Light Upon Light

#5 The Eventful Day

Assalamualaikum!

Welcome to another chapter in the life of Junaina Ali.

Of course you pcould reduce shaitan to the size of a fly while you're at it by saying 'Bismillah' ;)

***

#5 The Eventful Day

When I got to her room, Ayesha Di  was just done pulling her long brown hair into an elegant knot at the base of her head. The sky blue salwar kameez brought out her creamy complexion. She had accessorized with silver studs in her ears and a couple of bracelets on her arm.

I watched on in incredulity as Di pulled on a loose black abaya on top of her perfect outfit. She also wrapped her head in a dark blue hijab. What was the point of going through all the troubles of looking good, only to cover it up?

It was mind boggling. Seriously.

If I were wearing an abaya I would just put it on over my pajamas. Easy peasy.

Ayesha Di saw me leaning against her dressing room entrance reflected in the mirror. She smiled and then beckoned me to draw closer.

"You may think I'm an idiot for dressing up elaborately and then covering up, right?" She asked.

"Absolutely! Not just an idiot but a complete nut job!" I exclaimed throwing my hands up to put emphasis on my point.

And then I remembered I just called my Di a nut job, who is also a good six years older than me. Way to go. I blushed in mortification but she took it lightly.

"Some people think the purdah is used to cover up when you're not up for looking good. The truth is, it was prescribed to cover our beauty and to protect our modesty. It makes us special. I don't expect you to grasp what I'm feeling now, but some day you'll understand how amazing covering your awrah can make you feel."

I was dumbfounded. It was hard to ignore the sincerity in her tone, and yet I couldn't come to terms with what she was saying. How can hiding our beauty make us special?

"Also, just because I'm wearing abaya doesn't mean I can't dress up. Allah and I know that I look amazing and that's good enough for me. I don't need the rest of the world to reassure me of my beauty. Especially since it is a thing that can be lost and gained at the will of Allah."

I stopped trying to wrap my head around the concept. One point was there though, I don't need the rest of the world to validate my beauty. I can do that on my own perfectly, thank you very much.

We went downstairs and met Dadi in her room. She was reading a pretty heavy volume about God only knows what. On hearing us approach she looked up and removed her reading glasses.

"Ah! My daughters. You both look lovely. Don't forget to take Samar with you. I don't want the hooligans outside staring at my children like they are meat." She said seriously.

Again I was taken aback by the fact that she completely overlooked my lack of hijab, let alone abaya. To say I'm over thinking would be an understatement. I could almost see fumes coming out of my brain. Dadi's not-by-the-book behavior was driving me nuts.

"Of course Nani, Assalamualaikum!" Ayesha Di  said.

"Wa alaikumasalaam!" Dadi responded.

I bid her my salaam and then we left. Samar was waiting for us outside in the car. He was sitting in the driver's seat.

"When did you get a license?!" I asked, after getting in the back seat. Di was riding shot gun.

"Two months back." He said smirking.