Idrees was a young boy living in Srinagar. He always found America fascinating. The bright lights of New York allured him, just like he saw in films he had watched on YouTube. One day, he was chatting online when he met a girl named Brittany. The two started talking about the differences in their cultures.
“How do you celebrate Christmas?” Idrees asked.
“Oh, we just wrap a few presents and put them under the tree.” Brittany said.
“Ah, that’s very interesting,” Idrees replied, “Here, we celebrate Eid. The month of Ramadan is the holiest month of the year.”
“How do you know when it’s Ramadan?” Brittany asked.
“We look for the first sighting of the moon,” Idrees replied.
“Oh, interesting. Well here in the US we celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December.”
“Glad to hear it,” Idrees replied.
Brittany smiled. She looked very positive and decided to ask another question,
“Where did you say you were from?”
“I am from Srinagar,” Idrees replied.
“That’s a wonderful city. I’ve never been there!” she exclaimed gleefully.
“Thank you,” Idrees replied, “I would like to invite you to my home. My family have never met Americans before.”
Brittany was a bit puzzled. She didn’t know how to react to meeting a stranger online.
“Well, how about I fly over to Srinagar next weekend?”
“That sounds perfect,” Idrees replied, “I would be happy to have you as our guest.”
Brittany looked at her calendar and took the next available flight to Srinagar. She landed at Srinagar International Airport. She was dressed with a straw cap and a dress, something difficult for most Kashmiris to understand.
“Idrees,” she said nervously, “I’m at the airport.”
“Where are you? I don’t see you,” he replied.
“I’m next to the road,” she said.
Idrees drove by with his car, maneuvering the steering wheel with his hands. He circled across the arrivals area and looked for Srinagar.
“Do you see me, I’m in a gray Maruti Suzuki.”
“Oh, I see you now!” Brittany said, waving to Idrees.
Idrees stopped his car and smiled, “Welcome to Srinagar.”
Idrees gathered Brittany’s belongings and put them into the back of his car as Brittany entered the front seat. Idrees then shut the trunk of his car and entered into the front seat, closing the passenger door.
“Would you like a cigarette,” Idrees offered, opening up the ashtray in his car.
“Sure,” Brittany replied. She took one of the cigarettes from the ashtray, and lit it using a lighter she had managed to sneak in from home.
A half an hour later, the two arrived at Idrees’ home.
“Mother,” he called out in Kashmiri, “My guest is here.”
Brittany looked a bit perplexed as she was left alone at the front of her home. She decided to take a look inside the home. She saw an elaborate living room, a fine dining space, and a stairway leading up to the second floor.
“Hi, how are you?” Idrees’ mother said in English, “I’m so glad that the two of you met.”
“Mother is the room ready,” Idrees interjected.
“Yes,” she said, with a guileful smile on her face.
“Brittany, please come with me,” he said, gathering her belongings.
Brittany followed Idrees up the stairway.
“Please, enjoy your room. I will let you know when dinner is ready.”
“Idrees,” Brittany said, “Is your mother ok with me? I feel a bit nervous.”
“Ah, that’s nothing. She is always like that around new guests.”
Idrees headed down the stairway and helped his mother cook. Meanwhile, Brittany settled into her room, and put on her make up. A few moments later, azaan started playing from the nearby mosque.
Brittany was aroused. She had never before heard azaan playing from a loudspeaker before.
“Brittany,” she heard Idrees’ voice calling from below the stairway. She opened the door to her room.
“Brittany, dinner is ready.”
Brittany went downstairs and joined Idrees and his family in the formal living room. She saw Idrees’ father eating a piece of meat.
“Father, this is Brittany. She has come from America.”
Idrees father continued eating. His mother served him an additional piece of meat.
“America,” he said out loud.
A subtle silence filled the room.
Brittany smiled and sat at the dinner table quietly. She folded her hands as if she were making grace.
Idrees swallowed his meat whole. His mother uttered something in Kashmiri to his father.
“Why do the Americans hate us,” he said.
Brittany moved her hips on her chair, “It’s the propaganda that the government doesn’t like.”
Idrees’ father kept chewing his piece of meat.
“Brittany, please help yourself,” Idrees said.
Brittany helped herself to some food and ate quietly as Idrees’ mother served her and Idrees some extra food. Idrees’ mother mumbled something to Idrees in kashmiri, which he acknowledged nodding his head. After the meal, Idrees and Brittany got ready to go out to enjoy the night life in Srinagar.
“Are you ready?” Idrees said. He brought out his Apache.
Brittany clapped her hands out of excitement. Idrees smiled, “Hop on,” he said.
Brittany sat at the back of the bike as the two drove off into the city. The wind blowing in her hair. Half an hour later, they made their way to Kashmir’s grand bazaar.
“It’s very crowded isn’t it,” he said, lifting up the shield to his helmet.
“It is,” she said, her voice muffled by the cacophony of loud noises.
“I am going to park here,” he said, “Be careful, I don’t want your shoes to get wet.”
Brittany twiddled her feet as the two made their way to a parking spot just shy of Lal Chowk.
Idrees got off, put his helmet on the motorcycle, and locked his bike. Brittany got off and the two went galaventing into the bazaar.
“It’s so big, I love it,” she said.
“Yes, you will find that many of the shops here have been around for generations,” Idrees replied, clutching the key to the bike in his hand, “My favourite shop is the leather goods store. I always like to make sure I have a new pair of shoes.”
Brittany looked at him with a doting smile. The two entered the shoe shop as Idrees looked around, examining the shop for anything new to purchase. He spoke with the shopkeeper in kashmiri. The shopkeeper greeted both him and Brittany.
“I like these ones,” Brittany said, pointing out to a pair of older looking moccasins.
“Yes,” the store owner replied in English, “These are very expensive. Rs 2000.”
“What about these,” Brittany said, as she ran and grabbed a pair of black shoes.
Idrees smiled, “Yes, this is more my style.”
The shopkeeper fell silent. The two exchanged notes, and soon after, the two of them left the shop.
“Let’s have a drink before we leave,” Idrees said to Brittany.
“It’s getting late, my flights at 8,” Brittany replied, parting her hair.
“Okay, let’s go back to my home,” Idrees said. Half an hour later, they arrived at Idrees’ home.
“Mother, Brittany is leaving,” Idrees said.
“Oh, that’s so wonderful. I hope you enjoyed the bazaar,” she said.
Brittany headed to her room and packed her things. She and Idrees loaded the car with her suitcase and headed off to the airport. Once they arrived, Brittany exited the car, and waited for Idrees to unload her luggage.
“It was a pleasure meeting you,” Idrees said, before handing Brittany her suitcase, “Please, do visit us sometime again.”
Brittany took her suitcase and smiled. “I will! I had such a great time,” she said, waving back at Idrees as she strutted her way back into the airport.