Chapter Three – The perfect stranger

The gentleman who got off the Range rover was well-built and six feet tall. He wore a dark blue suit with a white shirt and a light blue tie. His formally combed dark brown hair was getting swayed due to the wind when he closed the door of his car. He walked forward with his black shoes finished to shine tapping on the concrete road. He stopped when he was just one step away from the sketch that was under his wheel. He waited a moment and bent down to get a hold of it. He pulled the sketch from under the wheel, being careful not to tear the masterpiece. He stood up with the sketch and took a good look at it. After a while, for some unknown reason, he folded it twice and tucked it safely into the inner pocket of his suit.

**

Alaya was not having a good day. Her frustration about going to the prom with Max didn’t happen to leave her even for a minute. She was thinking about it on her commute back home, while watching TV and while doing any household chore that her mother was asking her to do. She was seriously fed up of everything because of that one issue and all she wanted to do was lock herself in her room and give herself time to think about it. But Alaya didn’t get that chance because she was busy helping mom and Asma in the kitchen to get everything ready for Iftaar. She thought of telling Asma about it so many times but she knew what Asma would say.

“Alaya….do you think that’s the right thing to do?” Asma had said when Alaya had asked about having a boyfriend about 3 years ago. And Alaya could not answer that question. She wanted to say ‘yes’ confidently but for some reason she couldn’t. Somewhere deep inside her heart she felt that it wasn’t the right thing. And today, she was feeling the same way about prom. But she didn’t want to feel this way. She wanted someone to convince her that it was okay so that she could go without this ‘unnecessary’ sense of guilt imposed on her by her family.

She sought Lilly’s help to get over it. But it was helping only so much. Every time she called Lilly over the weekend, Lilly would tell her that it was okay to enjoy a little. That it was fine to go to the prom even with the hijab and no one would question about it. That she had the right to have the right man by her side who would love her and care about her.

“You’ve got to stop listening to those voices in your head Ally! Its all because of the tradition you were brought up in. They did this just to trap you in whatever decision they make for you. The talk about the marriage to that Layaan guy is just the beginning. Stop getting fooled Alaya. Stop losing yourself to them. You deserve better than that!” Lilly had said for the hundredth time in the last two days.

“I wish I could believe you Lilly…I really do. But I can’t get these bad notions out of my head! I think I need a counselor.” Alaya said, while she was at her study table grinding her mind about the prom that was going to happen the next day.

“Oh darling! You don’t need a counselor. All you need is a dance with the hottest guy in school. Trust me! I bought the dress for you as well. It’s a blue maxi and a brown headscarf, just like in your dream! And I bought a red one for myself to match the dream. Neil loves it too! Isn’t this just so exciting?” Lilly asked with her apparently heightened excitement. All Alaya can do is pretend to smile and mumble ‘yeah.’ She heard her mom calling from the kitchen at that moment.

“Lill I gotta go! Call you back later! Bye!” Alaya said.

“Bye….always remember Alaya. Don’t be fooled.” Lilly said, as her last words and clicked the phone. Alaya thought about those words with seriousness then got up from her chair when she heard her mom’s voice again.

When Alaya got the kitchen, Waleeda and Asma were working as usual. Alaya was given a utensil of vegetables to chop. While doing their own work, Alaya heard her mother and her sister talk about how much Quran they were able to recite within the past 2 days of Ramadaan. Asma even talked about the ayahs of the Quran that she learned the meanings of, but Alaya paid little attention. Alaya wonders how Asma could talk about the Quran with such excitement. What was it about that book in Arabic that intrigued her? Asma often says that maybe one day even Alaya would see the beauty in it and fall in love with it. Alaya highly doubts that she’d ever even recite it on her own good will.

“The ayah about finding coolness of the eyes in our spouses and our children is very beautiful Subhaanallah! The ayah comes in the form of a dua doesn’t it? Alaya dear you better learn it and start saying it often. It’s about having a good family that loves you and you love them back.” Waleeda said.

“Why would I say the dua about having good spouses and children?” Alaya said, with Layaan’s name in the corner of her head.

“Hehe…silly! Didn’t you hear your father talking about getting you married?” Waleeda asked.

“But you said that was a joke!” Alaya said, looking up and stopping her work.

“Oh! But that wasn’t. We saw you were a little disturbed with it but dear! He really is a good guy.”

