Biryani Fridays

SHAILA POURS STOVE-WARMED WATER into a bucket and lugs it to the bathroom for her husband’s bath. Back in the kitchen to cook breakfast, she hears him splash water over himself, and thinks of how his body continues to fail him and her, how she continues to face the same physical frustration night after night. 

The hiss of chai overboiling and dripping on the flame brings her back to the moment. It’s Friday, which means extra chores—ironing her husband’s kurta-pajama for prayers at the mosque, wiping the dirt off his slip-on shoes, polishing them to a shine, and cooking mutton biryani for lunch.

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