Why, We Fall (Book One)

05: Traditional clothes & humors

"Assalamu Alaikum. " Aleya said with a little smile.

"And, I like you already. WalaikumusSalam beti. Nam keya hai tumhara?"(what's your name?)

With that cordial regard Aleya's stiff shoulder fully relaxed and she realised where Amjad got his traits from.
"Aleya Noor uncle. Ham Baat kiye the phone pe kal. Aap Aaj aane ke liye Kahe the do pehar Mein. "( We talked yesterday on the phone. You told me to come in today at noon. )

"Han han, Yad hai mujhe.  Awaaz sunkar desi Nahin Lage Mujhe.  Mujhe to laga Koi gori majak kar raha tha mere sath. " He laughed joyously after his own statement. (Yeah yeah I remember. Didn't think you were a native by the sound of your voice. I thought some white girl pulling pranks on me. )

"I am from Bangladesh uncle.  Ehape char Sal se reh riun. " (I've been staying here for four year. )

"You're not from Pakistan? how do you know Urdu?" He asked with a frown.

"Umm... I used to watch Indian TV shows a lot growing up. So, kind of picked it up and there's so many similarities between Urdu and Hindi almost like British English and American English. "

"Han han, but we are different in many ways. Anyway, have you ever been a host before?"
     
And just like that he switched his gear to business mode. Aleya still liked him though.

"Not really but we are Southeast Asians right? Hospitality is our whole culture. I am not any different either.  I have my manners. " Aleya didn't let her charming smile waver even for a second.

"I am sure you do but hosting your guests at home and hosting strangers in a restaurant, not to mention in a formal sitting are completely different things. "

"But I thought the main goal of your restaurant's theme is to give people a sense of traditional Customs. If you hire someone professional, which for sure you can, would they be able to actually convey the message that you are trying to treat your customers as guests treated in your own home?"

"Sure, I'd want them to feel comfortable but not too much that they actually mistake it as my house and forget to pay the bill. "

A smothered chuckle was heard somewhere from behind and Aleya didn't need to investigate to know where it was coming from. Amjad and his father were just pulling her leg at that point.
         
Too bad they didn't know Bangalis don't lack in sense of humour either.

"Don't worry uncle. I'm taking clinical psychology this year. Learning how to coerce people out of their money is one of the things my professor is covering this semester. " She said in a very serious tone.
      
Amjad's father just stared at her. Trying to understand if she was serious.
Just then Aleya broke out her teethy 'I fooled you' smile saying," I'm kidding."
A second later came full-blown laughter from behind her and the front. Aleya knew people and she knew this is a family of mischiefs and pranks and also traditional customs and values. She will be perfect for them or rather perfect for their restaurant.

-----

The restaurant became a bigger deal than Aleya thought it would be. It only hosts dinner on Friday's and throughout the weekend, so 3 days a week and just after the opening night that hosted free dinner for the selected 30 guests that included important and respectful people of the town, the name of the restaurant spread faster than any of the Kashem family members had anticipated except from the head Kashem himself who was very confident about his goals from the very start.
           
The reservations were pouring in. They had full house almost every weekend and Aleya had to work from 6 p.m. to 10 in those three days.

Head Kashim was very strict about time management, something he picked up while he was in the military.
        
Aleya was loving her job. The payment was good, hours were fine so, didn't put a dent on her study. Things were also becoming normal between her and the professor. She hadn't come late to class again after that day, neither did she experience any unwanted outburst of any kind in the middle of his lectures, nor she and the professor had any awkward encounters outside the class.

At least until that Friday.

"Assalamu Alaikum Amjed. " Aleya chirped like a bird herself in the absence of a bell chimer.
"Walaikum salam Al. " Amjad himself also joined in on the chirping. Never missing out on any action.

"So, what's in the agenda today?" She asked through the crack over the counter in the kitchen.

"You know, as usual. Something mind-boggling. " He tried to do a dramatic hand gesture. Spilling some of the batter he was mixing in the process. 

"That sounds amazing Amjed. " Then she wiggled her brows.
"Get it? Amazing Amjed! "

"Should be the name of my alter ego. The batter hero of justice... Amazing Amjed. " For extra effect he tried to shoot in the air with his imaginary gun, spilling some more batter on the floor.

"Sari maida floor ko he khilayga or guests k liye bhi kuch rakhega buddha!" Grabbing Amjad's one ear by the hand lady Kasim scolded. (Are you gonna feed all the batter to the floor or spare some for the guests?)

"Achcha achcha, sorry. Galti ho gayi, aur nahin hoga meri maa. Ab To jaane de. " Amjad moaned and flailed to no avail. (Ok ok, sorry. My fault, never gonna happen again. Please let me go now dear mother!)

Eventually he did get out of that maternal hold and fled to the back of the kitchen where chef Kashem must be preparing meat.
       
Aleya also grabbed the menus and begin memorizing today's menu and the ingredients used in it as she liked to be prepared for any kind of questions that customers may have regarding the meals.

Tonight was a full house too. There were a lot of ethnicity mashed in today across the room. Almost half of the guests had already arrived and it was only 7:30.
An elderly couple entered and after checking out their names she started for the table they would dine in and politely seated them, assigning a waiter to them in the process.

By the time she returned to her desk there were already other guests waiting.
"Good evening gentleman. " She politely addressed at their backs.
One gentleman from the three turned around and Aleya said salam to him with a smile as he was wearing traditional muslim clothes and also had a long beard. The man answered her with a nod and just when she finally situated herself behind the desk to check in their reservation her attention shifted to the other two standing with him. Specially to that one person who looked suspiciously like her professor.

"Assalamualaikum, Miss Noor. "

No scratch that, it was her professor.