True. True. And true. But. I am older than you, but not old enough to marry someone your age....
COVER STORY
“I’ve decided which filter to use when I photograph your weepy face on your wedding day,” Ray said, sticking his head into Hina’s room.
“Great,” Hina said. “Now just decide the venue, the guest list, and who I should marry, then we’re all set.”
“No, really,” he said, slipping into the room and settling at the foot of the bed. “You should have figured out all this important stuff beforehand, so that everything could be ready, like a fishing net, and we would just have to scoop the net into the sea - and out comes Mr. Hina.”
“You’re so responsible,” she said. “The ideal elder brother.”
“What if I told you your time is near?” Ray leaned to one side and looked at his sister closely.
“You earn a salary. You have your own car. You’re older than me. You should get married first,” Hina said.
“True. True. And true. But. I am older than you, but not old enough to marry someone your age.”
“What do you mean by that?” For the first time in the conversation, Hina looked into Ray’s eyes. “You like my friend Amani?” she said.
At this, Ray burst out laughing. “I thought you told me she was getting married in the winter?”
“No, that’s Gohar. Amani’s getting married next year.”
“Oh-em-gee, like, she’s been engaged four years already,” Ray said.
“How do you know that?” Hina’s eyes widened.
“Word gets around. Someone I know knows someone on her Snapchat. Don’t make a social post about going out for ice cream with your fiance if you don’t want the world to know, I always say.”
“Ray’s wisdom of the day,” Hina said.
“Hey. Don’t give me that. I was named Rayyan before it was cool.” Ray pushed up his sleeve and flexed his biceps.
“You only say that about five hundred times a day.” Hina crossed her arms and leaned back.
“It’s true. I don’t know why I waste my time with you. None of my friends have any communication with their younger sisters. And here I am, following up on your Facebook friends list and taking you for midnight ice cream runs. My point is that all the Rayyans are barely teenagers at present. Whereas I, Rayyan I, the original-”
“Goes by ‘Ray’ because it’s cooler,” Hina said. “Don’t worry. So will all the other boys named Rayyan, once they catch on.”
“Once they’re off their training wheels, more like.”
“Whatever. What did you come to annoy me for?” Hina fiddled with her fingernails.
“Oh, nothing. Just that Ammi and Abbu, our dear parents, have decided who you’re going to marry.”
“Let me guess. A doctor or engineer in the prime of youth and earning capacity.”
“No. Sorry to break it to you like this, but he’s an architect.”
Hina stared at Ray. “You can’t be serious.”
“What gave me away? Your tone shows that you half-believe me, and the other half is hanging on to disbelief by a slim thread.”
“This isn’t funny.” Hina stood up and put her hands on her hips. Ray stood up and looked at her carefully.
“I shouldn’t have told you so suddenly. Even Ammi isn’t going to tell you until the guy’s mother shows up with the ring. But I thought I should tell you. You’re getting engaged on Eid.”
***
“You have got to be joking,” Hina said the next time she got hold of Ray. He was in the middle of a gaming session and quite intensely focused.
“Go ahead. Ask Ammi. See how much she makes you laugh,” Ray said, blasting an alien cartoon into smithereens with his videogame character’s laser gun on screen.
“Yeah, right. Like she will tell me anything.” Hina sniffed.
“Try Abbu, then.”
“Like he ever gets out from behind his newspaper,” Hina said.
“You have the easy route of just believing what I told you, you know,” Ray said.
“I have no reason to,” Hina said.
Ray paused the game, put down the controller and met Hina’s gaze. “What can I do to make you believe me?”
“Get me a picture,” Hina said. “Evidence.”
“And how would you know that it wasn’t a random picture of some fellow on the street?” Ray raised his eyebrows.
“Because proposal pictures are never of the guy standing in the street.” Hina pursed her lips.
“Don’t mess around with me. I’m about to beat this level,” Ray said, reaching out for the controller.
“I’ll unplug the console if you don’t do what I say,” Hina said, taking a step in the direction of the power supply.
“What are you, four years old?” Ray grimaced.
“Upon your honour, you will get me a picture,” Hina said, raising a hand warningly.
“Or...?” Ray pulled another face at her.
“Or this,” Hina said, pressing a button on the videogame console before Ray could react. The game CD slid out. Hina grabbed it and held it behind her back.
“I was right.” Ray shook his head at her. “You are four years old.”
To be continued...
