Light Upon Light
Assalamualaikum! Here's another chapter of Juni's life. Have fun reading, after all your prayers and work are done of course.***
Chapter 3The ConfrontationChachu took my bags and led me to my room which was upstairs. Thank God for that. I slowly climbed up the spiral stairs and looked around my dad's home. Ashiana was still the same, grand and impressive. The ginormous halls had huge windows with colored glass panels, polished to perfection. All the furnitures were antique, brought from my Dada ji's ancestral home in Hyderabad. According to him, his ancestors were important members in the courts of the Nawabs of the past. The entrance hall opened to a courtyard whose ceiling was the dome with glass panels that sent rays of sunlight in. On either side of the courtyard were to halls. The courtyard ended in a corridor that I liked to call the 'mirror passage'. It had mirrors next to all three doors it opened to. One of those was Dadi's room. The other two belonged to Chachu and Raziya Phuppi as I recall from the last time I stayed here. The end of the mirror passage opened to another corridor. This one led to the kitchen and the servants quarters. Ashiana has three floors. Four floors including the huge terrace. From up there you could see most of South Salimabad with all the impressive estates and a bit of the East and Central area as well. I frequented the terrace whenever I visited, enjoying the peace and loneliness it offered.My room was on the second floor. The second floor and third floor were identical. Both had two staircases. The first the spiral marble one from the courtyard which led to the drawing rooms of the upper floors. The second which was at the end of a passage from these drawing rooms. It led to the passage to the kitchen. Both the floors had four rooms each. Dadi had my male cousins dominating the third floor and the girls in the second. So my room and Ayesha Di's room were on the second floor along with that of our parents'. There were two passages from the drawing rooms in the upper floors. Each passage led to two rooms and the Western one had the staircase to the back at its end. My room was the second one along the eastern passage. Chachu left me alone to get refreshed. My room like all other rooms in this mansion could fit in the majority of my flat back in Dubai. It had two sections to it. The first part housed a huge antique canopy bed right in the middle. It looked very very inviting to me in my tired state. There were coloured glass lamps on all four walls along with a mini golden chandelier which hung from a decorated ceiling. There was also a divan and a pair of low seated sofas with intricate floral carvings on the wood set against another wall. The walls were painted a pale peach color which I admit, I loved. A shelf and study graced the third wall. An Iranian carpet was spread on the floor which matched the whole vintage vibe of the room. The bedroom also had two windows with the colored glass panneling. They nearly reached the floor. They had extended window seats to them, where a couple of colorful brocade cushions were stacked. Perfect for stargazing and reading and some alone time. Double doors were nestled between the windows which led out into a small balcony. The balcony was furnished with a pair of comfy chairs and a small coffee table. The balcony looked out at our green and lovely garden, trees standing taller than the high wall that surrounded Ashiana. I stood by the railing for a bit, taking in the view.The second section had its entry next to the bookshelf. It was half the size of the bedroom and still not small. One wall was lined with two huge vintage wardrobes having colored glass handles and floral etchings which were painted gold. A wall mount clothes rack was fitted next to these. There was also a laundry basket, a floor length mirror with an accompanying shelf and stool and a door which led to the spacious bathroom.There was one thing in which Ashiana was superior to my home in Dubai. It was just magnanimous, both externally and internally. There was not a single cramped space in the mansion. Dada ji had made sure his family's ancestral nobility was present in the house that he built for his family. It took me half an hour to locate some comfortable clothes and take a shower and change into them. I would have loved to spend some time soaking in the bathtub, but I knew Dadi and everyone else were waiting for me down there.Knowing how strict she was about hijab and all, I grabbed a shawl and wrapped it around