Straightening Ali by AMJEED KABIL Read Free Book Online Page B

your legs. Promise me you won’t see any men,” he demanded.
    Ali ignored him and allowed the rest of his words to disappear into the background with the noise of the car engine. It was pointless having a discussion with Yunus at the best of times, but today, he was at his worst.
    Ali’s earliest memories of Yunus were of him stealing Ali’s milk bottle as a toddler. Years later, this had progressed to violent fights. Ali still carried scars on his hand from when Yunus had bitten him. Nothing had changed between them since childhood, except perhaps the dislike had become stronger.
    “ We’re nearly there,” Yunus said, interrupting Ali’s thoughts. When we get there, you are to stay quiet. If you dare say anything out of order, I’ll sort you out, you dirty fuck. Go along with whatever your in-laws say. Don’t disagree with them. If you mention your dirty habits to anyone, I’ll kill you, and I’ll sort that bitch Haseena out as well. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
    “ Yes,” said Ali, cowed by his brother’s threat.
    “ If you misbehave, it won’t just be your neck on the line. You know what my friends can do,” Yunus said threateningly. Ali knew exactly what Yunus’s friends were capable of. They were the type who wouldn’t hesitate in taking a baseball bat to someone to teach them a lesson, and Yunus had already settled some scores this way.
    They turned the corner onto the street where Sajda’s parent’s lived. It was a quiet suburban street, unlike the busy road where Ali’s family lived. Yunus parked his car opposite their driveway. The house was built on an end plot. It was large and detached with a newly finished extension to the side that squeezed the gap between the neighboring property to a tight inch.
    “ What shitty cars,” Yunus hissed noticing the two identical black BMW’s parked side by side on the red brick driveway as he got out of the car. The two cars were sparkling as if newly polished in order to exhibit the wealth and prestige of the family inside the house.
    As Yunus set the immobilizer alarm on his car, Ali looked up and noticed the bedroom curtains twitch. He looked away quickly, then followed Yunus to the door, holding the gift box that his mother had given him for his fiancée. The front door was plastic and double-glazed. It had “Hussein” boldly written in green and red stained glass in the glass panel above.
    “ Behave like a fucking man,” whispered Yunus and then pressed the doorbell firmly.

Chapter Four
     
     
    The door was opened by a short overweight woman, who looked to be in her late fifties. She had a round and full face that was wrinkled like old parchment, and her hair was jet black. It was obvious she had recently dyed it.
    She ignored Yunus completely and grabbed hold of Ali, kissing him wetly on both of his cheeks, while shoving his face almost hungrily into her pendulous breasts. When she finally pulled away, Ali could feel a slight tenderness on his cheeks where her teeth had left indentations. “Yuck! She has buckteeth,” Ali thought, shocked at his own shallowness.
    She pulled Ali into the house excitedly. “Welcome. Welcome, my son,” she cried in Urdu. Yunus stood at the doorstep looking unhappy at being ignored. Ali wondered if Yunus would react to this or whether he’d been warned to be on his best behavior by their mother. After a few moments, Yunus shrugged his shoulders angrily and followed them inside.
    “ Buckteeth,” Ali thought unable to take his mind off his mother-in-law’s teeth. Despite his lack of enthusiasm for his forthcoming wedding, he couldn’t help but wonder whether his fiancée looked like the image on the photograph he’d seen or whether she resembled her mother. He found himself praying she hadn’t inherited her mother’s looks. Strange, but he hoped that his family had made a good match. Maybe it was a fair swap, a gay husband for a rabbit-faced wife.
    Ali’s mother-in-law seemed to have the most