1. Genie Baba's Circus

...

It was a pleasant day in the city that dwelled near the mountains.

The sun was shining brightly. A cool breeze blew from time to time. The Spring flowers were still in bloom. Summer was still far away. The dogs in their city had turned pink.

Half the dogs in the city had grown pink fur overnight. Nobody could fathom what was happening at first. Conspiracy theories started brewing. Panic was setting in. But then, the government announced that city corporations were vaccinating the street dogs. They splashed colored water on the vaccinated dogs to keep track and run a smooth operation.

It soon became a matter of great amusement and laughter. Street kids chased around the pink dogs, people stopped by to take selfies with them. Dahlia Ahmad's mother stayed true to her belief that it was the result of black magic.

Dahlia lifted her gaze and glanced at the white house looming across the street. She had learned that the window visible from their backyard belonged to the bedroom of a certain grey-eyed man.

Dahlia bit her bottom lip and pondered. Where was he? What was he doing now? The reason she was curious was because Dahlia couldn't recall the last time she had actually seen Kaveh. Not at social events, the streets, or even when she visited his house.

It's not like Dahlia was intentionally searching for him, but she couldn't ignore his absence either. It was so unusual that she was starting to believe he was purposely hiding from her.

"Earth to Della."

Two fingers snapped in front of her face. Dahlia broke out of her trance with a startle. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment when she realized all the eyes around the table were looking at her.

She cleared her throat and quickly recomposed herself, saving the thoughts of those gloomy eyes for another day. "What were you guys saying?" Dahlia asked.

Dhrubo laughed, a couple others joining him. "We're actually done with the discussion," he said. "I asked if anyone had any questions."

"No questions from me," she replied quickly. You can't have questions if you don't listen in the first place.

"Great," he announced. "So I'll summarize our discussions and we wrap up today's meeting?"

There was an unanimous consensus around the table. Dhrubo leaned forward, placed his folded hands on the table and started speaking again.

Dahlia let out a sigh, her insides still squirming with embarrassment. She couldn't believe she got called out in a group meeting for getting lost in the thoughts of Kaveh Fayyad of all people. She paid attention to her team mates again. She tried to keep her eyes strictly off his window and listen with rapt attention to avoid a replay.

Dahlia Ahmad finally had an idea of where she was going with her life.

She quit her job at the Acid Survivor's Foundation a couple of months ago, at a loss about what to do with her life. Around that time, she decided to try her hand at teaching and applied to a few local schools.

Only one of them called back, but she easily landed the job - and things kind of started looking up from there.

After a couple weeks of working, she took admission for MBA in the University she got her undergraduate degree from. Even though Dahlia wasn't initially planning it - she soon realized not pursuing a higher degree wasn't really an option, not in her family.

So with a full time job and nightly classes, she had her hands full. And since her MBA required constant group projects, Dahlia found herself getting acquainted with a handful of her classmates who also occasionally came to her house to discuss their assignments on the Ahmad's porch.

The meeting ended soon and the five of them walked through their kitchen door and into the house. Her mother was sitting in their living room, along with a man that was dressed like - what Dahlia could only describe as - the Genie from Aladdin. The live action version not, the animation.

His thobe was multicolored and bright. The buttons running down from the collars to his stomach were bejeweled and matched all the rings on his fingers. There was a turban on his head too.

Her acquaintances relented their steps, staring at the man in awe. Dahlia wanted to die. She quietly encouraged them to keep moving, desperately praying her Mom wouldn't call out for her now.

Please not now.

Please don't say something now.

Please wait until they have passed.

Her mother stood up and called out her name. "Dahlia!"

She silently cursed her entire existence. Dahlia had no choice but to halt and turn to her mother and that man. The others gathered behind her and stared ahead with sheer curiosity.

Junaina Ahmad briskly walked towards them. Her hands were cupped in front of her, carefully cradling something in them that Dahlia couldn't see.

Her anxiety increased. Junaina reached them and held out her palm slowly. In them lay a few dates.

"Take these dates, kids," she said. "These are special dates blessed by the Baba." She beckoned to the Genie behind her.

Her friends turned their heads at her all at once. Dahlia remained silent, her lips flattened into a line. When she didn't say anything, they reached out for the dates one by one.

They murmured 'thanks' and then Dahlia ushered them to the door again. She was internally dying with embarrassment. She knew the siblings - Ahana and Drubo - were very secular minded. Even the others weren't that practicing. Dahlia couldn't even imagine the impression they had gotten from that circus inside the house.

"Don't eat these," she murmured with annoyance once they were out of earshot. "Just give them to me." She extended her hand to them.

There were chuckles from the group as they handed her back the dates. Only Dhrubo popped his into his mouth.

"Genuinely curious to see what will happen," he shrugged.

Dahlia rolled her eyes. "Don't blame me if you get possessed or something."

Once they left, Dahlia stormed inside. Her teeth were gritted, and eyes filled with annoyance. She found her mother in the kitchen and was relieved to see the Genie Baba was nowhere to be seen.

