Shalimar?”
Shalimar nodded, still silent, still looking down. Tears, however, fell from her eyes wetting her sleeves.
Did she agree with him? Hussein wondered. His heart leapt feeling a ray of hope that he was not alone in his opposition to his mother’s plan.
“Look what you have done. You have hurt Shalimar,” his mother scolded.
Hussein looked at Shalimar and saw her tears. Abashed, he gripped Shalimar’s hand, which lay under his, and said, “Do you wish to talk? Shall we step out to the garden?”
Faridah broke into a big smile. “
Bagus! Pergi-pergi!
Good! Go! It will do both of you some good.”
They got up and walked to the terrace and into the garden. Faridah nodded to Ahmad and indicated that he should follow the young couple. Ahmad shook his head. “Leave them be,” he mouthed silently and smiled.
Outside in the warm night air, Hussein apologised. “I am sorry if I upset you, but what I said was true. Don’t you agree? We may have played at getting married when we were children, but since then we have never been together. Surely, you must be as much against this marriage as I am?”
“
Abang
, elder brother, speak softly. Walls have ears. I am not free to speak my mind.” Shalimar drew her headscarf tighter towards her face, half covering her mouth. When she looked up at him, her eyes were luminous.
“You can tell me. I won’t repeat it to anyone.”
She looked around anxiously before saying. “I have no choice. I cry because I have no choice. Don’t you understand? I am to marry you — someone who has no wish to have me as a bride.”
“You have a choice. You can say no!”
“You have no idea,” She lowered her voice further.
“Tell me. I promise on my honour that I will not tell anyone.”
She looked at him for a long time, her eyes searching his. “You swear to this?”
He nodded putting the palm of his hand to his heart.
Finally, she whispered. “I love someone else too. He is our gardener’s son. My brother said that he is a thief and that he caught him stealing. He threatens to put him in prison if I do not do as he bids. Your parents do not know of my circumstance. They believe that I have agreed to the marriage willingly.”
Hussein smiled a mirthless grin. He realised then why Ahmad had proposed to be his and An Mei’s intermediary. He said to Shalimar, “We have to put our heads together and see what can be done.” He held out his hand and she took it.
Faridah watched them from the window and smiled indulgently.
*****
Two days later, Hussein went with Shalimar to Faridah. He held Shalimar’s hand in his. “Mother, Shalimar and I would like to go to Kuala Lumpur. I would like her to see some of my favourite haunts and perhaps do some shopping.” Turning to Shalimar, he asked gently, “You would like that, wouldn’t you?” She nodded demurely in response.
“Yes! Go,” beamed Faridah. “But you have to be chaperoned. And Ahmad is not here to go with the two of you. He has left for Kuala Lumpur and has not returned.”
“Can the driver take us to Kuala Lumpur and be our chaperone?” asked Hussein. Seeing her reluctance, he added, “You might wish to appoint Shalimar’s maid to come as an additional chaperone. In any case, if Ahmad is in Kuala Lumpur, I am sure that he will look after Shalimar there.”
Faridah’s heart sang. She felt a change in Hussein’s attitude; she liked his solicitous and caring manner when he spoke to Shalimar. She recalled how he sought Shalimar’s company after dinner last evening. However, there remained the problem of An Mei. She was still in the guesthouse in Kuala Lumpur and Faridah did not want Hussein to see her. She would have to get rid of the girl somehow.
With a broad confident smile, she said to Shalimar, “I leave him in your hands. See that he does not go astray. And buy something pretty.”
She watched as Hussein and Shalimar left the room. Then she sprang up and with a speed that belied her age went
Shalimar nodded, still silent, still looking down. Tears, however, fell from her eyes wetting her sleeves.
Did she agree with him? Hussein wondered. His heart leapt feeling a ray of hope that he was not alone in his opposition to his mother’s plan.
“Look what you have done. You have hurt Shalimar,” his mother scolded.
Hussein looked at Shalimar and saw her tears. Abashed, he gripped Shalimar’s hand, which lay under his, and said, “Do you wish to talk? Shall we step out to the garden?”
Faridah broke into a big smile. “
Bagus! Pergi-pergi!
Good! Go! It will do both of you some good.”
They got up and walked to the terrace and into the garden. Faridah nodded to Ahmad and indicated that he should follow the young couple. Ahmad shook his head. “Leave them be,” he mouthed silently and smiled.
Outside in the warm night air, Hussein apologised. “I am sorry if I upset you, but what I said was true. Don’t you agree? We may have played at getting married when we were children, but since then we have never been together. Surely, you must be as much against this marriage as I am?”
“
Abang
, elder brother, speak softly. Walls have ears. I am not free to speak my mind.” Shalimar drew her headscarf tighter towards her face, half covering her mouth. When she looked up at him, her eyes were luminous.
“You can tell me. I won’t repeat it to anyone.”
She looked around anxiously before saying. “I have no choice. I cry because I have no choice. Don’t you understand? I am to marry you — someone who has no wish to have me as a bride.”
“You have a choice. You can say no!”
“You have no idea,” She lowered her voice further.
“Tell me. I promise on my honour that I will not tell anyone.”
She looked at him for a long time, her eyes searching his. “You swear to this?”
He nodded putting the palm of his hand to his heart.
Finally, she whispered. “I love someone else too. He is our gardener’s son. My brother said that he is a thief and that he caught him stealing. He threatens to put him in prison if I do not do as he bids. Your parents do not know of my circumstance. They believe that I have agreed to the marriage willingly.”
Hussein smiled a mirthless grin. He realised then why Ahmad had proposed to be his and An Mei’s intermediary. He said to Shalimar, “We have to put our heads together and see what can be done.” He held out his hand and she took it.
Faridah watched them from the window and smiled indulgently.
*****
Two days later, Hussein went with Shalimar to Faridah. He held Shalimar’s hand in his. “Mother, Shalimar and I would like to go to Kuala Lumpur. I would like her to see some of my favourite haunts and perhaps do some shopping.” Turning to Shalimar, he asked gently, “You would like that, wouldn’t you?” She nodded demurely in response.
“Yes! Go,” beamed Faridah. “But you have to be chaperoned. And Ahmad is not here to go with the two of you. He has left for Kuala Lumpur and has not returned.”
“Can the driver take us to Kuala Lumpur and be our chaperone?” asked Hussein. Seeing her reluctance, he added, “You might wish to appoint Shalimar’s maid to come as an additional chaperone. In any case, if Ahmad is in Kuala Lumpur, I am sure that he will look after Shalimar there.”
Faridah’s heart sang. She felt a change in Hussein’s attitude; she liked his solicitous and caring manner when he spoke to Shalimar. She recalled how he sought Shalimar’s company after dinner last evening. However, there remained the problem of An Mei. She was still in the guesthouse in Kuala Lumpur and Faridah did not want Hussein to see her. She would have to get rid of the girl somehow.
With a broad confident smile, she said to Shalimar, “I leave him in your hands. See that he does not go astray. And buy something pretty.”
She watched as Hussein and Shalimar left the room. Then she sprang up and with a speed that belied her age went
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