and went over to check on the bubbling tea. She waited by the stove for couple of minutes and then poured the milk in it. As the tea was cooked, she put the strainer on the top of tea pot and filled it up.

Putting everything in the tray, including a plate of evening biscuits, she brought it to the living area where Zafar was watching captivating National Geography channel. His attention was all absorbed by the astute lion, hiding in the flaxen plains, waiting for the perfect moment to prance over the poor zebra and hunt him down. The suspenseful background music kept him at the edge of the sofa.

When Saliha put the tray on the coffee table, clinking the dishes, she noticed that Zafar was too into the TV to even notice her. She sat down on the sofa at a tiny distance from him and quietly watched as the lion raced through the field, still invisible to the eye of the zebra, attacked him and knocked his prey down, tearing the skin and the flesh.

"Did you look at the speed," Zafar amazed. "No wonder they are called the King of Jungle."

"What have you been watching lately?" Saliha said. "You are taking interest in geography channel a lot."

"Begum jee, agar kuch acha aaye toh dekhay na. I am not a news person. Political debates bore me."

"If you are done watching, will you help yourself to tea?" Saliha placed the cup in the saucer in front of Zafar.

"Yes indeed." Zafar extended his arm to reach the tea pot. "I had been waiting for the tea all afternoon."

Saliha filled her cup after Zafar was done and spooned two teaspoons of sugar. "If you wanted it badly, I could've told Rumina to make it for you. It doesn't take that long. I usually drink it in the evening after a good nap."

"I didn't want to bother anyone." Zafar picked the spoon that Saliha had used and mixed the sugar in his cup. "This is a good time to drink tea. I can sleep well in the night."

"Have some biscuits," Saliha said. "These are the only ones at home. I have to go for grocery. There are so many things I need." She sipped her tea.

"Where do you do grocery from?"

"Metro. I can find everything there."

Zafar bit the coconut biscuit and sipped some tea over it. "Shehryaar goes with you?"

"Sometimes. He helps me carry bags to the car."

Zafar drank his tea and nibbled on the biscuit. He picked the remote control and flipped through channels. His interest from the National geography was off: there were too many ads. He kept switching until he found what he liked-Pakistani drama. But he wasn't really watching it. It was on to fill in the silence.

Saliha took one biscuit from the plate and put the half cup of tea on the coffee table near the edge.

"I was thinking what we are going to do about the engagement," she said. "You are planning go back and there aren't that many days until your flight."

"I had that in my mind too," Zafar said. "What should we do?"

"This is not like other marriages. Bride and groom both live in the same house. If they are to get married, they should at least be engaged." Saliha paused, seeing if Zafar understood what she meant. "Since you have to go, we should get them engaged."

"What if we get their Nikah done?" Zafar said.

"Nikah? In couple of days?"

"You said that bride and groom live in the same house before marriage. If they are to get married, they should at least be bonded through a strong relationship. Then why not Nikah? It forever secures it," Zafar explained.

"But it's too early. I mean like..it will rush everything."Saliha was just not ready. "I think it's just not possible."

"How do you want the wedding to be like? Really extravagant? Or just simple with less people?"

Saliha was uncertain. She wanted the wedding to be nice and big with lots of people. She had thought about so many things she wanted to do, but Zafar's question had put her in doubt.

"I always wanted it to be extravagant. These kinds of occasion don't come again and again."

"Then time is the problem."

"Can't we just do the engagement first and then everything else?" Saliha insisted.

Zafar thought.

Saliha looked at him as he managed to utter his response.

"I really have to go back. My flight can't be canceled. But if you really want to, then we can keep the engagement before I go. But don't make too extravagant. Just simple, or else it will be hard to manage," he said.

"I was planning to make it little extravagant. Not too much."

"What day?" Zafar drank the last sip of his tea and put the empty cup on the table.

"How about Friday or Saturday?"

"I think Saturday is better. It will be less hectic."

"Then I should start inviting people as soon as possible." Saliha finished her tea and put it back on the tray.

"This will be the engagement. What about the Nikah?"

