H^pOn the surface, Aisha Osman seems like a fairly nice young woman. Born into a Somali Muslim immigrant family, and raised in the environs of Barrhaven, Ontario, she leads a very normal life. She studies accounting at Algonquin College, and works at Walmart as a cashier. A tall, slender young woman with dark brown skin, forever wearing specs and a Hijab, which combined give her a very serious expression, that's Aisha in a nutshell. Or so it would seem.
"Hello Miss Serious?" came a voice, and Aisha blinked, and turned around, to find herself looking at a vision of beauty. Jagdeep Singh stood there, tall and brown-skinned, tomboyish, clad in a blue work-shirt and black jeans, her bright orange Turban brightly in place, an enigmatic smile on her lovely face. Instantly, Aisha brightened up like a flower turning toward the sun in the morning.
"Salaam, Jagdeep, how are you?" Aisha asked, and Jagdeep smiled some more, and stepped closer. Aisha held her breath. Although they'd been seeing each other for quite some time, they'd always kept their relationship a secret. As far as everyone at Walmart was concerned, Aisha and Jagdeep were just a couple of very serious, very attractive, boyfriend-less young women who were working and focusing on school.
"Sat Sri Akaal, my love, I'm better now that you're here," Jagdeep finally replied, and before Aisha could say or do anything else, the tall young Sikh woman pulled her into her arms and kissed her. Surprised by Jagdeep's kiss, Aisha nevertheless threw her arms around her and kissed her back. Just like that, the two young women kissed passionately, right in the middle of the women's locker room inside Walmart. Fortunately, they were the only ones inside said locker room...
"I'm glad to see you too," Aisha said, and Jagdeep laughed and gave the young Somali Muslim woman's cute round a firm squeeze. Aisha did not like wearing pants, being such a strict Muslima and all that. She liked wearing full-length black dresses which did wonders to compliment her slender yet curvy form...and drove her partner Jagdeep absolutely wild. Aisha grinned, loving the way Jagdeep grabbed her ass possessively.
"What's wrong?" Jagdeep asked, and the young Sikh woman looked into her partner's chestnut eyes, which were somber all of a sudden. Aisha hesitated, wondering if she should tell Jagdeep about what was bothering her. Biting her lip, Aisha nodded, and then fessed up. From the first day of their relationship, Jagdeep and Aisha agreed on a full honesty policy regarding their fledgling relationship...and it worked fine for them.
"I think my parents suspect that I'm a lesbian," Aisha murmured, and Jagdeep bit her lips and sighed. Taking Aisha's lovely face into her hands, the young Sikh woman tried to project strength and confidence, even though, inside she was crumbling. Heaven knows what Muslim families do to their gay sons and daughters, Jagdeep privately lamented.
"What makes you say that, Habibti?" Jagdeep asked carefully, and Aisha sat her down and told her. The young Somali woman went on about how she was watching television with her parents, Ahmed and Khadija Osman, and there was a special report on homophobia in visible minority communities. When Aisha's parents mocked the queers who were being interviewed on television, Aisha disagreed with them, which prompted her to blurt out something which she probably wouldn't have blurted out, under different circumstances...
"Jagdeep, I got mad and told my parents that I'm a lesbian," Aisha said with a sigh, and Jagdeep Singh looked at the tall, Hijab-wearing Somali gal with newfound respect. As outgoing as Jagdeep Singh considered herself, she had yet to come out to her family. Fortunately, her parents, Dhaliwal and Sarina Singh lived in the Punjab State of India. As an international student at Carleton University in Ontario, Canada, Jagdeep had plenty of freedom to live life on her own damn terms...
"Congratulations," Jagdeep said, and she impulsively kissed Aisha, who smiled and shrugged. The two young women looked at each other and shared an understanding smile. What a pair the two of them made. A Hijab-wearing, conservatively attired young black Muslim woman of Somali descent, and a Turban-wearing Sikh Indian woman originally from Punjab. On the surface they couldn't be more different, yet underneath it all, they had a lot in common.
"That's not all, um, Jagdeep, my parents have given me an ultimatum, either I 'stop with the gay stuff' or they are kicking me out," Aisha said flatly, and Jagdeep winced, for the elemental pain which she saw in her lover's eyes cut her to her core. Jagdeep tenderly pulled Aisha into her arms and held her. For a long moment the two young women held each other like this, and then at last, Jagdeep spoke.
"Aisha, my love, I want you to come home with me," Jagdeep heard herself say, and Aisha looked at her with reservation. Aisha was well-aware of how much Jagdeep Singh was paying at Carleton University as an international student from India. Even with a bursary from the Indian government, Jagdeep had to work as a cashier at Walmart just to make ends meet. Aisha, who was born and raised in Ottawa, didn't have the same problems, but she had a slew of issues all her own. And she didn't want to burden her partner...
"Are you sure, Jagdeep?" Aisha asked hesitantly, and the young Sikh Indian woman nodded, then took her hand and brought it to her lips. Jagdeep smiled at Aisha, who smiled gratefully and hugged her fiercely. They were still hugging when someone walked into the women's locker room. It was Liz, the tall, short-haired and kind of masculine, forty-something white woman who drove the forklift for Walmart. Upon seeing her, Jagdeep and Aisha panicked, knowing their secret was exposed.