“Good guy? Who? Layaan?!”

“Well we thought you liked him from childhood.”

“No I didn’t!”

“But Asma did tell me about you having a crush on a boy that one year in 5th grade you spent in Egypt.”

“What?!”

“So you don’t remember?”

“Mom…seriously I feel like choking to death right now! You are fixing my marriage to a guy, who I haven’t seen for ages just on the assumption that I had a crush on him while I was in 5th grade? What do you think I am? Just a grown child with no change of emotion?” Alaya asked, enraged to the point her face was reddened. Waleeda and Asma looked at her in silence. After a while, Waleeda spoke.

“Well we can’t change the decision all of a sudden. We informed Layaan’s family and they have pre-poned their trip to New York to next week. Meet them and see what you think.” Waleeda said in a calm voice.

Alaya gritted her teeth in anger. She couldn’t believe her ears. Lilly was so right! She was being fooled. She was being manipulated. Just so she did not come in the way of her extended family’s decisions. Alaya stood up and started to walk away. A sense of rebellion building up inside her. Refusing to even consider that her mother was doing it, in hope of finding the right man for her just like her friend. Giving a blind eye to the fact that her mother was actually giving her a choice just now. Not realizing that it was her mom who was always there for her even before her best friend, who accused her own family of fooling her.

Alaya went straight to her bedroom and picked up her phone. At once she called Lilly. Lilly picked up the phone within seconds and answered.

“I’m going Lilly. Be here tomorrow night at 8. We are going according to the plan.” Alaya said.

**

The next night, the doorbell of Mahmood’s residence rang sharp at 8. Mahmood was reading an Islamic book when he heard the ring. Not finding anyone else in the living room at the time, he kept the book on a side table near the couch and went to open the door. Alaya was right behind Mahmood with a handbag filled with her make-up set and other cosmetics. A nervousness showed on Alaya’s face when her father opened the door.

“Hi Mr. Mahmood! Lilly here…..hope you remember me.” Lilly said, with a full smile on her face. She was still in one of her usual tops and jeans though it was almost time for the prom.

“Hi….you must be Alaya’s friend. What brings you here?” Mahmood asked.

“Um….Alaya and I planned to have a group study at my place. All our friends are already there and we were all waiting for Alaya. So I thought I’d just come by and pick her up from my car.” Lilly said with the kind of confidence Alaya always wished she had when lying.

“Oh…Alaya never told me about it.” Mahmood said, almost disappointed by the fact that Alaya didn’t tell him about the group study. When Alaya found Lilly getting stuck, she spoke.

“Dad I forgot to tell you. I thought you’d have to go to the masjid at this time. So I told Lilly to pick me up. It’s an all girls’ gathering dad. If you don’t mind….” Alaya said, with her hands and feet turning ice cold as her father looked at her. She expected him to shout out and say no. But….

“Yes dear you can go. I’ll just come by to pick you up at 10. Will that be ok?” Mahmood asked in a way that surprised both Lilly and Alaya. But they were both elated at the same time.

“Yes, yes dad that would be ok! Thank you so much dad!” Alaya said, walking upto Mahmood with a bright smile and then passing by him. As Alaya was about to go, Mahmood called Alaya out. Alaya turned back to face him.

“Take care, love.” Mahmood said, in the kind of loving voice that made Alaya’s heart melt. What was she doing? Turning her back to her dad by lying to him? While he ever did was care about her? What was she doing keeping him in the dark? How terrible of a human being can she turn out to be? Alaya thought as she started walking with Lilly. Once again, Alaya started doubting her decision. Was she doing the right thing?

**

The question was on Alaya’s mind even after she was in her attire from her dream and was on her way to the prom in Lilly’s car along with Lilly and her boyfriend Neil. Alaya could barely pay attention to any lovey dovey dialogues that were happening between them. A part of her wanted to go back. But the other half of her heart also wanted to rebel, be at prom and show what she was made of.

Since Alaya was completely at the mercy of her friend, she did not have a choice but to go with the latter choice. She was at the prom by 9. The hall was decorated for the event with red and white on the railing of the stairs. There were balloons of the same colour lying and moving on the floor as people moved. Through the dim red lights, all Alaya could see were students of her batch wearing maxis and suits. On the side of the hall Alaya saw a stall with quality shirts neatly folded on top of a long table. There were 4 staffs in green uniforms arranging them in front of a poster with a brand name that was not clear to Alaya due to the dim lights.

