Mumbai was a city that never slept. It was busy and overly populated. A hub of different cultures coming together for exchanging traditions, products and ideas. The bazaars were the very embodiment of this. The different colours , scents, people and religions all co-existed in peace. There might have been a few skirmishes, but it didn't tarnish the beauty of this colourful mix.
Loharchawl was one such gathering place. It extended for quite a few streets. People were preparing for the upcoming festivals so it was much more lively and crowded.
Ayesha and her Mother were having a great time. The summer night's heat didn't dampen their spirits. In fact they were even more excited. Zeeshaan had a very bad feeling about their enthusiasm. It looked like he was going to be a walking trolley for them.
They found a lot of things they liked and wished to buy but decided to check other shops to get the best bargain. Bargaining was her mother's forte. She could reduce the price up to 50% of the price quoted if she knew it wouldn't affect the shopkeeper.
"No, Ma'am, I can't reduce it any lower. A hundred and seventy is the lowest I can go."
"Oh? Then leave it Ayesha, let's go somewhere else."
"Wait, Madam! A hundred and sixty!"
"Hundred and fifty and I'll take it."
The shopkeeper gave up. "Fine."
Along the way, Ayesha's mother kept teaching them how to get a good price for things. "Remember, try to get it down to the price a little higher than what the actual values of the products are then stop. The shopkeepers here like to increase the price several fold than the actual value. I saw the same purse here that was sold for three times the price that was sold elsewhere."
" Don't bargain if the price is reasonable. The both of you should be able to estimate the prices of the products by their quality by now. If it is of a very good quality, you can buy it at a more expensive rate. The shopkeepers need to make a profit too."
Ayesha was listening intently. These bits of advice helped her many times. She even put it to good use against her brother. Her brother doted on her a lot. She almost always got a good deal.
" Abba will be arriving here in half an hour. We will have dinner at some restaurant then go home," said Zeeshaan after ending the call he was on.
Suddenly, Ayesha was bumped on the shoulder. "Ouch!" There was a wide berth empty to walk but she was still bumped into. The man didn't even say sorry and kept walking. "Hey! Why did you bump into her? There was so much place to walk yet you bumped into her," Zeeshaan angrily said.
He was furious. Despite all the efforts to cover herself, these perverts still made moves on her. It was quite a common thing for them to bump on purpose into girls just to get into a little shoulder or hand contact with them.
The man turned around, mumbled an insincere apology and hurriedly walked away. Her brother was incensed. "Zeeshaan, beta(1) mera raja(2), leave it. People are looking. He has already left. Abhi tamasha mat kar(Don't make a scene)," said his mother.
He was in a bad mood the rest of the shopping spree. His hands were full, he felt hot and sent unfriendly glares at any male who came near his Ummi and cute little sister. When a person stood too near or stared at them, he would use his body to block them.
Ayesha giggled at his antics and decided to give him a treat for his efforts.
"Let's have some Falooda,(3)" she suggested. Her brother perked up at that.
The three of them had a nice respite from the heat. Ayesha and her Mother didn't remove their 'ninja masks ' and simply lifted it up a bit and drank from under it. Their faces were still covered. Zeeshaan was noticeably happier after the treat.
...
Their father had met up with them a few minutes before at the entrance of the market. He was tall, tanned, neat and had a big, bushy and well trimmed beard. His hair was greying but it just increased his charm. His face was stern and looked like a large and strong bear. To Ayesha, he was just that. A cuddly teddy bear.
They had settled down in a restaurant that had a good reputation and were debating on what to order. In the end, they compromised and ordered one of both the dishes and split it up. The third dish was agreed upon by everyone. Who could resist a well made Chicken biryani?(4)
They had chosen a table in a corner that was hidden from view. The girls removed their ninja masks and rubbed their aching noses.
Ayesha and Zeeshaan sat on one side of the table and the parents on the other. Anyone could see that the parents were still very much in love with how near they sat despite them having cold expressions. Not to mention that they kept putting food in each other's plates. Mrs. Fatima Imtiyaaz Khan even spoon-fed her husband once because he kept refusing to eat more.
The dinner was peaceful and fun. Ayesha slept nicely with a smile on her face after saying her prayers and thanking Allah.
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Glossary:-
(1) Beta- Son. Pronounced as bay-ta.
Beti is daughter.
(2) Mera Raja- mera--> my, Raja--> king.
Used to call a son/grandson or nephew in an endearing way. Rani--> queen. For daughters or nieces. Basically, anyone related to you in the generation after yours.
(3)Falooda- A pink, milky sweet drink that I'd sometimes served with ice cream. It has jelly-like things in it. Commonly there are two types of jelly like things. One of them is a tiny black seed called sabja or basil seeds which forms an oval jelly around itself like a hydrogel ball when put in water. The other may be vermicelli or Falooda sev.
(4) Biryani- An Indian rice dish made with a lot of spices and basmati rice, a type of long grained rice. It is usually coloured and the spicy layer of meat or fish is put at the bottom of the vessel and the rice is layered on top before letting it steam.