The Other Side Of An Unbroken Mirror

A Flickering Heart

“Sometimes your most treasured gift is hidden in the wary eyes of a lost friend.” Umm Naml

Chapter 4

It was a cold but beautiful Monday morning - the weather resulting from the heavy rain fall of the previous night. Ameerah stood before the full-length mirror in her room, getting ready for her craft session at KFA.

Being her first day since returning from Rahmah's wedding, she found herself nervous at the news of a new CEO. Despite her colleague's excited chatter about how cute and self-assured Khalid's son was, Ameerah couldn't help but feel the loss of a great leader; Mr Khalid was her secret mentor. She wondered if he was okay. Giving his passion and dedication to his foundation, it was strange that, all of a sudden, he was handing over management.

Intisaar’s persistent question brought Ameerah back from her troubled thoughts and her mouth broadened in a smile; there was no escaping her friend when her nose pricked.

“How do you intend to catch the attention of Khalid Foundation's inheritor when you are wrapped up in that thing that shows only your eyes?” Intisaar asked, making a circular motion with her hand to indicate Ameerah’s niqab, "I hear he is still single." she winked. She shot Ameerah dagger looks when she was pointedly ignored.

"I am not in the market for seducing men, Intisaar. I am a Muslimah." Ameerah stressed calmly in measured tone as she busied herself with making sure her craft tools, materials and sample projects were intact.

Intisaar said dreamily, ignoring Ameerah, "I bet the whole of Khalid Foundation is exploding right now with everyone trying hard to get the new CEO's attention but my bet is," she tapped her nose thoughtfully with a fore-finger, eyes squinted "if he is anything remotely like his father, he will be looking for someone like you; reserved, chaste and beautiful."

She looked back at Ameerah and groaned in resignation, throwing both hands in the air, "Not that he will know what you look like though. What a pity." She pursed her lips, then considered Ameerah with a look of admiration, her chin propped on both hands as she laid sprawled across the bed, eyes dreamy with Allah-knew-what.

Ameerah chuckled softly.

It hadn't even been thirty minutes since Intisaar arrived from Kaduna where her parents resided, yet her insatiable curiosity and unending questions were driving Ameerah nut. Even though her friend couldn’t hide her excitement over the discussion of the topic ‘khimaar’, she was the only one who didn’t know what she wanted.

“Your friend seems to need a little push in the path of dressing properly.”

That had been Ahmad's observation one day, after listening to their conversation from the living room.

“Well, aren’t you going to answer me?” Intisaar pouted, tucking at Ameerah's khimaar.

“Don’t you need your energy?" Ameerah started, speaking fast while she applied a last touch of powder to her face. "You know mother will exhaust you once she steps out of her room. She’s been singing all morning about how she couldn't wait to see you. She prefers your samosa and spring rolls to even hers - can you believe that? Anyway, I am thinking she wants to adopt you. Won’t that be lovely? We could go sho...”

“Ameerah!”

Ameerah sighed, turning to face her friend, “I can’t escape this, can I?” Intisaar gave her a look that said she couldn’t. “Well, dear friend, I am not interested in getting Mr. CEO to notice me.” she enunciated each word "But if you are curious as to how any man at all will notice me because of how I dress, then I will have to ask you this; how does the ant inside the rock find its feeds?”