"LUV, HAPPY EID"

I had just finished locking my hair up in an elastic rubber band, when the phone rang.
My beloved black Nokia 3230.
How I love it.
It had been with me through so much…pain and smiles…good times and bad ones…
I sighed, smiled and answered the call.
“Eid mubarak Basanti! Kaisi hai?” my friend Sana.
“Abey Basanti ki dhanno…Eid mubarak to you too.”
“Kya planning hai? Anything special?”
“Don’t think so…wohi ghisi piti family gatherings I guess…got to ask mum. Kyun pooch rahi hai?
“Party hai. Only kids. Aaja yaar.”
“Wow. Kaha?”
“Conti school ke bacche, Paki school ke bacche, Bong school, Philip school…”
“Maine poochha kahaa idio?”
“Dorrah”
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?????”
“Yup babes.”
“Hola! Count me in….nahi ruk..mum se kehkar confirm kar leti hoon.”
“You mean..kehne wali hai…not poochhne wali..ryt?”
“Absolutely.”
“Poochhke bata dena.”
“Done. Thanks honey. I got to go for shopping. See ya.”

That was teriffic. A party at Dorrah. Wo…
Everything was perfect today.
The new moon smiled back at me as I smiled at it. The stars twinkled and I could even hear their soft dazzling laughter. A cool and self satisfied breeze rushed past me, teasingly spoiling my hair style. I gave a damn.
Mom was easy. Dad wasn’t mad. Asif wasn’t irritating. Life was hell.
The earth and the heavens were in a festive mood.
And I of course, had to take full advantage of the situation.

As I said…Mom was easy.
No hassles.
Called up Sana and confirmed my presence at the party and ran off to do my shopping.
I strolled along the walk happily.
“Eeekzkioos me mum…”
I swiveled around at the soft, African accent.
“Yeah. Wha..” I couldn’t finish.
The smooth, enchanted olive face.
The flickering brown eyes.
The ever so numerous plaits dangling from the oval head.
The ragged, faded jeans and the torn, dirty t-shirt.
The gold colored nose ring.
The only one shoe…cheap, red and blue, with almost black dirty lace.
The dusty crutches.
I raised my eyes up again.
And her brown ones spilled into mine.

I gathered myself back before I lost track again in her enchanting appearance.
“Yes…” my half smile. Flirt smile…Asif says.
“A kooin mum…a kooin…for ze me. Ze phooer phooer me…iv you kaan sphayea…”
“Only a coin?…and what do you plan to do with that my lady?”
“Oh…ma iinglees theaasha tell…vun droop maayek a seaa. Aand how mash kaan I aask…”
“Where’s your family?”
“Ma fameeli? hah...” a sarcastic laughter.
I waited patiently.
“Gone…Wallahi…” she stretched her arms out heavenwards and I could see the lost look in her eyes, shaded with experience.
“Where to?” I asked softly and felt like slapping myself the immediate moment.
I started walking slowly.
I noticed, conversation made her walk with me, unconsciously.
And because I walked slowly, she found no hassles to move with her crutches.
“I not know wheer Baba gone. No see Baba eva. Maama … oh…they kill Maama. They kill her I say. They kill…” she shook her head vehemently.
“Who did?”
“Ze mean I working for ze men. They tell me Maama gone out and not cum baak. But I know…they kill her.”
“And when was that?”
“Faayeef yeerz. befoe.”
I removed a strand of hair from my face.
“Aand Baseem. Ma swweeet Baseem…they send him sumwheer. They say he work theya aand he happy. I not know.”
“Then where do you live?”
“With ma friendz…”
“Friends? From where?”
“They only. Like me. Beggin.”