my head loosely. Strands of my wet hair were still visible, but I couldn't care less. I hardly covered my head back in Dubai. So this was huge. Dadi should be satisfied with it.I went back down the stairs and entered the dining area where everyone else was already seated. There was Dadi at the head of the table looking like an austere old Rani. There was Chachu next to her and Zari Chachi. Their only son Shoaib sat across from Chachu and Samar sat next to him. Samar's sister Ayesha Di sat next to him and facing her sat their mom, Sumi Phuppi. Irfan Phuppa was probably still at the office. Almost all the people had pleasant and welcoming smiles on their faces. Only Dadi remained stone faced. "Come sit and have food before it gets cold! Ammi and Mami prepared all your favorites." Ayesha Di said. Her dimples were on display as she smiled.She was beautiful, with big brown eyes and bouncy curly locks and a creamy complexion. She was brilliant too. Shame really, that she wasn't pursuing a career after finishing software engineering. I smiled and sat next to her. Phuppi got up and came to serve food for me. She stuffed my plate with rice, rotis, daal and everything else. Way too much food on my plate, and I had to finish it all.Seeing the expression on my face Phuppi said, "You look way too thin my dear. Your Dubai has made you look like a skeleton."As if. But I dared not protest under Dadi's scrutiny. I simply smiled and dug in. The food was marvelous though. Much better than Mom's cooking and that of the cook who prepared meals in her absence. The men started excusing themselves once they were done. Even Ayesha Di left after some time. All of them had curiosity written over their faces, but were afraid of angering Dadi. When I was done eating under the scrutiny of the three women, which was super uncomfortable, I looked up from my plate. While Chachi and Phuppi had mixed expressions of worry and concern on their faces, Dadi looked the same, poker faced and giving away none of her thoughts. "Zarina, Sumaiyya; clear the table and ensure the servants have their break. After Asr don't forget to go and visit Khadija Khala. She has been unwell for two days now. Convey my condolences. Return before Maghrib." It was not a command, but the firmness of her tone was not to be taken lightly either.Chachi and Phuppi nodded in agreement and left to do as she asked. Seeing how meekly the adults followed Dadi I realized one thing. It's going to be terribly difficult for me to live here as I want. Dadi left the table and asked me to follow her. She walked in quick strides to her room. Once there she settled on the divan and asked me to sit on the sofa. "How was your trip beta? There were no hassles on the way right?" I was expecting an immediate and detailed interrogation, so Dadi's first question surprised me. But then she did dote on me. "It was alright Dadi. I expected to wait a long time for my baggage and all but everything was easy." Dadi nodded."Alhamdulilah. Now beta, do you know why your Abbu sent you here?" Yet again I was startled. Earlier in the car I was puzzled when I overheard Chachu tell Samar that Dad sent me here. It could not be possible. My Mom would go to any lengths to punish me, not Dad. He wouldn't hurt me. "I can see the frown on your face. You think Sunaida sent you here, huh? But the truth is this was Javed's decision." Dadi's statement made it solid. It was the truth, and there was no budging from it. Dad had sentenced me to life here. "But why?" I couldn't help but ask.Her hazel eyes were boring into mine, probing for answers, searching for everything that I was trying to conceal. It was difficult for me to hold her gaze, but I did so anyway. In my opinion I did nothing wrong, so I don't need to feel ashamed. "You don't think what you did was wrong?" She asked.All this time her voice was even, not accusatory, not laying any blame on me. Although I was afraid before I came here, I didn't feel so anymore. Dread was still present in me, but only regarding the rules she might set for me. I cleared my throat to speak. "I don't think so. All my friends have done it before. Some have done even more. Do you think I was wrong Dadi?"Dadi's expression remained the same, despite what I insinuated. She was pondering my words. I waited for her to speak, to judge me. "Forget about me beta, but I know for a fact that in Allah's eyes it is wrong, a grave sin," Dadi said. I was quick to react, but regretted the words once they left my mouth. I've never shown myself as an agnost in front