Monday Memories

This is about when I was 16 or 17- back in my O levels. It was my cousin’s wedding and we were all putting on henna. My cousin’s sister had flown to Pakistan especially for the wedding. She is settled in US. We were seeing her after 6-7 years and for people who meet at least once a week 6 years is a long time. Understandably I was feeling a bit shy and awkward around her.
After I had henna put on my palms by a henna specialist I waited for it to dry off because I had to go for my physics extra class. I could not pick my books with wet henna. Always the immature, childish girl in the family I stood under the fan to accelerate the process. After a while I started rotating at 180 degrees with my hands stretched out (as in Kate Winslet in Titanic) Ahem- yes, there were people seated on sofas all around me and I was chatting gaily with them… you see what I mean by immature. :p
Suddenly I decided to take a 360 degree turn. Time was running out, I could be late for an important class. At the precise moment my cousin (yes, the one from US) decided to rush to answer the phone that had chosen that precise dratted moment to ring.
*WHACK*
Ah, you probably have guessed what happened. It was my palm and her face! No only did I spoil one of the most beautiful pieces of henna that I’d ever seen but I also hurt her hard (the slap was h-a-r-d! My palm hurt so imagine how her face felt!) If that was not enough, it was special quick colour henna and there was a chance her face might get oranges in her own sister’s wedding!
For what seemed like eternity we both stood there not really believing what had happened. Then someone rushed her to the nearest bathroom to wash the muck off her face. I ran after her to help out all the while apologizing. She was quiet and I don’t blame her. She was probably trying to control her temper till she was cool enough to see the funny side of it.
During this episode I forgot to wash the spoiled henna from my hand and as a result the spread henna caught colour and my henna was spoiled.
Wanna hear the rest of it? When I finally did reach my class I was late. A friend of mine had just broken up with her boy friend and was in a bad bad mood. Everyone was trying to cheer her up but no one could get a smile out of her face. I was in my usual tempo not really having grasped the enormity of her situation and launched into the story of my spoiled henna. After hearing it my friend burst out laughing!!
Somehow I did not think my cousin would have found it that funny.
And all my male cousins (who all hate henna) were of the belief that I would thrust my henna into their face without a backward glance. (Which I never would. I care too much for the artwork!!) But it certainly helped in teasing them and taking a threatening step towards them. It would get them all running in opposite direction. :p