But Why Me?

Ipu and her family were finishing their last minute shopping before leaving for their hotel as they had a very early morning flight to Toronto to catch the next day. Egypt had been an amazing vacation. Ipu loved visiting the old towns especially. They gave her a feel of Arabian Nights, of what it must have been centuries ago.  

“Mum, I would really like to buy some oriental makeup before we leave this place tomorrow,” Ipu said to her mother as they crossed many little shops by the pavement.

“Makeup? You are too young for it, Ipu!” her mother retorted.

“I am turning 16 in three weeks’ time, and you told me I could wear makeup when I am 16! Besides, I won’t get to buy exotic stuff when we return home!” she complained.

“Ok, be quick then! Your dad won’t be happy if we get late! There's a lot of packing to be done! Besides, Markian is getting all cranky now! Let me get him something to eat! He is hungry!” the mother said. 

Markian was Ipu’s five-year-old brother. He was indeed tired of all the shopping and being out in the sun for so long.

Ipu stepped into a little jewelry shop across the road. The shop looked as if it sold cosmetics too.

A very old woman, in her seventies or could be eighties, sat behind the counter and gave Ipu a toothless smile. Ipu returned the smile.

Ipu looked at a poster of a woman on the wall and pointed at her eyes. The old woman understood that she wanted an eyeliner. She gave her a strange look and after thinking for a moment, took out a very small pint-sized silver box from one of the drawers. 

“Here, take this!” she said.

Ipu opened the box. It had shimmery black sticky paste in it. 

“Can I have an eye pencil, instead?” Ipu asked.

“No, you take this! This is for you! It was always kept for you! Ayesha asked me to give it to you” the woman said, sounding eerie.

Ipu became a little uncomfortable. She didn’t know anyone called Ayesha. She wanted to run out of the shop but she felt that something was holding onto her and not allowing her to run.

Fidgeting a bit, Ipu asked, “how much?”

“You take it!” The old woman said.

“No, I want to pay!” Ipu said adamantly. 

“Ayesha said to just give it to you!” the old woman said, also sounding firm.

Ipu gathered courage and asked “where is Ayesha?”

The woman stared at her and streams of tears fell from her eyes.

“You will find Ayesha, I know! Take this now and go quickly! Don’t give it to anyone,” the old woman said. 

“Thank you!” Ipu said and ran outside. She crossed the street and reached the restaurant where her family was. Markian smiled looking at his elder sister.

“Bought?” the mother asked Ipu.

“Huh! What?” Ipu said, still in a mild state of shock.

Ipu’s mother looked at her and widened her eyebrows and said, "your exotic makeup?”

“Oh yes! An eyeliner in a paste form!” Ipu said.

“Is it not too exotic? I hope you do not find it difficult to apply!” the mother said laughingly.

“Makeup video tutorials, mum!” Ipu said, feeling much better now.

Ipu kept the little silver box in her check-in luggage. As much as she wanted it to keep it in her handbag, she did not want it to be removed by the scanning supervisors at the airport. 

Ipu kept thinking about the episode most of the time on the flight. Her mother could sense that Ipu was not herself.

“Are you ok?” she asked. 

“Yes, mum! Just a bit tired,” Ipu replied.

Her mother smiled at her. She knew something was bothering Ipu but she chose not to prod her. 

Just then Ipu asked her mother:

“Remember you were telling me that we lived in Cairo for a few years when I was little, is that true?” 

“Yes, when you were of Markian’s age, about five years old,” the mother said with a smile.

“Did I goto a school then, mum?” she asked.

“Of course you did! Why would we not want our five-year-old to go to school?” the mother answered with a smile.

“Did I have friends then?” Ipu asked, getting more curious now.

“Hmm, I am sure you did! You have always been a bubbly child!” the mother smiled again, she was surprised that Ipu was getting so curious about her childhood spent in Egypt. 

All of a sudden Ipu asked her mother, “was there anyone among my friends called Ayesha?” 

The mother looked puzzled.

“I don’t remember, it was more than 10 years ago; why do you ask?” her mother questioned her.

“I am so tired, mum!” Ipu said abruptly and then just closed her eyes, trying to sleep. She couldn’t wait to get back home. 

