Love? A Disaster

♪ 03. Disastrous Lunch Times ♪

Sunday morning dawned on Wadia House with its known commotion. Jeffery gave a satisfied look to his work as the trimmed grass of the lawn shone brightly under the sun. He then turned to his record player. He already had today's pick in his mind and as soon as he pushed the play button, the voice of Hemant Kumar infused the air of Wadia House.

Hai apna dil to awara, na janay kis pe ayega

Hai apna dil to awara, na janay kis pe ayega

(My heart is a wanderer, who knows on whom it gets stuck)

Inside the house, Saleema hummed along to the melody. She had just gotten done with breakfast. It was already 11 AM. Sunday is for sleeping in and Amal and Sila lived to that description. Rameen and Haleh, not so much. Dinbanu was in her room, immersing herself in Jane Austen, Arundhati Roy, or Parveen Shakir; her preferred authors and favorite poet.

Inside the adjacent rooms, Rameen scrolled her Instagram feed mindlessly. She had watched Laraib Rahim's makeup reel twice now, liked Mahira Khan's latest pictures, and skimmed through all the videos of Ali Sethi's performance at the expo center concert. When Instagram showed her the checkmark with 'you're all caught up', she sighed, closed the app, and gave her roommate and best friend an annoyed glare. "Can you please be quick?"

Sila settled her shirt and gave her outfit of the day a scrutinizing look into the floor-length mirror. She then grumbled. "Reen, don't give me this mama stare. You and I both know hell will freeze over the day I decide to wake up early on a Sunday morning. And I hate this shirt, it makes me look pregnant."

Haleh, who was sprawled on Sila's work chair, guffawed. "Imagine if you wear it to lunch at your Uncle's. Ambreen Mami will die of shock."

Sila made a face as she stood looking through her closet. Rameen chuckled lightly and got up from her side of the bed. She might not be happy with Sila's tardiness but she couldn't just watch her going through a wardrobe crisis at 11 in the morning on a Sunday. Sila immediately stepped aside. It was an unsaid rule in this house, let Rameen help when you're stuck. You'll only thank yourself for it because there was nothing Reen couldn't sort out.

At the same time, Amal entered the room, clearly after just waking up. Her immaculately kohled-lined eyes were devoid of even a smudge of it. Amal without kohl was a sight they'd encounter only in the mornings or when she was sick. No in-between.

"Not one second of peace in this house. You all really love waking up at ass O'clock." She settled herself on Sila's bed.

"It's almost noon," Haleh informed her. "Sakeena Baji has started with the lunch. Yeah, Ass O'clock when you shut your smut-laden kindle at 4 AM."

"I don't see you complaining when I narrate the juicy details to you." Amal yawned, finally deciding to sit up straight. Rameen and Sila were successful in choosing an outfit in the meanwhile. Sila's mood had considerably gotten better as she was paying extra attention to her hair. She brushed the voluminous layers that slightly reached her shoulders. Then she proceeded to put a minimal layer of makeup on her face. Taking a step back, she gave herself a critical look and settled the Duppata around her neck. The most time she'd give to her appearance would always be when she had to pay a visit to her Mamu and his family.

She hadn't said a word but when you have the expertise of years living with and around each other, you get attuned to even the unsaid and all three of her friends exchanged a look among each other.

"Do you really have to go? I'm baking a carrot cake for Banu Auntie. Though you don't like sweets, it will be far better than whatever your Mami has cooked." Haleh offered. Sila gave her a waned smile. Haleh wasn't an exceptional baker but among all of them, she was the closest to Dinbanu. Not that Dinbanu didn't love the rest of them, but Haleh's late mother was once her close friend. Haleh was the first person she had given shelter to in her bungalow years back.