrow. In no minutes, the sparrow started chewing them and swallowed them in its throat. In the similar instant, I thought of a black sparrow who had the biggest pearl in its beak. Jahan was as predictor, as he could come to be seen at any time. The sparrow flew back into the skies, whence, Arhab entered the house on Saturday, with her mop and broom, she used in all the houses she wanted to go and would be earning.

            Zukhruf had one more fantasy in the lawn, and it was that rabbit which we purchased from an animal shop and we played with them. I was sitting, when I heard of a call at my mobile phone sitting nearby at the table. I saw that she was Nefretti.

            “Good noon, Miss Asmara.”

            “Good Noon, Nefretti,” I replied to Nefretti.

            “The chances are a little bit hard, but tomorrow we need to join a conference in an office, which is about the French Specifications of language.”

            “Alright,” I replied.

            “An, an, and….”

            “What are the timings?” I cut Nefretti’s words.

            “It’s at 2:00 pm to 04:00 pm.” I replied. “It’s really tiring, but, still I shall try to come.” I continued.

            “I also had something else to say, that please see you sooner on tomorrow.” Nefretti said to both of them.

            It was really shocking for Jahan that I was talking to join Jahan in office on Sundays.

            “It’s really un-occasional”                                                                          

            “Yes exactly.” I said. “What can be done than?”

On Sunday I was in a conference, and returned at 05:00 pm, straight to my mother’s home. It will be one of the luckiest days of my life, when I had two opportunities. Once, I got an opportunity that Jahan had started his business, and he wanted to work for his project and the second opportunity I got was that this company is asking for a new project in which, I was to launch it and to continue it for company at an international level.

What I thought was accompany my company, as compared to Jahan, that I shall join him in weekdays and in the evening, but still, I showed my consent to him. He was happy for that. He considered me gregarious and we were again together with one another.

“My assumptions are to tell you that I have something for you.” Jahan said to me.

“What is it?” I asked him.

“It is that you will only work at finding out some solutions of problem occurring in the company.”

“Oh that’s suitable.” I replied sipping a cup of tea, and then smiled, that my teeth almost glistened in front of him.

“Alright,” he also took out a brown envelope, in which there were some important documents and took them in his bag.

“Later on, I shall put a book, and a pencil with me, so that I can do necessary tasks of business.” Asmara said.

“We shall have a good tour to Morocco.” Jahan said to me.

“O, great.” My smile was a mediocre gaze for him, because I was to give a big smile, as when we shall have reached Morocco.

“Oka alright. You are happy. I suppose that you will give a new suggestion.”

“It’s good, a new information for children to rely on their history and geography class.” I said to him. “Morocco is a Muslim fantasy.” I continued.

“Do you know that scientists have ventured Mars?”

“Yeah, I often read it in various space science fiction magazines?” I told her about my studies and readings.

“Hmm, you have great interest.” Jahan said.

“Yes, we can find many magazines and journals like the same in my company in the library, we can find them, read them and be informed.”

 “Hmmm, I am concerning in these days at computerized paper words,” He put his head back on the pillow while talking. “And then we are looking for newspapers.” Jahan completed his words.

“Alright, so newspaper is the sole entertainment for you.” I asked.

“Yes, exactly.” Jahan replied. I was taking coffee sip by sip and he took side at his left shoulder, and closed his eyes. “I was assuming that if we could become a good business persons.” He continued again and I roared into laughter.

“Such big dreams look to me as one of your childhood possessions are still lingering on with you.” I commented at his assumptions.

“I feel disgraced, if I do not keep such treasure with me.” Jahan replied as I heard his drowsy voice, almost stopped. I looked towards him, he seemed asleep and I went ahead of him to the refrigerator. The children were at their grandmother’s house and I was with Jahan, who was deeply asleep. There were grapes in my lap, enclosed in a basket. The red grapes were always my adoration, to eat, suck its juice and digest them. Again, there was a new memory when I met Jahan after wedding, for the first time, he was nervous, but with the passage of time, he was right, a fixed posture, that he was fine and adorable with me.

Once, it was heavy rains, the rains of the skies, which poured like stones, at people, because in those days, Cairo was affected due to an earthquake, and hardly, anything could be saved. It was the cause of those days, when I and Jahan had only Zukhruf with us, but Tihami was not born yet. This earthquake was vanished, like as if, a sorcerer had cast a spell at the people, and there was no earthquake, but, in this realistic world, this natural calamity was deficient.

“What shall we do, if earthquake came again?” I said to him.

“We intend to shift at some other place.” Jahan said.

“Alright, it’s good.” I said.

In the meanwhile, Zukhruf started to cry, as if she was needing the milk powder. I stood up from the bed and made some milk, we had only one room for accommodation, as Jahan looked toward me as I was going to the side rack for making milk. In no while, he purchased a house for the whole family. We, both were happy as the little baby was smiling in my lap.

            In a memory, I had finished the bucket of grapes. I distracted toward Jahan, when I heard him harshly coughing. I startled, as my face color flushed red and I tried to run out of the house in the courtyard. I could hear that Jahan was coughing day by day, as his health was worsening with the passage of time. I could see that Zukhruf and Tihami both were busy in their regular activities, but despite of Jahan’s bad health, I until yet kept on my official works, that one day, I heard that Jahan had a lung cancer.

            “What happened? Why this happened to you?” I asked him, as he looked towards my face, where my face were showing expressions of worry and sadness.

            “I had been taking drugs, for many days, as you did not know. I am sorry for that.” Jahan told me.

            “What?” I almost screamed and started to yell in front of him.

            “Why are you shouting?” He asked me. I put my both hands at my face and there were tears after tears.