But she couldn't help but wonder where the he went. "Where'd the man go?" Dahlia asked out loud. "Did you put him back into his lamp?" she jested.

Junaina shot her a stern look. "Don't be disrespectful, Della. And no," she said. "I let him out the back door."

She took a deep breath and tried to get her emotions under control. She prayed for patience. "Mom," she started. "I thought Dad banned that man from our house."

Junaina sighed and turned to face her younger daughter. "Your father is a wise man, but he doesn't know everything," was her reply.

"I don't understand how you can even trust that guy." Dahlia raised her hands and let them drop to her side in frustration.

The older woman pursed her lips in disapproval. "Everyone's Faith is different, Della. Please don't question mine."

"He's a fraud, Mom. Ibrahim swears he saw the guy selling music in the mall just two months ago. I thought we went over this."

Junaina cast her a warning look and Dahlia ceased to speak. She folded her hands over her chest and walked away, resisting the urge to throw her head back and let out a loud groan.

She stomped all the way up the stairs and entered her sister Rose's room. There were stuff laid out all over the floor. Dahlia didn't give a second glance at them as she stepped over a pile of clothes and sat down on the bed, clearly mad. "Guess who was in our living room just two minutes ago?"

"I know, I saw the Genie," Rose snorted.

"I can't believe, Mom." Dahlia huffed. "She should know better than to fall for that man's false claims. It's like she has turn deaf to all our and Dad's warnings."

"You know her," she said, picking up a t-shirt over her lap to fold it. "Mom's always been gullible but insanely stubborn."

Dahlia let out an exasperated sigh. "What worries me is that he's convinced her to let him into our house. I mean, it's terrifying enough he is polluting her mind and Faith with his shirk practices and what not, but he now has access to our home, our lives and the children as well. We really need to do something to put a stop to this."

"Mhm," Rose replied absentmindedly.

At her sister's disinterest, Dahlia finally took notice of what was actually happening in the room. The littered things were from Rose's emptied closets. She was organizing her belongings and putting them into the large suitcases laid in front of her.

Reality hit her, "You guys are still leaving?" Dahlia asked.

Rose sat up, exasperated. "Yes," she replied, eyes still on the clothes on hand. "Didn't realize there was so much to be done."

Dahlia's heart sank. Rose has been talking about leaving for a while, but she was hoping her sister wouldn't actually go through it anytime soon.

However, Dahlia was just deluding herself. Rose didn't permanently live here, she had her own home with her husband. So of course she had to return sometime.

Her gaze darted to Uthman, Rose's two year old, who was watching a video on his mother's phone on a corner of the bed. The boy was so quiet, his presence could often be overlooked - which was a stark contrast to the twins' existence.

She gently took the phone from his hand and laid it besides him, taking the boy by surprise. Then she pulled him towards her and placed him on her lap.

Dahlia put her arms around him. "Do you have to go?" she asked, pouting.

"If he had his way, he would stay here forever," Rose said. "He was crying even this morning because he doesn't want to leave his cousins."

Uthman was nodding vigorously against Dahlia's chest in agreement.

Dahlia looked at her sister pleadingly. "Stay a couple more days," she insisted. "Just wait until baby Aisha gets home. Aren't you curious to see if she actually has Ibrahim's nose like he has been bragging?" she said the last sentence with a snicker.

Rose grinned as well. "If she does, poor girl is in for a life of pain. And I can always come and visit later."

Uthman had turned to see Dahlia face to face, his eyes widened. "Is the baby coming home?" he gasped.

Dahlia nodded, excitement appearing in her eyes. "in shaa Allah."

"Is she as little as Ibrahim Uncle said?" He cupped his palms together.

Her heart wrenched at his cuteness. "Yes, she is just as little as he described." She cupped her palms playfully as well.

"Mom, please. I want to see her. Pleaseee!"

Rose turned to face them fully, a sad smile on her face. "I wish we could stay, sweetie. I really do. But don't you want to go home and see Dad?"

Uthman paused, conflict appearing ln his face.

Dahlia let out a sigh, turned to Uthman and held his hands. "Mom's right. Go home to your Dad, okay?" Her voice turned gentle. "The next time you come to see us, Aisha will still be tiny. I promise."

"We can visit every weekend too, in shaa Allah," Rose added. "You can play with your cousins all you want then."

Dahlia gasped with faux enthusiasm. Uthman clapped his hands cheerfully. She raised a hand in high five and he jumped in the air to clap it.

"Wait, wait," he cried. "I need to go and tell Grandma."

Both sisters watched with amusing smiles as he waddled out of the room.

It wasn't only Rose leaving the house. Poppy had returned to Australia a few months ago. Lily's new job required her to travel constantly as well. Even Zinnia was visiting her in-laws with the twins.

Their house had become full for a couple months. Now it felt like vacation was over and everyone was leaving again, emptying their home and Dahlia's heart.

"At least I'm here, Dels," Ibrahim reminded her.

To which Dahlia scoffed and replied, "don't know if that's a blessing or a curse." But secretly, she couldn't be more grateful for always having him by her side.

Dahlia let out a deep breath. Like her father always said, all good things must come to an end.