A Straightforward Tale

It started with three people sitting under the trees. Uzma, Fari and Shaiza. It was an explosive mixture especially since I, Halah, wasn't there to make peace.

Uzma began it, really, though to this day she insists it was Shaiza's fault. Shaiza says she was only telling a story and Uzma shouldn't have said what she did but Fari argues that Uzma was right and if Uzma hadn't said anything, she would have so it was, indeed, all Shaiza's fault.

I don't know. I only know that most people have tales like Shaiza's to tell and nothing happens to them! It's just that Uzma and Fari love to argue while Shaiza --well, Shaiza's just Shaiza. Of-course, Uzma will argue about that. She'll say it was just plain bad luck that the argument occured at the time it did, that it wasn't the fact of the argument that brought it all about.

"You see, Aunt is very brave and when Grandfather died, she thought it was stupid to keep half the house closed because of some silly superstition. She'd been brought up in England, you know and didn't believe in Jinns,"

"Good for her!" interrupted Uzma and Shaiza frowned at her. "Dont be silly, Uzma. Listen to what happened next!"

"Oooh, yes, I'm scared stiff! A jinn must have got your Aunt! Oooooooh"

"Shut Up! You're ruining the story,"

"Yeah, shut up, do, Uzma!" Fari gave Uzma a push. "Go on, Shaiza,"

"Yeah, well. Anyway, my Aunt decided to have the house spring cleaned. Well, it's in a village, you know, and all the servants knew about the Jinn so they refused to do it. Even Faizan bibi and she's been with our family since before even my eldest aunt was born. Aunt was very upset but in the end, she decided she'd just do it herself. Everyone tried and tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen and she just picked up a broom and a bucket of water and walked into the hallway of the unopened section. Faizan bibi was so scared she almost ran in after my aunt but her grandson stopped her. Aunt went all the way through the passage, people could hear her opening windows and cluttering about, making a noise and .... "

"Boo!" cried Uzma, making both Fari and Shaiza jump. She then rolled about on the grass, laughing hysterically.

"Oh, do stop being silly, Uzma, its an interesting story. Go on, Shaiza,"

Fari is usually Uzma's partner in crime so when she told Uzma to shut up, Uzma did and Shaiza continued with her tale.

"Anyway, everyone could hear Aunt opening windows and doors and pulling back curtains and coughing. No-one dared to follow her or anything. After a while, the sounds faded. Suddenly, there was complete silence. It was, all the servants say, like the hush of death. For a long time, it was this quiet then Aunt walked out of the hall. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief but then they noticed how she was walking. She was completely stiff, not moving her hands or anything. Like a robot or something. She'd left the broom and bucket behind. Her eyes were staring, but not seeing anything and as soon as she walked out, she fainted!"

"And?"

"And, well, she got better, though it took weeks of nursing. The servants had boarded up the hallway and she gave orders to have it even more tightly boarded up. She's insisted that the house will never be opened again and if you ask her what she saw, she says only 'Daughter, there is a jinn in there'"

"That's it?" said Fari.

"It's a true story, Fari, what do you expect?"