"We can do Nikah when you come back on your next visit like after week or two."

Zafar shook his head. "I feel like it will take me longer than that. I can't come back after going for a week," he said.

"So..." Saliha thought. "Then we do it after you come back," she said.

Zafar wore an unsatisfying look.

"Let's consider this after you go there and see how things work out."

Zafar leaned back on the sofa, his hand resting on his thighs. "I will see."

"And if you can't come, then we will see. Don't worry."

"In Shaa Allah it won't be bad. I will be able to come."

Saliha garnered the cups and the plate of biscuits and carefully placed them on the tray. "I will talk to Shehryaar about our plan."

"Did you tell him that Zoha has said yes?" Zafar asked.

"Didn't get a chance." Saliha got up and picked the tray from the table. "Maybe he knows that she had said yes."

"We can't assume it."

"I will tell him," Saliha assured. She started heading for the kitchen.

"Do you know where is Shehryaar?" Zafar asked from the back.

Saliha turned and said, "I don't know. Haven't met him this afternoon."

"If you see him, tell him to come meet me."

"Okay."

When she was going to the kitchen, Shehryaar popped up from upstairs, ready to go out with his black wrist watch on, and his hair swept back with gel. As Saliha saw him, she immediately called, "beta Shehryaar."

He clambered down the stairs and looked at his mother.

"Where are you going?"

He strode over to her. "Mummy, I am going out. You know my friend Ahsan that I talk about very often, the one from California? He is visiting Pakistan. He came two days ago." He was flushing with excitement.

"Really? That's good," Saliha said.

"I have to go meet him. I will be back by nine thirty."

"But before you go out. Your daddy has to talk to you."

Shehryaar's brown eyes looked into Saliha's; twinkle in them disappeared. "For what?"

"Zoha has said yes for the proposal so your daddy-" Shehryaar interrupted her.

"Zoha said yes?"

Saliha nodded. "He needs to talk to you about it."

"Where is he?" he eagerly asked.

Just as Saliha told him, he hurried to the living area, not even waiting to hear what his mother had to say to him.

******************

"Daddy, you called me?" Shehryaar approached Zafar.

"Oh, Shehryaar," Zafar grabbed the remote control from the table and lowered the already low volume. "Yeah I called you. I needed to talk to you about something important." When Shehryaar walked toward him, Zafar then noticed. "Are you going anywhere?"

"Yeah." He sat down. "You know my friend Ahsan that was with me in high school and then went to college also? He came to Pakistan two days ago. I just found out so I was going to meet him."

"That's great. Where does he live?"

"He lives in Karachi. But I don't know exactly which area. I got his address. I will check it out."

"Well GPS is there to help you, so it won't be that bad."

"Yeah. Well anyways. What did you have to say?"

"Oh yeah." Zafar shifted the conversation. "I was going to say that-" he took a slight pause. "That soon I will be going back to California. My flight is next week. I don't know if your mummy told you that Zoha has said to the proposal."

"Yeah she did."

"So I was thinking about fixing the engagement before I go back to California." Zafar looked at Shehryaar to see what was his response. He patted his hand and said, do you think it is took early?"

"No, daddy. I think it's a perfect idea. That way you will be here."

"I just thought probably you would think I am rushing it."

"It's just an engagement. It doesn't have to be extravagant."

"Are you sure?"

"I am hundred percent sure. I am happy that you are managing to do this before you leave. And whatever you can do for me, I am okay with it." Shehryaar smiled.

"But your mummy wants it to be extravagant. She said these events don't come again and again."

Shehryaar gave it a thought. "This is not my first engagement after all."

"But this time it's going according to how you want it," Zafar said. "You are happy with the proposal."

"I know." Shehryaar was indecisive about the engagement plan. "It will take little more time to manage an extravagant event. We will have to invite more people. Do shopping. Book cater."

"How many days from now is your flight?"

"Seven days. Just a week."

"And when are we planning to fix the engagement?"

"So far me and your mummy have decided Saturday."

"So that means we only have four to five days to do everything."

