3 years later
The sun was brightly shining up in the cloudless sky. The summer flowers were blooming in colourful hues. In the Siddique household, aroma of barbeque was spreading fast. The flavourful smoke from the coal barbeque stand was visible. Three men hunched over the barbeque grill stand, flipping over the meat and muttering praises.
"This looks good," Usamah lifted the well-done Seekh kebab skewer.
Daud glanced, "Ya looks done."
"Why don't you give that to me?" Salman extended his hand.
Usamah narrowed his eyes "Why? So you can go and feed your wife. That's what you do every time we do barbeque. She gets to taste first before anyone."
Salman took hold of the skewer, "If you are so jealous the next skewer is yours." He didn't wait for Usamah's reply. Instead, he made his way to where his wife and other women of the family were seated.
"He is completely besotted over her." Usamah muttered under his breath looking at his older cousin's retreating back.
"For a happy life, one needs to be besotted with his wife." Daud said wryly and turned the skewers on the barbeque grill.
Usamah shook his head, "You are another one besotted. Besides I don't remember you thanking me for introducing you with the mother of your children."
"Fuck off," Daud snorted, "Why don't you focus on your own marriage? You seem to be interested in other people's wives."
Usamah looked away, his marriage had become a joke. With each passing day, the distance between his wife and him was growing. They were now two strangers living under one roof. He looked over at his wife where all the women were seated. Feeling his eyes on her, Sabah met his eyes. Even from the distance, he could feel the coldness in her gaze. He tore his gaze from her and stared at the food displayed on the barbeque grill.
"Does love last forever?" he pondered out loud.
Unbeknownst of Usamah's inner turmoil, Daud explained and lifted the tandoori chicken leg from the grill with the help of thongs, "It is." He glanced at his parents who were seated on the garden wrought iron chairs, "Look at our parents. They are an example of living together happily for four decades." He looked up from the grill and smirked, "From my own experience, I think love grows with time. You learn to live together and become dependent on each other. It becomes impossible to imagine to live away from the other."
Usamah was quiet as he thought. Recently, he had been missing his bachelor life and most of all his freedom. He wouldn't mind getting a break from marriage.
Perhaps, it wasn't true love at all.
Only time would tell...
Ibrahim sipped his fresh mango milkshake. Summer was mango season especially for south east Asian mangoes which were atrociously expensive in Ireland but the love of mangoes never stopped desi families from purchasing them.
"It's good to have our children and their families together for the barbeque. We hardly get time to spend with everyone." Ibrahim mused.
Muhammed pensively stared at the contents of his mango milkshake glass. He pursed his lips as his thoughts went far away from those around him. Not all of his children were present and that plagued his heart more than he could ever admit.
When Muhammad didn't agree. Ibrahim sighed, "When will you forgive her? She is your daughter," he reminded his younger brother gently.
"She is dead to me." He bit out.
"Is anyone in contact with her? I never get to hear anything about her."
Muhammad tilted his head, "Seema is. She calls Manal every week."
"How is she?" Ibrahim pressed.
Muhammad's shoulder hunched, "I don't know. I had forbidden Seema to tell me of any of their conversations."
Ibrahim clasped his younger brother's shoulder, "Forgive her Muhammad and accept the young lad. He is now part of family."
"She needs to come and speak to me. After how she ran off she never bothered to come. Not even for Rania's aqiqa or Aba jee's funeral."
"Maybe she felt unwelcome here and let down by your hostility. We are parents and far more mature than them."
Muhammad sipped his milkshake, the bitterness in his mouth didn't come down even by the sweetened drink.
"Bhai please I don't want to talk about her. She was my pride. A father's head raises high when his daughter is obedient and follows the norms of the society. But she has shamed me beyond my own imaginations. She is a disgrace for the family. I ... I ... "
He looked away. Loss at words.
Ibrahim pressed Muhammad's shoulder in support, "With time she will learn that you cannot turn your back on your parents but then be there for her with open arms."
