Once In A Blue Moon

05 Princess

Banafsha sighs and stands up, letting go of the discussion. She takes the nail polish from Abeer and the child quickly crawls up on the seat, holding out her nails for her aunt. Banafsha begin to skillfully paint her small nails.

"I like uncle Aurang," Abeer says out of nowhere and she glances at her.

"You do?"

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because he has blue eyes."

Now Banafsha pauses to look at her. "Blue eyes?"

Abeer nods. "No one else has blue eyes. I want blue eyes too, Afsha."

She smiles at her, Abeer's dark orbs almost pleading with her. "But you have beautiful eyes, shahzadgy."

"But I like blue more," Abeer reasons. "Blue is more beautiful."

"Uh huh, blue eyes are cold." Banafsha flicks her nose. "Your eyes are warm."

Abeer blinks, looking interested. "Is cold bad, Afsha?"

"Yes."

"Then is uncle Aurang bad too?"

Banafsha shrugs and blows at Abeer's nails. "I don't know, zaar."

"But I like uncle Aurang," she repeats.

"Because he has blue eyes?"

Abeer nods and Banafsha suppresses another chuckle.

"How blue?"

Abeer looks around, trying to find a similar color in the room, and then points behind Banafsha. "Like the crystals on baba's ring."

Banafsha stills and slowly turn around to find Mughis standing at her doorstep. Their eyes meet and she sees the striking reflection of her father there-- no matter how loving, but always a freezing hell made to slow torture. The men in her family carry a gripping terror around them meant to scare people away, and she doesn't like it one bit.

"Lala?"

He smiles but his eyes retain the ice. Maybe dark eyes can be cold too after all, like the long dark nights of winter born cold-- like her brother's eyes. Her gaze only briefly flick to the gem on Mughis's ring-- three blue topaz studded in a platinum band-- before back up, finding him staring at her in an unsettling way. She lets go of Abeer and she runs to her father.

"Afsha painted my nails, baba." The child grins happily, holding up her hands for her father to see.

Mughis smiles lovingly and places his hand over her head. "You look beautiful, khwagy (sweetheart). Why don't you show this to your mama?"

"Okay!" Abeer rushes out of the room and Mughis slowly steps inside, closing the door behind him.

"Banafsha."

Banafsha steadies her breathing and parallels his stare, standing with her chin up. Mughis ties his hand behind his back and moves nearer to her before stopping a foot away.

"I've talked to Zoraiz," he tells her. "He'll receive you at the airport."

"Okay."

"Anything you need there, just call me and I'll arrange it for you."

She only nods.

"You've packed your bags?"

She nods again.

Now Mughis reaches to cup the side of her face. "Afsha, something upsets you?"

She exhales audibly and glances away. "I think everyone knows what does, lala."