"There aren't that many days."

"Well it can happen that we can invite guests today and tomorrow. And you can book the cater two days before Saturday, while Zoha can do her shopping.

Zafar thought. "Plan sounds good."

"In Shaa Allah everything will happen on time and there will be nothing to worry about," Shehryaar optimized. "Believe me."

"Okay," Zafar said. "I will get on the plan today."

Shehryaar got up. "Daddy, I am gonna go now. Ahsan must be waiting."

"Okay," he said. "I am going to tell your mummy everything about it so she starts preparing."

"Sahi hai." Shehryaar turned and headed to leave.

"Beta, when are you going to come back?"

"Like nine. It will be dark by then," he informed.

"Okay." Zafar eased back in the sofa.

"Allah-hafiz." Shehryaar said as he stepped out of the house.

Outside was a fine, cool day. Shehryaar fumbled the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the car. Before he sat in the driver's seat, he threw a glance at the gate. Sajjid wasn't there. Then Shehryaar looked at the small quarter by the gate. It seemed empty too.

Where did he go? he thought, leaving the car door open and he went over to check.

"Sajjid baba?" he called. "Are you there?"

There was no response.

Shehryaar looked in the lawn. Sajjid was not there either. But instead he noticed Zoha sitting in the lawn chair, her books laid open on the table.

Zoha? he thought.

Closing the car door and taking the keys along, he went over to her. She was busy reading the textbook and jotting down notes.

"Zoha," he said, stopping by her.

Zoha dropped the pen in the middle of her textbook and looked over her shoulder.

"What are you studying?" he asked.

"I am studying for my finals."

"Oh." He looked around. "Have you seen Sajjid baba?"

Zoha shrugged. "No. Didn't see him."

"Don't know where he went."

"Did you check his quarter?"

"Yeah I did."

"The back one."

"No I haven't. Do you think he will be there?"

"Maybe. Where else can he be?"

"I will see if he is there." He lastly glanced at Zoha and turned away. After walking two steps, he halted and looked over his shoulder. Zoha was back to her studies, writing notes on the sheet of loose leaf-focused and undistracted. Shehryaar wanted to say something, but he thought not to; it would disturb her.

He looked forward and strode to the driveway.

*****************

Zoha abandoned her textbook in the study room and went upstairs to pray Maghrib. As soon as she was done praying, she pulled out Quran and continued reading the twenty one para. She thought she was not going to get time to read it due to her finals, but she managed it. She told herself she had to. Prayers and Quran came first and then all the other stuff dadi used to say.

Without rushing, she read fives pages in twenty minutes and sticked the marker at the beginning of twenty two para. Then respectfully put it in the higher shelf, took off her long scarf and fixed her hair. Saliha had called her to come down for dinner at eight thirty. The food was ready. Zoha thought to go little early so she could help out in the kitchen and get to know the plan about engagement.

When she showed up, Rumina was already there working by the stove. Zoha couldn't tell what she was doing because her back was turned to her. She walked over and curiously glanced over. Rumina was whisking yogurt in the bowl. There was another bowl set aside filled one quarter with green paste of mint, cilantro and green chilies, the smell so strong that it made Zoha cough.

"Rumina, is there anything to do?" she asked.

"Everything is done. I am just making the raita."

"What is for dinner?"

"Pilau."

Zoha loved pilau, especially the chicken one. It was above all the rice dishes she ate, including biryani.

"Where is Bari ammi?"

Rumina added the smooth yogurt in the bowl of green paste and whisked the mixture into one sauce. "She must be coming down."

Zoha checked the pot of pilau since she hadn't had anything to do and then sat at the kitchen table, fiddling with the chili stem that Rumina had forgotten to throw in the garbage. For some time, she waited for Saliha. It was eight fifty- nearly ticking nine.

"Where is Bari ammi left?" she wondered.

"Must have gotten busy with something." Rumina was cleaning the dirty dishes with the soapy sponge. "Did you have less work today that you came down early?"

"No way. I have to finish studying for my finals," Zoha said. "Bari ammi told me to come down for dinner. So I came."

