Everything I Am

Chapter 6

Uncle Muhammad screams with us before we realise we're just screaming at each other.

"What on earth are you kids doing, my goodness?" Uncle Muhammad asks pressing his hand to his chest.

"Fucking hell dad, that was not nice." Zayaan mumbles taking a few deep breaths in.

"Language and I didn't do anything." Uncle Muhammad says.

Aisha whispers to me grinning. "The boys are definitely scared." I chuckle and nod.

"We were just taking a tour of the house." Imran explains. "Maryam gave us the tour." Maryam smiles shyly at Uncle Muhammad.

"Well if you're done with the tour, we're having chai up on the terrace." Uncle Muhammad says smiling and than walks off and we all follow behind him while laughing.

"Can we pull a prank on them?" Maryam whispers to us, Aisha and I grin at each other. "Tonight."

"You can count us in." Aisha replies for the both of us. Soon we were at the terrace where everyone was chatting and laughing, the sun has dimmed by now setting a warm cosy atmosphere, the children were running around laughing.
We sat on the mat ready for the chai, my head was close to start pounding, the boys as usual sat across from us.

"Why are you girls' hands so bare?" Dadi asks with a gasp from her plastic chair.

Aisha and I frown as we stare at our hands, I look at Maryam's hands and notice a henna design on her palm, small and simple, when I look at the other girls, they also have henna stains, some more than others, even Dadi had. "We don't know how to draw with henna." Aisha replies on behalf of both of us. "But we would really like to have henna on our hands."

Dadi smiles warmly at us. "By the end of the month, you will be nearly as good as me."

Imran and Zayaan laugh. "If that happens I'd gladly pay them 50 dollars." Zayaan says sharing a laugh with Imran.

Aisha glared at him. "We can learn."

"You will draw with henna?" Zayaan asked his sister with a chuckle that suggested he doesn't really support his sister's enthusiasm.

"50 dollars." I tell him, he lifts an eyebrow. "If we learn how to draw with henna you pay us 50 dollars and if we don't than we pay you."

Zayaan smirks. "Are you sure you can handle this type of task?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Scared you'll lose?"

He till his head slightly pressing his tongue to his cheek. "Deal, 50 dollars." I hadn't realised everyone had fallen silent and were listening in and my cheeks flared with nervousness as I sipped some tea, laughter broke out and I could feel Zayaan still staring at me whilst I did everything in my power not to look at him.

"Those two are going to make a good couple someday." I choked on my drink as my ears pick that up amongst the laughter.

"Don't worry my dears, I will teach you very well." Dadi said grinning as Aisha hands me a cup of water to ease my coughing.

"We'll see on mendhi night than." Zayaan adds smugly.

"We'll see than." Aisha nods grinning whilst I roll my eyes.

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After sunset we prayed maghrib, had a light dinner and than gathered in the living room, dadi took the swing in the middle of the living room setting up a couple pillows and her henna cones, someone switched on Dilwale Dulhania Le jayenge, a movie everyone in the house loves it would seem, Dadi took both Aisha and I by her and we sat on the floor looking at her, Maryam joined so that dadi could draw on her.