Then Again

Chapter 33 - Sahar

"I'm so happy for you Sahar", a woman with round bright hazel eyes looked down on me. She looked beautiful with the sun shining down on her. The wind was blowing the locks of her wavy auburn hair, the colors dancing in each strand as the sunlight hit them from every angle. She stroked my hair as I rested my head on her lap.

"Oh sweetheart, it's a joy to see you smile so free", she stroked my nose with a finger, from my forehead to the tip of my nose.

"I'm always smiling, maybe you were too busy to notice", I stick my tongue out to her. She laughs at my ridiculous behaviour.

"I'm never too busy for you, and you should know I'm always watching," she winks and gives me a smile as bright as the sun we're in.

"I love you Sahar. Remember that for me, would you?"

"Choti memsahib, it's time to wake up", a small voice intruded at the worst moment possible.

I love you too; I thought as I opened my eyes. The surrounding room was filled to the brim with sunlight. It seemed to penetrate the walls. My eyes couldn't take the onslaught and I slipped the covers over my face.

No, please, no sun.

"Aray, choti memsahib, it is past decent hours to be waking, anyway. Bari memsahib is waiting for you in the garden with tea."

What is this? Choti memsahib, bari memsahib. Are we having a size competition?

I know chota meant small and bara meant big, but how exactly they coincided with memsahib was beyond me. Why am I the small memsahib? Is it because of my height?

"You know, I'm not as small as you think?", I pulled the covers off my face to find an aged woman dressed in a cotton sari. It wasn't simple, it had extravagant embroidery on it. Large gold leaves outlined the length of the cream sari. It was an outfit different from the one I saw on the housemaid this morning. I couldn't tell what her position in this supposed hierarchy was.

"Aray choti memsahib, I know you're quite big, you've grown quite well", with that she bit her tongue, literally.

I eyed her. It irked me that everyone knew me but I couldn't reciprocate the acquaintance.

Did I fall and get amnesia or something? Why can't I recognise the faces that seem to know me so well?

"Aray! How daft of me!", she smacked her hand on her forehead and turned back to me with her hand extended. "I am Sureya Begum, bari memsahib's personal secretary for the last fifty years of her life. I'm getting old and can't run around as I used to, but I refuse to retire unless it's to my grave," she laughed and I, with her. It's pretty boss how she refused to retire.

"Fifty years is a pretty long time, don't you think? So how old would that make Mrs Khan?"

She zoomed in on me with one eye and tightened lips. "Does it matter?"

"Um, no, not really, I mean not at all."

"Then what's the point of asking?" she laughed in my face, dropping the act of a strict woman.

"Yeah, I guess you're right".

"You're a curious one there. Might I give you some advice, just as I've always given bari memsahib?", she asked as she lifted my covers and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Shoot", I nodded towards her.

"The secret to life, you sweet chumchum, is to always ask the right questions," she winked and jabbed a knuckle at my chin.