The Nikaah.

Sisters are a blessing. 

I imagine if I had one of my own, I’d never feel the need of a best friend. 

As far as memory takes me, the word always made me think of Pooja. She’s my first cousin and I met her once a year while on summer holidays. Those memories will last me a lifetime. 

Spending afternoons listening to the radio and giggling. 

Devouring watermelon and pomegranate sitting on the verandah grill, with our feet dangling.

Hour long community baths. 

Sharing scandalous secrets.

Staying up nights and talking for hours. 

Baking home made pizza.

Jointly complaining about that one evil MamiJi.

Shopping for trinkets. 

Colour coordinating for family weddings. 

And mostly, always sticking together. 

When she first told me about the boy she was dating, my first thought was that the family would never let her be happy. Because of age old prejudices and random bullshit that people like to call ‘non adherence to the society‘.

But my sister is a fighter and I have never been more proud and glad to be proved wrong. 

Pooja and Zeeshan married this August and of course I was there to witness and document as much as I could, as well as wish them all the happiness in the world! 

With the monkeys! 🙂