            “Death is going to seize me. It’s not so far.” He almost cried.

The night fell and it was all night. Jahan was quietly asleep. I had two little babies, and I presumed that what will happen after Jahan. Hence, one day came, when no one could heal his disease, and by the will of Allah, the only one of mine was gone to Allah. I had so little heart, that I did not decide to live in Cairo and shifted to Greece with my two children.

            In no days, I received a call, and he was my cousin, whose name was Akhenaten, what he said to me was that he was coming to meet me in Greece with his family. We had a good time there, we had fun, we roamed, my children played at malls and I could remember, that after he passed away, I was alone without him, and so I decided to get along with them to Cairo, back there, where we could spend some more days if the good luck prevails for our longer lives.

            As I got back home, where I lived with Jahan, the tears fell down my eyes. He was so sick that his side cheeks were touching his jaws. I again had a call from Akhanetan that they have come to meet him at his house. When I reached with Zukhruf and Tihami, they were in house.

“Ridiculous.” I scorned at Akhanetan.

“I-I-I am not telling a lie. Okay, I won’t speak it in court.” Akhanetan was speaking. “It’s true, it was happened we both were trying to snatch the gun from him, but its trigger was pushed by the person who was standing beside me.”

“Alright, but you will speak only, that you were not present there at that time.” I told him curtly.

“Okay. Perfect.” Akhanetan said.

“And one thing more, our parents have talked about our marriage.” I told him, after kneeling at him, until his forehead, who was sitting in a couch, in response, of what he giggled only.

“No, no, I do not want to make you worried, to start a new travel history, a new travel scheme, but I shall not bother you, but I shall say only that I was not present there.” It was my attempt to make him, and hence he was convinced. “I shall bring you a diamond necklace.”

“Is it really be the diamond necklace.”

“It can be.”

“How much carats would it be?” I asked him mockingly.

“It would be as much costly are you!”

“Okay, Alright. Leave it. You seem nervous, about the case you have received.” He looked towards my curly hairs. “Stay relaxed and think about something else, and then, move ahead on tomorrow for your next trial. It’s conviction.”

“Hmmm.” He only mumbled in response. I dragged my body and threw it on the couch. He smiled to look at me.

“What is in dinner today?” He asked me.

“In dinner, today is fish curry, but I am not taking it, as I feel I won’t need it.”

“Why?”

“I do not want to eat.”

“Why?”

“Because, I like fried fish and today fish curry is cooked for your, while, I am ordering for KFC hotshots at night.” I told him.

“So I shall be at table, and take yours in the room.” He giggled. “And what are children relying at?”

“They are in their home. Arhab cooks for them.” I told him and closed my eyes, as once, Jahan did in front of me.

“Okay, tell me how did Jahan die?” Akhanetan asked me, and there was a normal scowl at my forehead at his question, as I was astonished,

“It was alcohol.” I saw towards the roof. “Once, haphazardly, the cupboard was opened by me, to find some register, where I could write for an office work. The bottle was fallen, spilled and broken. I thought that he was taking it too much in those days, There were cigarettes and smoke eliminating white fumes, all around him. The cigarettes made him a patient of lung cancer, and one day, he dozed it too much, that he died.”

            “But you himself chose him for you.”

            “Yeah, but if I knew, that he would be addicted to it, I won’t choose him for me. It’s only a menace. Once who is drooped into it could hardly be saved.”

            “Even, I shall take it today, to forget tomorrow’s conviction.” As he finished, I slightly lifted myself up, as my inner senses shivered at his strange desire for today. I went upstairs into my room and ordered for hotshots. I drifted myself near the window, and peeped to look out. There was dark all around, but only light poles could guide people of Cairo to find their path on the road. In the mid of the night, I went into the guest room, as I peeped into, it was all dark, only a zero bulb was glistening, where I could have a blur vision of Akhanetan, sleeping. I left him as it is, thinking that he would be worried about tomorrow’s trial. I knew I had spent the days with Jahan and my next option, my mother suggested was Akhanetan, in case, if he would be saved from the court proceedings. He always told me I did never do this. It was decided tomorrow that he was guiltless and we were happy that our family had won the case.

            “I am bewildered that I am getting you back here with me.” We went to drop him at his house, as Zukhruf and Tihami were also with me. We stayed at their house for some moments and then, we were back to our house. In these days, I was with children at Jahan’s house, and Arhab was with me over there. In no days, Akhanetan again received me with children and we were gone back to our grandmother and grandfather’s house.

            A few days later, I heard Akhanetan, panting and sweating, as I turned besides the pillar, he was hiding behind this pillar.

            “Hey what happened? Is everything alright?”

            “No –No-No--- I feel that someone is following me.”

            “Oh alright. Be cool. Stay relaxed. No one is following you here. You are in house.” I said to him.

            “Listen, he looked towards me. I like you, but I am trapped in a serious case. I am going to flee abroad Egypt. If I stayed here, and shall be escaped, than I shall return. But if I am not returned. I shall have died. But in case, if I shall be saved, than I shall marry you. Everybody shall care for you. Good bye.” As Akhanetan said, the words fell like bombshell at me.

            “It was the credence of those words that I was to wait for me. The life was as barren as sparrows of dream where each pearl is confiscated in the beaks of a disappointed sparrow. But my heart was so week in identifying whether whom should I wait. The days spent by, but he could never come. The menaces have taken me to live my life alone with Zukhruf and Tihami. My heart was like the sparrow sitting at the highest branch whose pearl was in its beak, but it was of no use, as no one could access it.   

 

           

 

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 05.11.2023

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Dedicated to my family