Imperious

Chapter 10

And one of His signs is that He has created for you, spouses from amongst yourselves so that you might take comfort in them and He has placed between you, love and mercy. In this there is surely evidence (of the truth) for the people who carefully think. (Quran 30:21).

Falak stood against the kitchen island, stirring the curry she would serve for supper.

The aroma of herbs and spices engulfed her as she boiled and sautéed the mixture.

It was her turn to cook; she preferred to handle meal times in the Nayyar Manor. Everything else the servants could manage, and the household expenses were an affair that Adham and his mother dealt with alone. Falak hardly shouldered many responsibilities. Unlike the village, most manual work could be done by the machines. To ensure that she contributed fairly to the household, Falak gladly cooked their meals and her food was appreciated.

Since the court proceeding, she and Adham had not managed to exchange many words. He appeared annoyed by her family's behaviour towards Nafeesa, especially Farasat reprimanded who for her stupidity, compelling her to leave the courtroom burdened with guilt. Falak failed to understand why this event angered him. He would no longer have anything to do with the family and their problems.

She garnished her tandoori curry with the garlic and onion she had finely sliced an hour before.

Adham had some guests over; the food should be flawless.

She tasted her innovation and then grimaced. There was not enough salt.

The kitchen was her sanctuary: a place to escape to when her spirits had been lowered; a place where she was successful and at ease with all the ingredients she understood so well. Nothing was strange to her here. Everything was familiar and homely. She could control what happened here and mend matters that attempted to slip beyond her control.

As Falak constructed an aura of 'Personal Space' around herself, Bani, Adham's aunt, entered the kitchen.

"May I test?" asked Bani, playfully.

Falak nodded and stepped out of her way.

Bani carefully dipped a spoon into the curry. Her tongue assessed each subtle flavour with concentrative expressions.

"I've noticed, in these months," began Bani, "Whenever something's on your mind, you escape to the kitchen."

Falak turned the gas off from underneath the curry, "Really?"

Bani rolled her eyes, "I've noticed it many times! You'll escape to the kitchen and cook under stress. Mind you, the food turns out good as always."

"Just..." Falak mumbled, "Nothing is right."

Bani nodded in acknowledgement and settled herself onto one of the kitchen stools, where she could see her niece-in-law.

Falak smiled at her faintly.

"Good things in life are temporary tastes that fade when you chew on them too much," explained Bani, "I see life as chewing gum. The beginning of it is fresh and minty, there is a pleasure in biting. Along the line, chewing gets easier but the taste begins to fade and there then comes a point where you need to spit the gum out. When that happens, you slid another piece out the packet and chew again."

Falak, perturbed by the analogy questioned her, "Chew again?"

"Basically, you move on. Start afresh," clarified Bani, "And leave it to God."