Muhammad doubted it that there would be a time when Manal realize the importance of her parents an family?
****
On the other end of the backyard, the women were setting the table for the barbeque.
"How's work Nawal?" Susan asked, her eyes were trained on her toddler son, Nuh who was chasing his elder brother Yousef.
"Good. The same actually. I have a horrible boss," Nawal set the salad bowl on the big glass table in the backyard.
"I heard that," Salman called out as he approached his wife.
"But yeah there are perks of being married to your boss," her eyes lightened up when he gave her the seekh kebab skewer.
Salman rose an eyebrow, "Such as?"
"I don't need to come up with any explanation if I need a day off especially when our daughter is ill." She winked, "The boss knows it all."
Salman grinned, "I may be the boss at work but believe me you are the boss at home."
Susan chuckled. Nawal rolled her eyes, "Ya right."
Nawal took the first bite of the seekh kebab and hummed in appreciation. Salman smile widened seeing the satisfaction look on his wife's face. His phone buzzed, taking it out from his jeans pocket, he frowned perusing the name that was displayed on the phone screen. He sauntered to a secluded part of the backyard to converse with the caller.
Nawal eyes were glued at her husband. How times had changed? The first barbeque after her wedding was so awkward when he had given the first kebab that was grilled. Today, it had become a norm where he gave special attention to her. She loved it. He had changed over the years. He was far more patient with her and always gave time understanding her. She still had her moments where she was stubborn but he gently made her understand if he didn't agree or other times he let her have her own way. In return, over the years she had grown to love him more than she could ever express and she had gone out of her way to amiable to him in every way that she thought she could.
"You are lost in your thoughts," Susan placed the sauces on the table. Nawal blinked and then her cheeks reddened realising even years later she was daydreaming with thoughts of her husband.
Susan had a knowing smile but didn't further probe.
Salman walked back to them and his face was whitened. Nawal's eyebrows scrunched, "Is everything alright?"
Imperceptibly shaking his head, "Fadil called. Sana has been diagnosed."
Everyone was quiet for a long moment. "So it's true?" Nawal spoke out loud what they all knew.
Slowly, Salman nodded. "Fadil said Saad was devastated."
Susan heaved, "I will visit them tomorrow."
It brought a saddened atmosphere in the family barbeque. Saad was not only one of Salman's best friends but also Usamah's colleague. Sana was friends with Nawal and Susan.
A difficult time was ahead for Saad and Sana. Many times life is not as one plans. However, Allah is the best planner. He knows far more than mere humans.
*****
On the other end of the backyard where a mini playground was set up for Rania, young children were unaware of the dampening mood.
The three year old Rania stomped her foot, "I wanna play Yoosi."
The seven years old Yousef pushed the swing up high, his legs stretching, "Not now Rania. I want to touch the sky."
Rania's eyes widened, "How?"
"I am gonna swing so high and my legs will touch sky."
Rania clapped her hands and cheered, "Touch sky Yoosi."
Yousef's small legs pushed higher and higher and the swing sped. He was breathless and soon gave up. When the swing slowed to a halt, he jumped off it. He brushed his jeans and said, "I almost did it."
Rania beamed, "Yoosi is the best."
He rolled his eyes, "I don't wanna play with you. You are a baby."
"Nooooo," Rania's eyes filled with tears.
Yousef scrunched his nose in disgust, "You are a girl. I don't play girl games." He grabbed his younger brother Nuh's hand and tugged him, "C'mon Nuh we are going to play with my cars."
Rania's lower lip wobbled as she saw Yousef scurrying off the backyard and Nuh tagging behind him. She fisted her hands on her sides. And she chased behind them. Yousef and Nuh yelped and ran. It was a never ending run. No way was she going to give up chasing him.
After all, he was her best 'boy friend' because he was her friend and a boy. Her Yoosi!