A Pair of Jeans and other stories Read Online Free PDF Page B

elegant as ever, making some of the young women envious. “Yes, I hope the young ladies will like the fabrics I have chosen for them from the city. For some girls, I have included something else. It is something that their fathers left with the
Zemindar
for safe keeping, but I am sure that you all can look after your own property now.” She paused. “It is your documents and deeds”, she uttered softly lifting the folds of the fabric and holding out the papers. As she did so, she cast a quick challenging glace towards her husband. He had paled, losing some of his poise. He caught her steely glance and something flashed in his eye, and the smile on his face ebbed away, replaced by a look of anger. She stared at him for a further few seconds and then before everyone’s eyes she handed the first gift to Kaniz’s daughter and then to the others. Kaniz’s face beamed as she stood next to the wall. In each case, as she did so, she took out the document, read out the name, and showed it to the woman and then handed it the daughter.
    By the time the twelfth and final document had been given away, the
Zemindar
felt that he was losing his composure entirely and turned away to look out of the window into the courtyard. He didn’t want to face the group of women when he was not in control of himself. When he was able to pin a smile to his face, he turned and joined his wife. He felt that he needed to say something to save face. His wife had given away, back to their owners, the deeds that he wanted, and he felt it would look strange if he didn’t mention them. After all they were supposed to be in his safekeeping. She had very adeptly destroyed his plans, but he had to do something to save face. He had to give the women the idea that the documents were coming from him, otherwise the villagers would think it was his wife who was giving them away. Who ruled this household – he or his wife?
    “Thank you everyone for coming!” he uttered with authority. His shoulders stiff with anger, he had turned to the women and stepped in front of his wife, shielding her from them. She had very neatly usurped his role. “I hope you will keep these documents safe. These are your properties, and we thought that we would take this special occasion to return them to you. Please take them home and hand them to your menfolk. If you do, by any chance, wish to sell them, please sell them to your neighbours, rather than outsiders.” He deliberately refrained from saying that they should sell them to him. He stepped back and moved to the window and looked out onto the lawn of the courtyard, expecting the women to leave.
    Summoning a smile, Noor stepped forward again and thanked the women for coming and wished them
Eid Mubarak
, a happy Eid. They returned the greeting and Bilkees, who was standing near the door, led the women out.
    Closing the door, Noor turned to her husband. He was still standing near the window with his back to her. She surveyed his tall, tense, body, as she went to sit on the sofa. She waited for him, expecting him to explode.
    He was aware of her presence in the room, and the tense silence that reigned in the room after the departure of the women. He didn’t trust himself to turn and face her. He was unsure of what he was capable of or how she would react. He waited and when nothing was forthcoming from her, he turned and stood two yards from his wife. He seemed to be towering over her seated body. Exuding aggression, he looked down at her face and into those cold green eyes. They were at their coldest now and just stared defiantly in return. He tried to dominate her with his manly glare, but her eyes didn’t waver nor fall away. They just calmly stared into his. He stepped back disconcerted and dumbfounded.
    Noor patiently waited for his explosion. He was owed that and he had the right to it, but she was determined to stare him out; after all she was in the right. She had done the right and humane thing, even though it had