Surrender

Our ways

He clapped his hands
'Oh I see a woman!'

'I was born a woman'

'I knew that more from your father's indifference than your appearance'

Would I ever get used to the way he spoke? Did they all speak like this?

'But forget all of that...you are meeting my mother today'

'Your mother?'

'That is generally what people call a woman who gives birth to them'

'I know that'

'My mother is very particular and hard to please. Do not answer any of her questions, just act dumb and deaf...which shouldn't be hard seeing as you excel in that'

The stranger's home was a wide stretch of corridors and numerous rooms. Lattice walls screened each room.

The floor was made of cold stone, the soles of my feet burned on contact. A wide open room faced us, lined with colorful cushions, woven carpets and silk drapery. A woman sat on one of them, dressed in luxurious velvet and silver ornate jewelry adorned her throat and brow. I had no doubt about who she was. Only such a woman could have given birth to someone like Ziraar. The look she sent my way made me uncomfortably warm

'Moor Janai'
He kissed both her hands, his tone respectful

'Zaraar'

He gestured for me to come forward, the way she observed me was unnerving. She looked away in distaste

' dunya khali shala Zaraar?' ( Has the world emptied Zaraar?'

Their tongue was a series of harsh sounds, he seemed as if he was convincing her, she finally relented. He got up and I followed, relieved.

'Do not put even one foot beyond the boundary, that is the jarga of the men. No women are permitted there, even if the whole world were turned over you must not enter it'

The rooms were screened by red drapes, obscuring everything from view.

                         *****

'Pick one'

I looked at the many goats with their young

'I do not want to pick any'

He sighed exasperated
'Then what do you suggest we do? We will feed our guests grass? Are they sheep that they will settle for that?'

'Why can't we serve them chickens?'

'You clearly are ignorant of our ways, we settle for nothing but meat, especially in a feast'

'But I don't want to deprive the young of their mother'

'Then pick a kid goat'

'No! That is cruelty'

'I don't know if you were aware of this but we don't keep these goats for adoption we keep them to eat'

They looked so harmless, playing in the sun

'I will just have to pick one'

With that he reached for the nearest
'Come here dear goat...'

And dragged it behind him

'Would you like to go cow picking next?'

'A cow? Isn't a goat enough?'

'Our guests are people, not birds'

A large herd of cows feasted on the vegetation, unaware of the predator approaching. He pointed at the largest of them, a bull

'That one. I've wanted to slaughter it since the day it stamped on my foot. Horrid beast'

The animal looked harmless to me, but it turned and grunted in his direction
'Foul creature'

After we had returned to the room I had stayed in he held out a cage

'Your dowry'

The large, vibrant bird launched itself at me...