The Secret Behind Her Hijab | ✔

11. The Night Of

Suhad

When I was little, I used to have sleepovers at Uncle Junaid's along with Bhai. Mom and dad used to drop us there sometimes for a night and sometimes they even left us there for a few days while they sometimes went on a quick vacation. For that limited amount of time I used to get a new home, a new room and two more people to play with. Being the only girl I used to get the complete guest room to myself while Bhai used to bunk with Farooq and Fawad. But that was temporary, this wasn't.

I looked in awe at the tall building as we got out of the car. Shadab's mom, my mom-in-law had said they lived on the tenth floor. While our apartment was on the fifth floor of a ten storied building, this was the double of that. Shadab took out my suitcase from the trunk of the car, like the gentleman he was, and lead us inside the building. The doorman greeted Shadab and he said something to the doorman to which he turned to me and mom-in-law and greeted me too.

We climbed into the elevator, which was spacious and also had a CCTV camera in the corner, plus a mirror opposite the door. I never understood the logic of having mirrors in an elevator. The ride to the tenth floor was silent.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a door in front which turned out to be the door to Shadab's-- our-- apartment. While Shadab was unlocking I chanced a glance at the hallway. Apart from our door here, there wasn't any other door to be seen. Which meant that there was no other apartment on this floor. Which meant that ours was the only apartment here, and which also meant that Shadab owned this entire floor. Whoa!

Mom-in-law took my hand in hers and led me inside the apartment. As I entered I blinked once, and then twice finally settling on rubbing my eyes because what unfolded in front of me could either be a dream or some novel that I had read because the apartment was no less than a penthouse.

Of course I haven't actually been in a penthouse, but I had read all about it. And this was no exception to the description. If I knew how to, I would have low whistled right now but instead I whispered Mashallah. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shadab's lip twitch.

"Come beta, I'll show you around." Mom-in-law said while Shadab flopped on the couch and turned on the TV.

Seriously?

"What should I call you?" I asked mom-in-law because calling her 'mom-in-law' every time was too time consuming.

"You can call me anything you want." She said with a smile while she showed me the huge living room that was fit to be a ball room. Okay that was a hyperbole, but you get the gist.

"Can I call you aunt?" I asked after thinking a little.

"If you want, but I'd be happy if you call me in terms of a mother."

"Hmm. I can't call you mom because I already call my mom, mom and that would be confusing when we are together." I started rambling. "How about I call you ma?"

"That would be wonderful." She said beaming.

After giving me the tour of the living room and the kitchen--which had all the modern appliances needed for the modern day cooking-- she led me to the rooms which were across the other side of the living room. Ma's was the first room in and opposite to it was the guest room. Besides the guest room was my sister-in-law Zarine's room which made me question her absence. She wasn't even present here with her family. I know Zarine had been nothing but vicious to me yet I didn't want me to be the reason for this family's feud.

She stopped in front of the last room to open it--it was a no-brainer as to whose room this was-- and led me inside. Instantly my eyes started to hurt because the room was completely white; from the walls to the bed, even the wardrobe was white.