of my relatives."Does Allah even exist?" At that Dadi's poker face finally changed. Her eyebrows were raised in incredulity. For a moment a grave silence hung between us. I couldn't help lowering my gaze then. "How do you think the world around us came into existence?" She questioned in return.I scratched my head at that. Admittedly that was a questioned even I had thought a lot about. "Don't scientists have a lot of theories about the origin of the world and life and all." Even I knew my answer was half hearted."You enjoy calling an ape your ancestor?" Dadi queried.My silence was answer enough."This whole world is proof enough and more of the existence of Allah my child. If whole worlds could pop out of nothingness, then why would people have to work to build a house or car or even farm for food? Couldn't we just wait until evolution brought it all out for us?" Again I couldn't provide an answer. I chose to remain silent. "I can understand your thoughts beta. I'm here to help you, to guide you. That is why your Abbu has sent you to me. To teach you what is right and wrong for Sunaida and Javed have failed in that respect. I'm not going to restrict you in any way. You can go out, explore Salimabad with Ayesha and Samar until school starts for you. You can access the internet. You can talk to your friends. You don't even have to wear hijab if you don't like it. Just come and sit with me everyday for a couple of hours. I would love to teach all about our deen and our Rabb. Would you do that?" I considered what she was saying. Dadi literally gave me full freedom and all she asked was for a few hours of my days. Why on earth would I refuse such an amazing offer?!I agreed. This conversation went a lot more smoothly than I thought.***So how was it? GlossaryDidi: Elder sister.
Chachi: Wife of paternal uncle ( Chacha).
Phuppi: Paternal aunt.
Phuppa: Husband of Phuppi.
Mami: Wife of Maternal uncle (Mama)
Asr: one of the five daily prayers.
Maghrib: one of the five daily prayers, prayed just after sundown.
Khala: Maternal aunt.
Beta: son/daughter
Alhamdulilah: All praises be to Allah. Said when a Muslim encounters something that is to his benefit.
Ammi: Mother
Abbu: Father
Dada: Grandfather (paternal)
Rabb: Lord
Hijab: Covering prescribed for Muslim women, from their heads to beneath their bust.
Chapter 3The ConfrontationChachu took my bags and led me to my room which was upstairs. Thank God for that. I slowly climbed up the spiral stairs and looked around my dad's home. Ashiana was still the same, grand and impressive. The ginormous halls had huge windows with colored glass panels, polished to perfection. All the furnitures were antique, brought from my Dada ji's ancestral home in Hyderabad. According to him, his ancestors were important members in the courts of the Nawabs of the past. The entrance hall opened to a courtyard whose ceiling was the dome with glass panels that sent rays of sunlight in. On either side of the courtyard were to halls. The courtyard ended in a corridor that I liked to call the 'mirror passage'. It had mirrors next to all three doors it opened to. One of those was Dadi's room. The other two belonged to Chachu and Raziya Phuppi as I recall from the last time I stayed here. The end of the mirror passage opened to another corridor. This one led to the kitchen and the servants quarters. Ashiana has three floors. Four floors including the huge terrace. From up there you could see most of South Salimabad with all the impressive estates and a bit of the East and Central area as well. I frequented the terrace whenever I visited, enjoying the peace and loneliness it offered.My room was on the second floor. The second floor and third floor were identical. Both had two staircases. The first the spiral marble one from the courtyard which led to the drawing rooms of the upper floors. The second which was at the end of a passage from these drawing rooms. It led to the passage to the kitchen. Both the floors had four rooms each. Dadi had my male cousins dominating the third floor and the girls in the second. So my room and Ayesha Di's room were on the second floor along with that of our parents'. There were two passages from the drawing rooms in the upper floors. Each passage led to two rooms and the Western one had the staircase to the back at its end. My room was the second one along the eastern passage. Chachu left me alone to get refreshed. My room like all other rooms in this mansion could fit in the majority of my flat back in Dubai. It had two sections to it. The first