Rumina washed the soapy foam with the water and put the sparkly spoon in the dishwasher. There weren't that many dishes in the sink. She was done with it faster.

"When is your college ending?" she asked, drying her hands with the maroon kitchen towel.

"There are only one week left. Then I will finally get to relax." Zoha already felt like slacking. She didn't want to go back to the study room to continue taking notes and reviewing them. It was really annoying. She wanted to be done with it.

"You work so hard day and night." Rumina walked up to the table, where Zoha was sitting. "I have never seen you do anything but study study study."

"What else is in a student's life?" Zoha played with the chilly stem. "It has always been my dream to become an architect. It's the purpose that kept me going. I can never give up studying."

"In Shaa Allah you will reach great heights."

"Hope so." Zoha knew Shehryaar was going to help her achieve her dream. He had promised it.

Rumina went back to the sink, grabbed the wet counter-wiping towel and swept the table clean. When she moved the wicker fruit basket, her hand stopped amid and she looked at Zoha. "What do you have in your hand?" she inquired.

"It's chili stem." Zoha showed the small dark green thing.

Rumina offered her hand. "Give me. I will throw it out."

Zoha put it in her palm.

"Wash your hands. I am afraid it will burn your eyes if you touch them."

"Is the stem that bad?"

"Little bit. But it's better to be careful." Rumina dumped the stem and rinsed the square towel.

Zoha rose from the chair and said, "where is Bari ammi? She is still not here yet?"

"Wonder what's holding her," Rumina said, putting the bowl of raita on the table.

"I will go check," Zoha said.

"Tell her that I have made the raita and everything is ready."

"Okay," she said and headed upstairs. When she reached Saliha's room, she knocked at the door and waited. In a bit as the door opened, Zoha found Saliha looked at Zoha like she knew why she(Zoha) had come for.

"Bari ammi, everything is ready. Are you coming down?"

Saliha slipped her long dupatta little bit in the back and said, " yeah. I am coming. Hold up a second." She left Zoha at the door and went inside the room. Zoha took is as a signal that she should go down, Saliha would catch up. She turned and started heading back to the kitchen.

When she was half way, she heard Saliha, "Zoha?"

Zoha froze. "Jee, Bari ammi?" she said little louder for her to hear.

"Wait, I am coming." The footsteps ensued in her direction and Saliha appeared at the end of the corridor. "Sorry it took me a while."

"Bari ammi, she made the raita and salad altogether."

"Perfect."

They climbed down the stairs together and went to the kitchen.

Rumina was standing by the stove, transferring the rice in the platter. She was already setting the table before Saliha specifically told her.

"Sorry I took a long time," Saliha said to Rumina. "I had to call few homes for the engagement. Two times I called at this place and they weren't picking up. Thank god the third time they did."

"Bibi, engagement?" Rumina said.

"Yeah, Rumina. Baray sahab has planned it this Saturday."

Rumina put the cooking spoon aside and applied the lid on the pot. "Aap ko bohat Mubarak ho." She looked at Saliha with a big smile on her face.

"Shukriya," Saliha said.

"May Allah always keep this family happy."

"Ameen."

Rumina carried the hot, steaming platter to the kitchen table and placed it on the non-plastic mat. "Bibi, should I take it to the dining room?"

"Yeah take it. I don't want to delay it anymore. It's nine already."

"Okay."

Just as Rumina left the kitchen with the platter, Zoha came forward and asked, "Bari ammi, can I take something too?"

"Yeah." Saliha pulled out the grass green colored delicate plates from the top cabinet and handed it to Zoha. "They are kind of heavy. Can you manage it?"

Zoha's hands were pressed under the weight. "It's fine. I will manage it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She slowly took steps, watching ahead so she wouldn't stumble.

In the dining room, on the table, the platter of pilau was already there. Rumina was gone back to the kitchen to get other dishes. Zoha nicely put the plates in front of each chair and waited for Rumina to bring over the salad and raita. After that the only thing left was the jug of water (sometimes Saliha made juices. But not today.)