Sharbar muluk and the great accessories
l wondered for the umpteenth time what I’d hoped to gain as I navigated the rough, untarred road to Grandma’s Tudun Wada residence. Surely, a modern, sophisticated, career woman like myself should be able to find solutions to her problems without relying on others – least of all someone belonging to a different day and […]
l wondered for the umpteenth time what I’d hoped to gain as I navigated the rough, untarred road to Grandma’s Tudun Wada residence. Surely, a modern, sophisticated, career woman like myself should be able to find solutions to her problems without relying on others – least of all someone belonging to a different day and age like Grandma.
But having come this far, I said to myself, I might as well get it over with. Her loudly-sung ‘Barka da zuwa gimbiyata’ (You are very welcome, my princess) did a lot to calm my frayed nerves.
The greetings over, she beamed her conspiratorial smile at me and said, “Well, have we got our husband on his knees with devotion?”
“Not really,” I answered. “You mean he didn’t like the drink?”
“On the contrary, he liked it, after the first sip, he said, ‘This is delicious, I didn’t know you can make kunun zaki.’
I quickly said to him, “This is not kunun zaki, this is sharbar muluk,” and he answered, “Just a fancy name for kunun zaki, if you asked me.”
I felt myself getting angry, so I silently counted to ten before saying, ‘This is a royal drink made from pure white rice while kunun zaki is a common drink made from corn or millet.’
“I see! So I am getting some royal treatment this afternoon.
Well, I hope I get it every afternoon.” He replied.
I looked up at grandma and was surprised to see her still smiling.
“I knew it would work, I told you it is our great secret.”
“But it didn’t! He left home as soon as the meal was over and didn’t cancel a single one of his weekend engagements.”
“Yes, but he said he ‘d like it every afternoon. That’s the way to get him hooked.”
“Look grandma, I don’t have the time to make that drink everyday.
Besides, I don’t think our problems can be solved even if I spent every minute cooking the rarest delicacies. I think Tahir and I need to talk.”
“Not too fast, my dear. Give him more time and more sharbar muluk. What guarantee have you that he would listen to your talk and change so soon at this stage? You young people are in too much of a hurry. You want everything to happen overnight and that’s not the way things work. Continue making your royal drink, make a lot and keep in the fridge, then serve him anytime you serve him food. And don’t forget the accessories.”
“Which accessories?” “The henna and the frankinsense.”
“There you go again, grandma. I really don’t have the time.” .
“You mean you don’t have the time until you have lost him completely? Look at your hands,” she held my fingers in hers, “like a man’s fingers, all white. When will a man ever look at hands that look like his? Mix henna and decorate your hands, gimbiya. Look and act feminine. All this office work has made you – today’s women – too lazy to even do feminine things. And what time does it really take to bum frankincense? Go back home right now and bum some, make your home fragrant for him. Smells make lasting impressions on people. Make sure the one in your house is a pleasant one. Let visitors remember the fragrance in your house anytime they remember you. But above all, let your husband never find cause to complain about unpleasant smells.”
“In my day, the only reason you can temporarily leave a man’s house, is if he failed to buy you these accessories. Everyone is on your side by the time you take your complaints home. Today, you people are lucky you don’t have to wait for anyone to buy for you, you can do so yourself. And there is the one I personally mixed up for you. Is it finished?
“No, I’ve not even used half of it.”
“Then go and start using it every evening, as soon as you return from work. For all you know, your husband is running away from some funny smells around the house.’’ She declared.
“Come on, grandma. You know that’s not true.”
“How will I know? I don’t live .with you. Whatever you do, don’t forget that you are a woman. A woman should take a little extra trouble with her looks and her environment, she should find the time to be feminine and the result is usually obvious.” Grandma advocated.
I left her house with a strong resolve to try another of her advice. But if it failed to work this time. I will find my own way around this problem.
It’s great to be back
I am truly sorry to have been away from this page for so long. It was never my intention to take off without an explanation, especially not in the holy month of Ramadan when I usually wrote special editions to coincide with the season. Unfortunately, this year I had a domestic accident just two days to the commencement of the fast. That rendered me incapable of writing the diary. But I am all healed now, alhamdulillah, and am particularly grateful to all the readers who emailed to ask about my absence. Thanks for your love and concern, may Almighty Allah reward you all abundantly. Have a great weekend!