Ipu kept the little silver box safely in her cupboard when they reached home. She shuddered at the thought of opening the little box as it reminded her of the old woman shopkeeper. That night, right after dinner, she switched on her iPad and opened one of the makeup tutorial guides on YouTube. She typed 'how to apply eyeliner in a paste form'. The website was filled with information.

She was ready to apply the eyeliner right away but waited to turn 16 first. After all, she had made a promise to her mother that barring lip gloss, she would not wear any makeup until then. She just couldn’t wait to turn 16!

She woke up excitedly on her birthday. Luckily, it was on a weekend, which meant no school! She opened her cupboard and took the silver box out. She then took it with her inside the bathroom along with her iPad. She wanted to be sure that she was referring to the tutorial as she applied the eye makeup. After a quick shower and dressing up, she now knew she had to do it! Her hands shivered a bit as she picked up the silver box from the sink and opened it. She turned the iPad on, went to the bookmarked tutorial and took a deep breath. 

Ipu then again cleaned her eyes with water and dabbed them dry. She took an earbud out from the bathroom closet, and dipped it in the black shimmery paste. For a moment she thought she should take her mother’s help but then decided against it. She gently pulled her lower eyelid down. She could see the waterline - the part above the lower lash line. As a next step, she slowly glided the cotton bud from the inner corner of the waterline to the outer edge. She waited for a minute to see if there would be any reaction. Her one hand was on the water tap. Nothing happened! She then repeated the same step on her other eye too. It was so simple, she thought! She then looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.

She waited for something to happen. Nothing! Ha, she thought! What a drama I thought would happen, she said to herself and laughed!

“Happy birthday, Ipu!” Markian shouted and jumped as he saw his sister enter the living room. Her parents greeted her too. Ipu’s mother looked at her eyes particularly and smiled before saying, “you look lovely!” 

Ipu had a good time with her friends during the day and also cut a cake at home in the evening. Markian was the happiest to see the cake. Ipu's dad knew she was fond of books, and gifted her a book on Egypt. She wanted to study about Egypt when she grew up and was surprised that her dad knew about it.

“Thanks, dad!” she said as she hugged him. Her mum gifted her a sweet makeup box. Ipu smiled at her mum and hugged her too.

The birthday came to an end and Ipu went to her room after dinner. She got inside her bed and closed her eyes gently.

“Hi! I am Ayesha!” an ivory-skinned girl with deep black eyes introduced herself to Ipu.

“Ayesha? I don’t know anybody by this name!” Ipu said.

“Ipu, I took care of you when you were in Cairo! I was of your age then, just turned 16! Your mum and dad went to work in the city college,” Ayesha said. 

Ipu was quiet.

“My grandmother, remember you met her a few weeks ago in Cairo?” Ayesha continued.

“Yes, she gave me this eyeliner,” Ipu answered.

“I know! She knows you will find me. And many others like me!” Ayesha said in a sad voice.

“What do you mean ‘find’ you? You are here!” Ipu said.

“Many young girls are taken away by Qiarees as their slaves everyday from all over the world,” Ayesha said.

“Qiarees?” Ipu asked.

“They are humans just like you and me, but they have a monstrous mind. They kidnap young girls and sell them away. You have to rescue me and many like me!” Ayesha said.

“But why me? And how?” Ipu felt helpless as she said this. 

“You will be guided, the eyeliner.....just wear it tomorrow like you did today but sit under the sun with your eyes closed!” Ayesha said and vanished.

“But why me?” Ipu said. She got no reply.

Ipu woke up the next morning. She dressed up. She hesitated wearing the eyeliner. And then the face of Ayesha from her dream last night resurfaced. Ayesha had a sad yet hopeful look. Ipu wore the eyeliner, kept the silver box in her pocket and went to her terrace. She sat under the sun with her eyes closed. Ten minutes passed, and then twenty. She opened her eyes then. She saw her reflection standing a foot away, looking at her. Or was she the reflection? She wasn’t sure. The other Ipu just looked at her, smiled and went downstairs. 

“But why me?” Ipu, on the terrace, asked herself. She started to hear screeching sounds and before she knew it, she was on the bustling streets of Cairo.