● R I Y A ●
"You look like a princess."
Aunty moved the money in her hands above my head a couple of times and said.
"Thank you."
"May Allah keep you the evil eye away."
Aunty talked to me for a bit more and then excused herself.
I was all dressed up for my Walimah, the silver dress and white gold jewellery making me look like a queen of some empire and I would have loved to look like that only if the king was someone else.
I was setting the necklace when Hanbal entered the room, a bit astonished to see me. I couldn't ask him why.
"You look so fine." He examined me from head to toe, and uttered. "I am not regretting my decision of marrying you at all unless and until you faint yourself like the other night to gain my family's sympathy."
"Excuse me?" My eyes rounded at his dumb statement. "You know what just forget it. Why should I give explanations to a wall anyways." I mumbled the last sentence to myself but the way he gave me a are-you-serious look, I think he did hear that.
***
When we reached home after the grand ceremony of Walima, we sat down for a bit in the lounge with all the guests that were staying at Hanbal's space.
A little girl, Fariha, probably eight years old came up to me.
"Aunty."
I didn't pay much attention to her for i thought she was calling someone else.
"Tumhe bulla rahi ha." Hambal who was sitting next to me, whispered.
Who? I looked around and found Fariha looking at me.
"Gee."
"My friends liked you cause you looked pretty, Aunty."
"Oh." So I was the one with the title of Aunty here. "Thank you."
My mother-in-law gave out an embarrassed chuckle. "Fariha she is not an Aunty."
"But mama said, I have to call all the married ladies Aunty." Fariha replied ever so innocently.
"She is right. But Riya is very young. Call her Api ok?"
She nodded.
"Good girl." She tapped her head.
"Will you give me this frock? Elsa wore the same colour."
I looked down, she was pointing at my Walima dress. "Sure. You can have it when you grow up."
"Thank you." She shied away from me and slowly nodded, going back to her friends that were now happily squeaking as she approached them.
Her friends started to listen to her attentively as Fariha started to give them details of our little chitchat.
Kids and their fantasies of becoming a princess or prince.
