Page 16 of Releasing the Djinn
Chapter 5
Nadira's thoughts were in turmoil.
Walking through the front door, her mother's fierce tone called from the kitchen. "Nadira, hurry up and get in here. Your aunt will be here in an hour."
Why was she even here, Nadira thought? Why did she always listen to her parents' summons? Stepping into the kitchen, she grabbed her apron from inside the pantry closet door and put it on. Reaching for the faucet, she started to wash her hands without thought before moving to the cutting board and vegetables. She should be continuing her conversation with Idrak. Finally, the djinn confided his past to her, and she ran away. Guilt coursed from her heart, pumping into her veins like thick molasses making her whole body feel heavy and slow.
"I want you to finish with the raita and start on the aloo chaat," Chandrii ordered before turning to grab more ingredients from the walk-in pantry.
Finding the stone's shape underneath her shirt, Nadira rubbed the hard surface and whispered an apology. "I promise we will talk soon."
The djinn did not reply.
Lost in her heavy thoughts, Nadira finished the meal just as the doorbell rang. Greeting her aunt with a tired smile, Nadira forced herself to push away her thoughts of the silent djinn and what he shared with her at the beach as she exchanged pleasantries with her aunt. Knowing that the women only wanted her here as a server, Nadira politely stepped away and back into the kitchen and started the hot water for the tea. Setting the large platters of food onto the coffee table, Nadira listened as her aunt, Tanisi, began to brag about her life. Somehow, even more, toxic than her relationship with Nazma, her mother and her aunt's relationship bordered on cruel. Married to a gastrologist, Tanisi's life on the surface was much more in line with what Chandrii envisioned for herself. With a large house and three boys, Tanisi spent her days taking care of the house and family and being constantly rewarded by her doting husband with vacations and new cars every few years.
With everything cooked and served, Nadira rested against the kitchen wall that partitioned the living room from the kitchen as she waited for the water to boil.
"Idrak?" she whispered, keeping her voice well below the volume of her talking aunt and mother.
Again, the djinn said nothing, it was as if she was talking to herself.
Her chest tightened in pain, he was angry with her. Biting the inside of her lip, Nadira dropped her gaze to the floor. There was no reason to panic she reminded herself, of course he would be angry at you right now. Leaving right after someone confessed something personal and painful to you was beyond rude.
"I'm sorry Idrak," she whispered, before pushing away from the wall. She would do her best to mend the rift between them once she was able to go back to her room.
Taking a step towards the now boiling water pot, Nadira froze when she heard her aunt's lowered conspiratorial tone. "So… what are you going to do about Nadira?"
Ignoring the ready water, Nadira backed up silently to the wall and strained to hear.
Her mother made a grunt of agitation in her throat. "I give up on her, she has no interest in being a wife, and I cannot make her. Samad thinks we should just let her stay and study and take care of us when we get old."
Nadira could hear the malicious smile in her aunt's tone as she replied. "Well, then I guess it is up to Nazma to have plenty of grandkids for you. And besides, at least you will have someone you trust around you when you are older," her aunt offered.
Nadira could hear her mother's grunt of agreement and could picture the women's dissatisfied nod of agreement.
Shakily, Nadira stepped away from the wall. Everything around her became muted, and her steps felt light and unsteady as she walked over to the counter. They…they intended on…using her as some sort of nursemaid. Reaching for the water boiler's handle, Nadira looked out through the window above the sink and stared blindly at the trees swaying in the breeze—they never intended for her to be free, not once.
Pouring the water, Nadira faintly heard the deep muffled shout of her name ringing in her ears. The burning sensation of scalding water hitting her hand, tore her attention back to the forefront with a scream. Yanking back her hand from the searing pain that radiated from the top of her hand, she dropped the pot she held with her other hand. In slow horror, she watched the pot clang against the counter, spraying its searing contents towards her. All at once, her world began to rush past her, and Nadira could feel her feet leave the floor. With a breathtaking thud, she felt her back hit the wall while her head was cushioned by the unmistakable grasp of a hand cupping the back of her head.
He was here, touching and holding her in this exact moment. With one inhale she could feel the hot warmth of his bare skin pressing into her chest as he pressed her into the far wall of the kitchen, just for the briefest of seconds she could feel the skin of chest glance across her lips, taut and firm. But with the following exhale, he was gone. Opening her eyes, Nadira stood frozen to the spot as she looked around. With her left hand still up where he had held it in place against the wall and her mouth still agape in shock, her mother came through the kitchen doorway.
"What is going on in here?" she demanded, furiously looking to Nadira before settling her gaze on the counter covered in dripping hot water.
"I…I burned myself," Nadira dazedly held out her hand.
Narrowing her eyes at her hand, Chandrii cut her gaze back up to Nadira in a silent demand for answers. Looking at her own hand, Nadira was surprised to see that there were no red marks of blistered skin; there was nothing at all.
"Stop being useless! Clean this up and serve the tea," her mother snapped before stomping away.
Still not quite sure what happened, Nadira mopped up the spilled water and used the remainder left in the boiler to make the teas. Serving it to her aunt and mother, Nadira did not wait to see if her mother needed anything else, she simply didn't care.
Rushing to her room, she pressed her back against the door and closed her eyes. Just above her right eye, her head throbbed with pain. Too much had happened. In one afternoon, it felt like her whole world was turned upside down. Guilt weighed her heart from Idrak's confession while a hollow pit of worthlessness welled in her gut from her mother's words.
Sliding down the door until her legs were folded in front of her, Nadira stared ahead through her window to the waning late evening sun. "You were right, they do not care for me," she said, her tone hollow.
"Nadira…" Idrak began, but she cut him off.
Raising both fists to her ears she shook her head as she tried to work through the facts. "I can't leave. How can I, where would I go?" she could feel her breaths coming in shorter and shorter while the ache in her head began to hammer, making her squint. "If I leave now, my plans would be ruined, and they are my only real shot of getting out of here."
"Listen to me Nadira, I can help you, let me…" he sounded desperate now.
"No," she shook her head violently, not wanting to hear his tempting words and clutched the stone tighter. "I can't go, but you can."
His voice was softer now, filled with speculation. "What are you saying?"
"I like talking to you. You’re a little mean at times, yeah," she smiled sadly while pressing the stone to her heart. "But I know you aren't evil. You would not have saved me if you were, and knowing this, I know that I can't continue trying to avoid what my conscious is telling me."
"Nadira," this time, her name held no note of warning beneath it, just the rare sound of hope.
"I will miss you Idrak, I don't want to let you go, but I will." Tears fell down her face as she lifted the corded necklace from around her neck and held the stone before her. "I wish…I wish you were free."
