I look at myself in the mirror. I am wearing an ocean blue dress that stops in mid-thigh with puffed sleeves and a synched waist that accentuates my curvy body. I put a little lip gloss over my lips and let my dark brown hair loose that reaches mid-thighs too apparently. My golden tanned skin that has been tanned since birth looks good today, not to mention that my face acne looks vibrant too. But there's nothing in the world of skins you can't hide with a malicious amount of concealer and I do just that. I don't really care about my acne anyway but since it's Alianna's birthday I thought for a change I could put some effort in looking a little pretty anyways.
The door bell rings and I exactly know who it is. It's Kashmira. As obviously I've called her and said that we were going there together on legs. Alianna's just a street apart ! As simple as I've kept my look, my cousin on the other hand looks vibrant and Bright. She has a crimson ruched dress all the way that reaches her ankles and big star-shaped earning and dark red lipstick on . She looks beautiful and gorgeous and I might as well bang on her of I were a boy, or that's what I tell her. Gosh, I am creepy whenever I try to be cool.
"You look stunning, like blood dipped rose in blazing fire"', I compliment her. I take a close look at her porcelain skin and Bright red blush on her cheeks. I give her a tight hug cause it's a meet ritual since birth for us.
"Awww, thanks", she says sheepishly. "You look so pretty yourself babes, I'm loving that dress . It compliments your tone. But come on a little makeup wouldn't hurt, I mean it's your friend's birthday after all and I am dressed like a birthday girl myself, I'll feel all odd and stuff".
"I applied a a lot of concealer and face powder see," I tilt my face closer for her to look.
"Yeah well that's not make up, come on I'll show you", she rolls her brown eyes at me before taking me by my hand and dragging me to the dressing table. She makes me sit and although I insist not to put on make up she hushed me with her manicured perfect fingernail on my lips and starts to apply makeup. She applies a little powder and brush here and there on my face and on my lips and cheeks and finally after a long time she screeches, "Yeah the best I've done yet! Have a look!"
I look in the mirror to find a whole new person on the other side of the mirror. I have a nude beige pink on my lips and my features look more defined with bronzer and highlighter. There is something rosy and subtleness to my cheeks with blush and lastly a think lashline and a winked eyeliner that brings out my golden-brown eyes makes them more prominent and makes my eyes look bigger. She also adds a black lacy choker on my neck and I don't look so bad in makeup I guess.
"Wow, I look really different. I don't recognize me. You really are a great makeup artist, huh?"
"Course I am," she rolls her eyes and kisses her hand in appreciation grinning at me. "let's go, shall we now ma'am".
"Mommy its almost 7 p.m. are we leaving for Alianna's or what?"
Mom comes out of her bedroom which is her den by the way where she lives because she Is Too lazy to come out of her room time to time. She looks at us in appreciation.
"You young ladies look beautiful", she says grinning and then adds "Oh my! You applied makeup? Surprising, Kashmira must have done your makeup or else you don't even know how to hold a lipstick", she laughs, yeah I expected at least one taunt before I left although she said it teasingly.
My mom and I look very different. She is thirty five years old but looks like twenty. She has a milk-white complexion and big eyes with thick lashline and pink lips. The one thing we do have common is our straight hair except mine's longer than hers and thinner. And the one annoying thing I'll often come across is people asking me If she's my elder sister or if she's married or if she's interested to go on a date with their sons, like duh. She's my mom human, where do you think I came form?
"You are not coming?", I ask
"Nope Mrs. Chowhdhury is a headache. She'll keep talking and talking unless I hit migraine and talk about how she had committed the grave mistake of fleeing from her home and getting married to Mr. Chowdhury, how she regrets her love marriage. She's insane. You guys though leave now or you'll be late."
She hugs us together and as we get out of the apartment closing the door behind us.
As we're walking to Alianna's, Kashmira pulls me to a corner and holds my hands in hers. Her cheeks flush with bright red colour and I figure its either cold or she's about to say something romantic that had happened to her. I'm hoping it's the first.
"You alright? What's wrong?", I ask in concern.
"So I finally met him", she says grinning and shy at the same time. She's blushing furiously and her small eyes closing involuntarily. I am shocked and at loss of words so I stare at her as for her to continue.
"Last night I was really bored and I kind of told him that I wished he was here. It was only telling though, I didn't really mean for him to come. But he texted okay and I thought that it was just a joke but later at 6p.m. there was a text from him that said to meet him on the terrace. I swear I did not know he meant it until I lied to mom that I was going to your house and went to terrace instead to find him there actually standing by the terrace stairway.", She takes a long breath as she talks dreamily about her new love of her life who she stood the ground with for the past 10 months and filled my ears with problems of her love life and annoying details. I am happy for her. So much but sometimes i am just not really interested. I love how her eyes glitter as she talks about him. Her face glows differently. " I talked to him for an hour or so and then took photos and TikTok and...and....we...and".
She blushes furiously, her whole face turning pure shade of red.
"And?",I ask waiting inquisitively paying so much concentration that a part of me on the back of my head is telling me that if I had paid as much attention to my studies, I wouldn't have piles of notes to catch up to.
"And...and we kissed. He kissed me. And he kissed my neck too. I always thought I never had a turn on but neck kisses well they really are the weak point of a girl I guess."
I lost every ounce of word that I was capable of producing. My parents are very strict, yes, her parents are stricter . Her dad could beat the shit out of someone for as much as looking at her. Her mother would disown her if she had the air of it. And Fakrul uncle, Kashmira's dad is rich so he wouldn't want a boy less rich than him. I fear Kashmira's boyfriend, Rafi ain't that rich but he promised her that before he asks her hand for marriage he would come back richer stronger and potential. Silly me, she's just sixteen there's long time to think about that. But have I mentioned the reason I Iam so surprised for? Because its a very religious country. Dating itself isn't liked very much and with her strict parents and all her uptight attitude of negativity towards how inappropriate kissing is before marriage is, she is telling me that she practically made out with a guy or even merely met him in the rooftop. I am surprised and shocked. Am I the only naive innocent human left on earth because if I am I would believe it.
I am kinda disappointed too she didn't take me to meet him not that I would go anyways. I guess she sees the disappointment and says, " He asked if I would call you to meet him too but I denied cause I didn't want you to get in trouble and maybe a little part of me wanted him for alone time." She says a little sadness over her face.
" To make out," I tease her. "Was he a good kisser? You sure have guts enough to dodge your parents like that. You could get into trouble. Be careful next time."
"Hell yeah, he's a good kisser and I know right. My adrenaline made me do this. I blame it on them." And that's how we start giggling and laughing. She shows me pictures of her and her boyfriend and their TikTok. Just normal hugs and forehead kisses. They met online too. On Facebook. They're cute. We finally reach Alianna's and as the elevator opens you wouldn't believe what I see.