I felt like some one slapped me right on my face.
This pretty girl, of around my age, was begging on Eid for survival and I here, was dancing my way to the market for buying ear rings.
Lines from the Holy Quran floated through my mind… “ …and o men and women of pious character! Offer your prayers and give your due charity to the poor, so that they may enjoy as you do…and all are equal in the eyes of the Lord. The Most Beneficient, the Most Merciful….”
How great God was…
Something clutched near my shirt pocket.
I felt like crying. What the hell…
“Umm…how much do you want?” I asked, not looking at her eyes, feeling abashed.
“As less as you kaan mum.”
I stared at her…
She answered me, reading my expression.
“Hah. You talk to me. I like you. I not want you geeve maanee to thievez. You geeve me maanee. They thievez take from me.”
“What if I give it to you? Don’t give them your money…” I suggested.
“Hah. They seearsh ma body everyday. They cut ma istomach iv maanee in daat.” She ended with a heinous laugh.
My blood was boiling.
“And what if you didn’t go back?” I was not going to give up.
“I not haav playec to sleep. And they kill me iv they see me again.” She smiled confidently…like telling me… “what do you knoe?”
Horror struck, my mind felt weak.
I knew what the phrase “Humanity bleeds” meant.
I made up my mind. I was going to give this girl something on Eid which those ass holes could not take away from her.
“And when do you have to go back?”
“Tomorrow moornin..today iiz Eid…”
“And what will you do the whole night”
“Beg!..Whaat else…” her eyes wondered with her face expression. “…beesness hi today.” She answered easily.
“No.” I replied coldly.
She questioned me with her look.
“How much do you think you’ll get if you beg the whole night?”
“About feevtee riyaalz…”
I took 50 bucks from my wallet and pushed the note into her bag.
“Wha?..”
Shocked, she stared at me.
“You don’t have to beg tonight. You are coming with me.”
“Wheer mum? Mum want me to work at home? I kaan not. I not have leg.…”
“Oh no. You are coming with me to the party.”
“Paarteee?”
“Yupz babes.”
“I..noooooo…mum…how me…” she stammered lightly.
I took her hands in mine and forced my eyes into hers.
“Look here. My heart goes out to you. I’d kill those bastards if I could. But I can’t. I can’t give you anything as they take it all. All I can do is give you some good time. Please …will you come?” I pleaded.
“I not know peepal in paartee…no dress..”
“Oh..leave all that to me. Just come. What have you had today?”
“Bread aand waater…like eevery daay..”
“Not necessarily. Come.”
I helped her to the nearby Shawerma stall and ordered two sandwiches and a coke for both of us.

After that, we shopped out my entire pocket. We bought skirts, tops, matching shoes and earrings between the two of us.
We laughed and talked as we walked along.
Some puzzled glances thrown at us….who gives a damn…
“You name…how stupid of me..”
“Mirrium.” She smiled faintly.
“Hey Mirium…Farah here.”
We shook hands and giggled around like kids.
“Faarah…haha..Farah Fawcett…”
Astonished I asked how she knew.
“They haav poster on za wall…”

On the way back, it suddenly occurred to me, I had nothing to tall Mum and Dad. I dialed home with a silent prayer. No one answered the phone. I tried Mum’s cell to confirm. Yes. She was out. And so was everybody else. I sent a flying kiss heavenwards.
Mirium giggled beside me.
We took a cab and rushed back home.

I unplainted her hair, shampooed it and straightened it. She laughed endlessly at the image the mirror gave back. I helped her clean off the dirt from the past week that was sealed on her face and body, dressed her up and myself too. Did it an extra bit….well..it wasn’t Eid everyday.

We checked out after an hour or so, took another cab and ran into the party.
What I fearded, thankfully, did not happen. No one asked about her. No one tried to speak to her except two boys who wanted to call her, but fled as I pierced my eyes at them.
Mirium giggled again.
I think I never heard a voice sweeter and softer.
We enjoyed the food and the fun. We let the music take us wherever it wanted to. We hugged each other thrice and wished us happy Eid. And we laughed endlessly, passing comments on people we didn’t know.

“I’m not gonna let you beg anymore Mirium. I’m gonna talk to my parents and you can stay at home, help Mum n me and study with me.”
Her eyes widened, the universe a dot in front of it.
“No Faarah…nooooooooooo…they kill me. I not know work. Not study. They kill you and your Maama and Baba. Pleeees…Nooooo..”
“Mirium. How are you going to live like that?”
“Oh..i live like that only. Faarah..you veery naaice. I like you veery mush. I see your foto aand your fameeli foto in your baag…I take dat?”
I fought back tears, smiled and handed it to her.
“Your Mama like ma Maama, your baba like ma aand your braather like ma Baseem..”
Steam rose from her lips, tears trickled down her olive face.
“We’ll meet at the market again. Promise?” I forced a smile.
She took my hand in hers and kissed them in stead.
“Water…kaan I dreenk?” her voice only a whisper now.
“Just a sec…I’ll get it.” I ran to get a glass of water, got it and came back where Mirium stood, only, she wasn’t there anymore.
I stared blankly at the spot where she stood a few minutes ago.
I dashed to the cloak room.
Yes. Exactly as I feared. Her old clothes were gone and the new ones replaced them, clearly, left in a hurry.
She had returned everything else too.
The black skirt, the red top, the red shoe, the ear rings, and the 50 riyal note with it.
When I thought the packet was empty, and was about to toss it aside, something shining caught my sight.
I extracted out the gold colored nose ring and a card with it, which she must have found on the street for it was stamped on and dirty, reading the words “Luv, Happy Eid.”