Hooked By The Hijabi

Prologue

Maha types the last word, punctuates the sentence before exhaling a prolonged sigh. Not yet, she thinks. It's not done yet. She fixates her gaze on the illuminated computer screen and her burnt umber eyes dart from one corner to another behind her silver-rimmed, over-sized retro glasses as she revises her work. Once she is done, she replaces the original version that had been mailed earlier this week on the stack of completed works. Next to that stack is another pile of papers, much taller and representing a paper model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which awaited her attention. Needless to say, tonight is going to be yet another nocturnal night for her.

Maha tilted her head from side to side, rolled her shoulders and then cracked her knuckles to eradicate the stiffness from those parts before hauling herself from behind the Cherrywood desk and off the red swivel chair. Long hours of monotonous typing saturated her with the desire to lie down and take a nap. Walking over to the window, she pulls the string at its side, thereby lifting the shutters. She then soaks in the limited vista that it permits as snow gently dusts the city.

"Like a baker adding powdered sugar." she remarks.

Maha's eyes lazily click pictures of the view and stores them in her memory as the graceful choreography of the snow gradually garbs the trees and carpets the land with white while dusk falls and the city lights twinkle. It is indeed a mesmeric sight.

Snow. She feels as though the mere mention of it reminds her of too many things too soon. It's been a year since she moved out of New York and her heart still aches at it's memory. She has gone from being only a few roads away from her best friends to five thousand miles. But the ache will fade with time because in this life there will always be an end to everything. There will always be a full-stop. Besides, Sabr will make everything alright.

A car veers into the lane. The streets lights gleam on it's white surface as it steers nearer. If Maha had shown a little curiosity towards it she would have found that the car stops right outside the Mind Brew Publishing office and a man, whom she would have recognized with a little observation, steps out from it.

But Maha decides that she's yearning for a brimming cup of steaming coffee and so she peels her gaze away from the window and ambles to the office's kitchen.