Not That Interested

Chapter 41: The One With The Unicorn

"I don't believe in humans..."— Unicorn

Only a couple of weeks until Mom, and Dad come home. Ali and Adiba have returned, which means I moved back to my own house. Kulsoom Nani made up a dozen excuses to get me to stay, but I was desperate for my own room, my own bed.

The day Ali came to pick me up from her place, she surprised me with a couple of Khaadi (My favorite designer) bags. I love Khaadi's eclectic dress designs! I often wondered if I should have tried my hand at Fashion Design during art school, but the cutthroat competition in the Pakistani industry always deterred me. I wanted my art to be an extension of who I am, not what I'm forced to become for the market.

"Oh my God, Kulsoom Nani, you shouldn't have!" I gush excitedly, fiddling with the glossy bags she handed me.

"Non-sense. You'll feel hungry along the way, and THAT BEAST of yours will want his snack too..." she thumps her cane as a period.

Huh? Hungry?

I peek inside the two bags to find huge potato chip bags, mixed with some of Dragon's special Channay ka Halwa (Traditional chickpea dessert). It also has various juice boxes, cookies, and Simba's favorite kibbles.

I'll be damned.

EMV is ready to rampage, 'DOWNRIGHT DIABOLICAL THIS IS! What is up with old ladies and designer bags? Huh?? WHO GIVES PEOPLE FOOD IN KHAADI BAGS? Raising feminine hopes and all!'

"Wow. That's a lot of food in a..a Khaadi bag." My attempt at smiles turned into a grimace.

"They are the sturdiest bags around. I make my driver pick up surplus bags from their factory outlet. Perfect for carrying stuff." She sniffs back.

EMV glares at her, 'Because actually buying stuff from Khaadi is beyond your meager means hmm? I'm sure it would cause a dent in your land cruiser's fuel budget...'

Adiba and Ali made up for this disappointment by getting me these amazing souvenirs from Thailand. There was a wooden bullfrog brilliantly hand painted. Its spine doubled as a tiny percussion instrument. I also got a sarong-style skirt printed with floral designs. Oh, and they got the cutest little collar-bell for Simba, engraved with his name. This was in addition to the local food and chocolates I had demanded.

"So what did you do during this month?' Adiba asks me as we prepare dinner together. "Besides getting this rock?" She winks at my solitaire ring. I blush as I absently stroke the cool metal. It fits so snugly; I feel like it was always there on my hand. It feels...perfect. I know it's just metal and stone, but the fact that Shehzer gave me something so sentimental instead of a store-bought jewel, makes this ring infinitely priceless for me. He really does love me.

"Oh Adiba, he was so sweet about it! he offered to get me a new one, but I think I just fell in love with this. I felt like royalty when he put it on me. I lov-..I-uh, I liked it, a lot." I cough to cover up my indiscretion.

"Ahaan, go on, you were about to confess your love for him!" Adiba keeps on leering mischievously at me.

"Pfft!! NO!, I wasn't about to do any such stuff. HEY! flip that kebab over, it's burning."

We spend the next hour trying to scrape together a decent meal. It was a learning experience, to say the least. Both of us are pathetic at making Desi food. Adiba is a whizz at Chinese, and I rock Italian stuff, but Kebabs, and Salans just escape us. Which makes the upcoming Eid-Ul-Azha celebrations a nightmare for us.

"Seriously though, did you get any work done regarding the wedding?" Adiba asks between dinner bites. Ali is busy trying to chew through the slightly overdone kebab meat. He swallows and discretely rubs his jaw, "Umm, Deeba? What animal was that?"