The memory of the phone photo needed some brushing up to make it suitable for her daydream about the picnic....
COVER STORY
Hina sat at her study table and looked out the window, dreaming of a pleasant, sunny day with fluffy clouds, a lavish spread of picnic food and Sameer, just Sameer, smiling and attentive. She had only seen a photo of him on Ray’s phone. Until she met him at the picnic, she would have no idea what he looked like in person. The memory of the phone photo needed some brushing up to make it suitable for her daydream about the picnic. She improved it until it was acceptable, then she sat gazing into a picture in her mind.
It wasn’t long after that she remembered she was due to meet Amani and Gohar at the ice cream parlour. She got up to get ready to walk to their neighbourhood meeting place. She had to close up her mind’s picture of Sameer and shake herself awake from the daydream before she was ready to leave.
“Here you are at last,” Amani said as Hina entered the ice cream parlour and walked towards their regular table. Gohar welcomed her by gesturing for her to sit in her regular seat. “We got the special,” she said.
“Just like always,” Hina said with a smile.
“Someone’s in a good mood today,” Amani said.
“You’re right, I am,” Hina said. “I’m busy planning what the picnic will be like.”
“Isn’t Sameer’s family hosting the picnic?” Gohar asked. “If you’re just going as a guest, then you don’t need to plan anything. Unless you’re talking about...” She grinned.
“I’m not responsible for whatever you’re grinning about,” Hina said immediately.
Gohar grinned even more widely. “You know what I mean. You’re planning what your meeting with Sameer will be like, aren’t you?”
“She’s blushing,” Amani said at once.
“I am not,” Hina said. “I’m just looking forward to seeing him,” she said.
“Now you’re definitely blushing,” Gohar said. Hina, who could feel her face reddening, chose to ignore this comment.
“What are you going to do when you meet him?” Amani asked.
Hina shrugged. “Just hang around and talk, I guess,” she said. “Eat picnic food. Enjoy some fresh air. That kind of stuff.”
“Really, I wish your family did things differently,” Amani said. “You’re not going to be able to go on a proper one-on-one date, so that limits how well you can get to know him.”
“Don’t say that,” Gohar said, leaning back from the table as their waiter brought a banana split piled high with ice cream. “Having other people around while you meet doesn’t matter, as long as they give you some space.”
“I just want to meet him,” Hina said simply, picking up a spoon.
“You’re right, you need to see who he is,” Amani said, digging into the ice cream. “I keep forgetting how far behind you are in all this; you have a lot of catching up to do. Then you can get started on the fun stuff, or whatever version of it your family has.”
“She’s already starting the fun stuff,” Gohar said, going for the nuts in the ice cream. “The picnic is going to be fun, isn’t it, Hina?” she asked.
Hina smiled and raised her spoon. She said, “I’m planning on having fun at the picnic.”
“Hopefully, and you also get to see Sameer,” Amani said. The three girls laughed.
*******
“This is what you will wear,” Ammi said. She pulled out a dress from the back of Hina’s closet to show to her. Then Ammi went to Hina’s vanity and opened her jewellery box. She took out a few pieces of jewellery and placed them on the top of the vanity. “These are the bangles and rings and so on that you will wear,” she said, “including your engagement ring.” Ammi concluded by sitting Hina down and leading her through her instructions one more time. “Remember, an engagement is a delicate thing. You must be proper. You must be polite. You must not speak unnecessarily; in fact, it is better not to speak unless spoken to. Don’t forget this.” Hina nodded silently.
Later, Hina snuck into Ray’s room and sat around watching his TV, waiting for him to come. When he finally entered, Hina greeted him with, “You kept me waiting!”
“I’m ready to hear it,” Ray said, slipping into a chair.
“Hear what?” Hina asked.
“Hear whatever is going on inside that head of yours,” Ray said.
“You’ll hear it for sure,” Hina said. “Why else have I been waiting around here for? Anyway. Ammi doesn’t trust my fashion sense for the picnic. She laid out everything she wants me to wear to the picnic. Does she think I have no sense of style myself?”
“She’s just setting things up her way,” Ray said. “Pay her no mind for it.”
“Easy for you to say, but this is my first meeting with my fiancé,” Hina said. “I want to look the way I want to look.”
“You have a dress all picked out that you wanted to wear instead?” Ray asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Well, no, but that’s besides the point,” Hina said. “I wanted to choose what I liked, but Ammi didn’t even give me room to breathe and just announced her choices one after the other.”
“Come on, Hina,” Ray said. “You know Ammi.”
“I wish I didn’t,” Hina said. “Sometimes I wish she would surprise me.”
Ray laughed. “Hasn’t she already, with this engagement?” he asked.
“Not that kind of surprise,” Hina said. “I wish she would surprise me by doing things differently.”
“She does do things differently,” Ray said. “For one thing, I need to tell you not to get too excited about this picnic. She has set up me to be the main person in charge of socializing with Sameer throughout the picnic. I don’t think she’s too keen to let you near Sameer, for fear that you’ll threaten the security of the engagement.”
Hina rose in her seat. “The security of the engagement, the delicate engagement, that’s all she cares about!” she said. “I haven’t even gotten to begin to participate in this engagement in any meaningful way and Ammi has already set up high security guards to keep me out of it.” She stood up. “Now, hear me out,” she said.
“No matter how much Ammi puts me on security guard duty, I’m your brother first, remember?” Ray said. “I’ll hear you out.”
“Good,” Hina said, “because you as Ammi’s security guard on duty for Sameer, means that you are the person who is going to let me through to him.”
To be continued...
