Free Straightening Ali by AMJEED KABIL

your sister in?” Ali’s mother-in-law shouted out of the door. Seconds later Rhazia appeared with another girl beside her. They were both dressed modestly in Pakistani salwar kameez suits, but their dupattas hung around their necks rather than covering their heads. They both also had short, cropped hair, giving the impression that Ali’s father-in-law was a very liberal Muslim.
    “ These are my daughters,” Ali’s mother-in-law said. “You’ve already met Rhazia. She is the youngest.”
    Rhazia looked to the floor in what appeared to be an attempt to be invisible and murmured an almost indistinguishable hello.
    “ This is my eldest daughter, Shazia,” his mother-in-law continued looking exasperated at her daughter’s shyness.
    “ Nice to finally meet you,” Shazia said. “So, are you happy about the wedding?”
    Ali was taken slightly aback by the question. A paranoid part of him wondered whether she’d found out about his reluctance to marry and now wanted him to admit it. “I think so,” Ali uttered eventually.
    “ I think so? What kind of answer is that? It doesn’t sound like you’re very excited about it. Are you sure you want to get married?” Shazia asked, sounding worried.
    “ Ali’s excited about it,” Yunus said, interrupting before Ali could reply. “He’s just used to being single without any responsibilities, like most guys his age.”
    “ You’re probably right, Yunus, but if Ali isn’t ready to get married yet, we can wait until he is,” Shazia said. Ali’s in-laws stared open-mouthed at their daughter’s words. What she was suggesting was unspeakable, the wedding invitations had already gone to the printers, and the wedding reception already booked.
    “ I’m ready to get married. I guess I’m just a little nervous about it,” Ali said. The sigh of relief from his in-laws was almost audible.
    “ Nearly everyone gets nervous about getting married. You should have seen what state I was in before my wedding,” Shazia said laughing flirtatiously. “So what degree have you studied?” she asked, changing the subject as her younger sister slipped into the background joining her brother Omar.
    “ I studied Microbiology,” Ali said.
    “ What result did you get?” she asked him curiously.
    “ It was second class honors,” Ali replied. At the time, he’d been very disappointed at the result, knowing that he hadn’t put sufficient effort into his work until the final year of the degree, by which time it was too late to improve his marks sufficiently to get a first.
    “ You’re the first educated person to marry into this family,” Rhazia said, speaking up suddenly. “Shazia’s husband couldn’t even speak English when he moved in with us.”
    “ Shut up, Rhazia. You should have more respect for your elders,” Shazia said crossly, giving her sister a glare, visibly provoked by her sister’s comment. “You are such a nice person and seem very honest,” she said turning back to Ali. “I think that my parents have made the right decision. You won’t believe how many people have come to ask for Sajda’s hand in marriage. You are definitely the right choice. I can see that you’ll make her happy.”
    “ Thank you,” Ali said, not knowing what else to say. His stomach clenched with the guilt he felt at hearing his sister-in-law’s words. What if she found out about the lifestyle he’d led? What would she think of him then? Would she still call him honest?
    “ I am so proud that you are joining our family,” Shazia said. “You will be such an asset. We’ll all look after you as long as you make sure you take good care of our sister and treat her well. If you hurt her, you’ll have us to deal with.” She laughed gently to try and hide the threat in her words.
    “ I’ll look after her, and I promise I won’t let you down,” Ali said, meaning every word. Somehow Shazia had evoked the memory of what he most wanted – to feel he was part of a family and not