part housed a huge antique canopy bed right in the middle. It looked very very inviting to me in my tired state. There were coloured glass lamps on all four walls along with a mini golden chandelier which hung from a decorated ceiling. There was also a divan and a pair of low seated sofas with intricate floral carvings on the wood set against another wall. The walls were painted a pale peach color which I admit, I loved. A shelf and study graced the third wall. An Iranian carpet was spread on the floor which matched the whole vintage vibe of the room. The bedroom also had two windows with the colored glass panneling. They nearly reached the floor. They had extended window seats to them, where a couple of colorful brocade cushions were stacked. Perfect for stargazing and reading and some alone time. Double doors were nestled between the windows which led out into a small balcony. The balcony was furnished with a pair of comfy chairs and a small coffee table. The balcony looked out at our green and lovely garden, trees standing taller than the high wall that surrounded Ashiana. I stood by the railing for a bit, taking in the view.The second section had its entry next to the bookshelf. It was half the size of the bedroom and still not small. One wall was lined with two huge vintage wardrobes having colored glass handles and floral etchings which were painted gold. A wall mount clothes rack was fitted next to these. There was also a laundry basket, a floor length mirror with an accompanying shelf and stool and a door which led to the spacious bathroom.There was one thing in which Ashiana was superior to my home in Dubai. It was just magnanimous, both externally and internally. There was not a single cramped space in the mansion. Dada ji had made sure his family's ancestral nobility was present in the house that he built for his family. It took me half an hour to locate some comfortable clothes and take a shower and change into them. I would have loved to spend some time soaking in the bathtub, but I knew Dadi and everyone else were waiting for me down there.Knowing how strict she was about hijab and all, I grabbed a shawl and wrapped it around my head loosely. Strands of my wet hair were still visible, but I couldn't care less. I hardly covered my head back in Dubai. So this was huge. Dadi should be satisfied with it.I went back down the stairs and entered the dining area where everyone else was already seated. There was Dadi at the head of the table looking like an austere old Rani. There was Chachu next to her and Zari Chachi. Their only son Shoaib sat across from Chachu and Samar sat next to him. Samar's sister Ayesha Di sat next to him and facing her sat their mom, Sumi Phuppi. Irfan Phuppa was probably still at the office. Almost all the people had pleasant and welcoming smiles on their faces. Only Dadi remained stone faced. "Come sit and have food before it gets cold! Ammi and Mami prepared all your favorites." Ayesha Di said. Her dimples were on display as she smiled.She was beautiful, with big brown eyes and bouncy curly locks and a creamy complexion. She was brilliant too. Shame really, that she wasn't pursuing a career after finishing software engineering. I smiled and sat next to her. Phuppi got up and came to serve food for me. She stuffed my plate with rice, rotis, daal and everything else. Way too much food on my plate, and I had to finish it all.Seeing the expression on my face Phuppi said, "You look way too thin my dear. Your Dubai has made you look like a skeleton."As if. But I dared not protest under Dadi's scrutiny. I simply smiled and dug in. The food was marvelous though. Much better than Mom's cooking and that of the cook who prepared meals in her absence. The men started excusing themselves once they were done. Even Ayesha Di left after some time. All of them had curiosity written over their faces, but were afraid of angering Dadi. When I was done eating under the scrutiny of the three women, which was super uncomfortable, I looked up from my plate. While Chachi and Phuppi had mixed expressions of worry and concern on their faces, Dadi looked the same, poker faced and giving away none of her thoughts. "Zarina, Sumaiyya; clear the table and ensure the servants have their break. After Asr don't forget to go and visit Khadija Khala. She has been unwell for two days now. Convey my condolences. Return before Maghrib." It was not a command, but the firmness of her tone was not to be taken lightly either.Chachi and Phuppi nodded in agreement and left to do as she