Monday, January 31, 2011

salma

Its 9 in the morning. she is already late. "salma! salma! where the hell are you??" , "am in the kitchen memsaheb, washing the dishes, i will go and put the water on fire." salma had never felt like this before. it was her 12th birthday and rehman was not there. he had gone to hussain's house ,as he was ill. she got the water ready and took it to sahab's room,where her memsahab was lying on the cosy bed. "oh! so you have got the water atlast. hey whats today's date??" sahab asked. There was a sudden spark in salma's eyes. "its 13th sahab and you know...." suddenly interrupted by the bang on the door. salma rushes thinking it was rehman and stumbles upon the flower pot.
"is sahab there??",its hussain sahab's wife,the family friend who has come to invite them that night for dinner. salma felt relieved as she need not make chapatis that night and get her usual scolding. she has recently learnt how to make "rotis" but they end up being shapeless and hard. it was 8 on the big wall clock salma saw a yellow taxi standing infront of their house. Memsaheb and saheb all decked up with pungent smell coming from their extravagant clothes. Salma didntot like the perfume, sahab had got from his trip the previous month. salma felt ill and nauseatic.The acute hard hitting smell took  her back to Iran. sahab paid her family hansomely after which they both same here to the alleys of shahpur. Her heart rendering cry during her departure didnot stop for so many days. it was only when she met rehman after coming in this house, and his silly jokes which made her smile. From then on he has been a dear friend. They both loved to have oranges. and played with the peels.Rehman used to smell her little hand. they ran in the lushy fields and promised each other of being friends forever. salma waited till 11 but it was not possible for to keep her eyelids open. "salma!! get up" (whispering to her ear) " .salma slowly opened  her eyes, "rehman!! thank god you came??" . memsaheb laughs "rehman! he has gone back to iran with hussain sahab." salma goes back to the kitchen.

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