Boy vs. Girl Read Online Free PDF Page A

mother tidied scrupulously each day. Sometimes, Faraz would take an interest but, for the most part, they were her private pleasure. Which was a good thing, considering that it was her GCSE year. And her teachers had predicted mostly ‘A’s for her GCSEs – all except Art. She was rubbish at Art, unlike Faraz who, in her opinion, was a particularly gifted artist. If only he would pursue it….
    â€œSo, Farhana,” Auntie Najma had asked once day, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”
    Farhana had laughed. “Honestly?”
    Her aunt had nodded.
    Farhana had faced her and said, “I’m going to do my ‘A’ Levels and apply for university, somewhere far away from here, out in the wide, wide world…” She looked at her aunt steadily, almost daring her to say it couldn’t be done, that she was reaching too far, that her parents would never allow it.
    But her aunt just smiled and whispered, “Like I did?”
    Farhana nodded emphatically. “Like you did.”
    She had never shared these thoughts with her parents, knowing that they would much prefer her to take a Childcare course at the local college and get a job in a school, at least until it was time to get married. But with Auntie Naj, she was never afraid to dream big dreams.
    But for now, there was no talk of marriage – just books and study and trips to the town centre, secret text messages and a little flirting – nothing serious.
    Until Malik.
    â€œWould your parents ever let you bring someone home?” she had once asked Shazia.
    â€œAre you crazy?” Shazia had screeched, her eyes almost popping out of her head. “Of course not!My dad would lock me up if he suspected I even
knew
any guys, let alone talked to them! And bring one home? That is totally out of the question!”
    â€œI don’t see why Asian parents have to be so controlling,” their friend Robina had opined. “I mean, why can’t they let their kids make their own decisions? What’s it got to do with them? Look at my friend, Katie, her mum is so cool! She can bring guys home, no problem. Her mum even lets them sleep over.”
    Shazia’s eyes grew wider still. “What? That’s mad, that is!”
    But Robina shrugged her slim shoulders. “She says it’s better that Katie bring them home where she can keep an eye on them, where she can make sure she’s safe, than she go sneaking around with boys her mum doesn’t know. A very enlightened attitude, if you ask me.”
    â€œYeah, but Katie’s not
desi
, Asian, is she?” Farhana put in. “We’re not even supposed to be talking to boys, let alone sneaking around with them, remember?”
    Robina rolled her eyes. “Oh, give me a break! That is so naïve! Tons of Asian girls are doing it and keeping it a secret from their parents –you just ask my sister! And why not? Why should the goris –
and
Asian guys! - have all the fun? Why shouldn’t we let our hair down and enjoy ourselves – at least before we are chained to the kitchen sink and flipping
roti
for an overweight husband sitting in front of the telly!”
    They had all laughed at that. But Robina’s strident anti-tradition rhetoric had bothered Farhana. Did she want to live like Katie and her mum? They shopped together for the same skinny jeans and halter-neck tops, went out clubbing together and fancied the same guys.
    She thought of her own mother, all modest
shalwar kameez
and respect for tradition, always home when she got home from school, a constant, steadying presence. No, she didn’t want to swap….
    * * *
    â€œSo, are you guys coming to the Asian Girl Bachelor Party next weekend?” As they walked down the stairs towards their next lesson, Robina turned to Shazia and Farhana and showed them a flyer. A bikini-clad woman with dark eyes and endlesslegs was draped over a brooding Asian man with