asked. Seeing how meekly the adults followed Dadi I realized one thing. It's going to be terribly difficult for me to live here as I want. Dadi left the table and asked me to follow her. She walked in quick strides to her room. Once there she settled on the divan and asked me to sit on the sofa. "How was your trip beta? There were no hassles on the way right?" I was expecting an immediate and detailed interrogation, so Dadi's first question surprised me. But then she did dote on me. "It was alright Dadi. I expected to wait a long time for my baggage and all but everything was easy." Dadi nodded."Alhamdulilah. Now beta, do you know why your Abbu sent you here?" Yet again I was startled. Earlier in the car I was puzzled when I overheard Chachu tell Samar that Dad sent me here. It could not be possible. My Mom would go to any lengths to punish me, not Dad. He wouldn't hurt me. "I can see the frown on your face. You think Sunaida sent you here, huh? But the truth is this was Javed's decision." Dadi's statement made it solid. It was the truth, and there was no budging from it. Dad had sentenced me to life here. "But why?" I couldn't help but ask.Her hazel eyes were boring into mine, probing for answers, searching for everything that I was trying to conceal. It was difficult for me to hold her gaze, but I did so anyway. In my opinion I did nothing wrong, so I don't need to feel ashamed. "You don't think what you did was wrong?" She asked.All this time her voice was even, not accusatory, not laying any blame on me. Although I was afraid before I came here, I didn't feel so anymore. Dread was still present in me, but only regarding the rules she might set for me. I cleared my throat to speak. "I don't think so. All my friends have done it before. Some have done even more. Do you think I was wrong Dadi?"Dadi's expression remained the same, despite what I insinuated. She was pondering my words. I waited for her to speak, to judge me. "Forget about me beta, but I know for a fact that in Allah's eyes it is wrong, a grave sin," Dadi said. I was quick to react, but regretted the words once they left my mouth. I've never shown myself as an agnost in front of my relatives."Does Allah even exist?" At that Dadi's poker face finally changed. Her eyebrows were raised in incredulity. For a moment a grave silence hung between us. I couldn't help lowering my gaze then. "How do you think the world around us came into existence?" She questioned in return.I scratched my head at that. Admittedly that was a questioned even I had thought a lot about. "Don't scientists have a lot of theories about the origin of the world and life and all." Even I knew my answer was half hearted."You enjoy calling an ape your ancestor?" Dadi queried.My silence was answer enough."This whole world is proof enough and more of the existence of Allah my child. If whole worlds could pop out of nothingness, then why would people have to work to build a house or car or even farm for food? Couldn't we just wait until evolution brought it all out for us?" Again I couldn't provide an answer. I chose to remain silent. "I can understand your thoughts beta. I'm here to help you, to guide you. That is why your Abbu has sent you to me. To teach you what is right and wrong for Sunaida and Javed have failed in that respect. I'm not going to restrict you in any way. You can go out, explore Salimabad with Ayesha and Samar until school starts for you. You can access the internet. You can talk to your friends. You don't even have to wear hijab if you don't like it. Just come and sit with me everyday for a couple of hours. I would love to teach all about our deen and our Rabb. Would you do that?" I considered what she was saying. Dadi literally gave me full freedom and all she asked was for a few hours of my days. Why on earth would I refuse such an amazing offer?!I agreed. This conversation went a lot more smoothly than I thought.***So how was it? GlossaryDidi: Elder sister.
Chachi: Wife of paternal uncle ( Chacha).
Phuppi: Paternal aunt.
Phuppa: Husband of Phuppi.
Mami: Wife of Maternal uncle (Mama)
Asr: one of the five daily prayers.
Maghrib: one of the five daily prayers, prayed just after sundown.
Khala: Maternal aunt.
Beta: son/daughter
Alhamdulilah: All praises be to Allah. Said when a Muslim encounters something that is to his benefit.
Ammi: Mother
Abbu: Father
Dada: Grandfather (paternal)
Rabb: Lord
Hijab: Covering prescribed for Muslim women, from their heads to beneath their bust.
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