Lunch With A Beautiful Muslim

My Paskistani and Muslim friend Razia called me today and asked me to meet her for lunch. Actually, my Razia alarm clock (the one in my head) had gone off a couple of weeks ago, telling me it has been too long since I’ve seen her. Usually when I think about her, she calls me and it worked again. My friendship with this young woman is a puzzling thing, since she is a Muslim and I am a dedicated infidel. However, we rarely discuss religion. We became friends while working together as consultants a few years ago and got into the habit of looking out for one another. Amazing how human beings can care for one another when they disregard ideology.

Razia has been going with a fellow Pakistani for the past couple of years, a handsome guy named Mo. But Mo proved to be too controlling, possessive, suspicious and jealous. In other words, he was a product of the culture he was born into, a traditional Muslim male. Razia felt that she was on a leash and finally broke off the relationship when he became threatening.

Now she has another suitor, one she has known even longer than Mo. This one is Indian and is a Hindu, and for her that is problematic. He is two years younger than she is, is very loving and caring and has a wonderful sense of humor. Oh yes, and he’s a billionaire. Razia told me that the Hindu women in her new beau’s family treated her coolly. I didn’t want to explain to her that the 80 million Hindus killed by Muslims over the centuries might have something to do with it. In any case, I think she wanted my fatherly advice. If she didn’t too bad, since I was going to give it to her anyway.

I told Razia that she should give the new beau a chance. Get to know him and see where it leads. Nice guys who are billionaires don’t grow on banyan trees, after all. When he found out she had become available, he told her, “I’m not stupid. I’m throwing my cards on the table and I’m going for it.” He wants to show her the world and can easily afford to do so.

I looked up Hinduism a few weeks ago on Wikipedia and was surprised at how intelligent it seemed to me. I didn’t tell that to Razia, however.

When lunch was over she hugged me and I told her I love her, which is true in a fatherly sense. She then told me she wanted to buy me an exercise bicycle like the one she works out with. An hour later she showed up at my office door with the bike, newly purchased and still in its box.

I think that was her way of telling me I should lose some weight. Okay, okay, I’ll do some exercise, grump, grump, grump.