Not That Interested

Chapter 40: The One With Afridi And The Ring

"The only thing worse than a boy who hates you, is a boy who loves you."--Markus Zusak (The Book Thief)

Mina's POV:

It's been a couple of weeks since my family dumped me on Kulsoom Nani. She had blackmailed me into staying at her place for the month instead of my own.

"Your house faces the west, girl." She had huffed to me, "Everyone knows it's bad for my Alzheimer's during October!"

I would have swallowed these science-less facts if it weren't for the fact that she didn't have Alzheimer's. She did have a chronic need to annoy me though.

On the way to her house she tried to convince me to dump Simba at random busy roads, basically she wanted my baby to become roadkill.

Upon reaching her house, (which looks like something out of a heritage museum file), she told me to occupy the tower room, approximately 500 miles away from her own. Not that I'm complaining, but I did feel slightly unwelcome at this command.

EMV muttered, 'A dragon inside a castle locking you up in a tower....you better grow out that hair.'

Apparently, she had good reason for giving me the tower room (I've found that she almost always has one). The tower room had an attached playroom for Simba, complete with a brand new litter box, and a tiny kitty castle! The room itself is light and airy, with a netted white canopy bed, and recessed alcoves stuffed with plush cushions. The view from my room's turreted balcony is breathtakingly gorgeous of course.

The dragon's castle is surrounded by sprawling gardens, and even a good-sized farmland area. I can spot a couple of artificial ponds, and waterfalls among the lush wooded areas of her lawn. The house itself is made of old red stone, and modeled after old Indian Haveli (historical castle) style house.

Kulsoom Nani had traveled to karachi during the 1947 partition between India and Pakistan, but she had left behind her family's sprawling estate in the process.

She once told me that when her late husband learned how much she missed her family home, he did his best to recreate the place for her in Pakistan. I thought it was one of the most romantic things ever! He actually traveled back to India, with an architect, in search of the place, so as to capture the essence of that home.

Kulsoom Nani almost always teared up whenever she recalled this story, which is bizarre in itself.

Kulsoom Nani's kids are now all grown up and living abroad or have their own places in the city. Her grandkids (My cousins), keep dropping in now and then, so I guess she rarely feels lonely. Her stories from her kids' childhood are hilarious. This place is filled with so many anecdotes, so much love, so much history, it's awe-inspiring. Whenever I hang out with her, she gives me tours, and recalls every little (embarrassing) incident that happened there.

"Girl! you see those wrought iron gates to the barn house?" She squints during one of our walks. "Your Uncle Mansoor stuck his head in it once; we had to saw the grills away to release his huge head. That child has been a disgrace to my womb I tell you...Hmph, not very bright he was. I have no idea how he managed to get a government post. Says a lot about our government...."

"Ahaan!" I mumble, texting Adiba surreptitiously.

"Hmmph, put that brain eating device away girl! don't you know it is causing baldness in men." She taps her cane against my hands. "And control your obese cat! it has ruined two of my rose bushes."

I glance up from my phone to witness Simba wrestling with a third rose-bush. Damn, that kitty had a lot of energy!

"Oh my God! I am so sorry Drag- err, Kulsoom Nani! I will def-" I hasten to reassure her.