“That was the company I told you about Ally. Apparently they are advertising their cloth shopping mall. We better check out the stall when we have time. Oh! Here is Max!” Lilly talked and then exclaimed when she saw Max approaching. Alaya looked in that direction and was stunned for a moment. She couldn’t deny that Max looked good in his dark brown suit and trousers with a white shirt. The bow tie clearly told Alaya that Lilly had told him about the dream. Alaya should have been the happiest girl tonight, as Lilly said. But she wasn’t, for so many reasons. So she could only force a smile when Max smiled at her.

That wasn’t the only thing that went against Alaya’s dream that night. Everything that happened afterwards hit reality on Alaya’s face like heavy punches. Max had taken her hand without permission and danced with her to a song she did not like. His moves were unanticipated by Alaya and as a result, their dance was a mess. Alaya wanted to stop even before the song ended but Max forcefully pulled her closer and pressed his body to hers. Alaya realized that she did not want such a closeness from a strange man like this. Especially not in public. Max only left Alaya with the 5th song that ended and to Alaya’s surprise went to the bar with her hand still in his. Alaya was utterly disturbed at the smell of the drinks and being near to a place she’d never been before.

“Can I buy you a drink?” Max had asked. Alaya fiercely shook her head involuntarily. Max had a laugh and bought a drink for himself. It didn’t take long before Alaya realized that Max was a heavy drinker. Alaya had her mouth opened with he had 10 drinks in a row without even looking at her. A moment later his friends joined him and Max introduced Alaya to them.

“Meet my new hot girlfriend!” Max’s tone made Alaya realize that he was beginning to lose it. Alaya hated the way Max introduced her to her friends. She lowered her eyes in disgust and in shame.

“Well look at that cloth on her head. Why don’t you take it off Max?” one of Max friends, who also sounded high, spoke.

“Yeah, we’d like to take a look too. Do it Max!” the other friend said and Alaya’s heart stopped beating. She looked towards them and she saw three men, looking at her with smiles that sent shivers down her spine. She wanted to run but her feet felt stuck on the floor with fear. Max moved a step closer to her and raised his hand to reach for her hijab. Alaya closed her eyes tightly in an attempt to escape reality. As his fingertips were just about to touch the hijab, a drink was splashed on Max’s face from right behind Alaya. Alaya opened her eyes to the sound of cuss words being said by Max and both of his friends. Hearing the splash and seeing Max’s wet face made Alaya want to see who did it. But just then, the person held her hand with his fingers intertwined with hers and started walking out with her. When Alaya turned, she saw a man’s back with a black suit and trousers. Alaya’s heart began to race not being sure of what the man was upto. But for some reason, she was sure he wouldn’t hurt her. Perhaps because of what he did for her just now. And perhaps because of how loving and protective the touch of his hand felt. Wait…loving and protective? What was she thinking? About a complete stranger? Is she out of her mind? Or has this long night made her mentally ill? Alaya did not know any of it. All she knew was she could’nt pull her hand away from his. Neither could she find the courage to say a word.

The man took her out of the campus onto the road where there was a taxi. He reached out for the back door of the taxi while walking, opened the door and pulled Alaya towards the car. She wanted to look so badly but she lowered her gaze as she slipped into the car. Perhaps because she realized the mannerism of this unknown man. She didn’t dare look or talk. She could just abide by what he wanted her to do.

He closed the door of the taxi when Alaya took her seat. Alaya looked through the window as she saw his figure move towards the driver’s door. The driver pulled down the window and he showed a 100 dollar bill.

“Take her home.” he said, in a voice that brought goose bumps on Alaya’s skin.

“But I don’t have a change.” the driver said. But the man didn’t seem to care. He just walked past the taxi without saying another word. Desperately wanting to know who he was at that moment, Alaya peaked through the window and took a look at the side mirror. She saw the man walking towards the Range rover that was just behind the taxi. He got in the car and it came to life in an instant with its white headlights shining on the taxi she was in. Just at that moment, even her driver started the taxi and it began to move. Alaya’s heart sank, when the car behind took a U-turn and drove the other way while hers moved forward. Who was that perfect stranger? Alaya wondered, as she sank into her seat.