The Jinn

Description

Qandish smiled and said, “Auntie agrees to the ‘appearance’ matter.” I said, “What about the appearance?” I continued, “I would like Aisha to take on the form of Fatima Al-Zahra and not change that form as long as she is with me.” Qandish said, “Auntie agrees.” I said, “Her name will be Fatima Al-Zahra Shafei, and her nationality will be Moroccan. I doubt she will meet anyone here who knows the original Fatima Al-Zahra.” He said, “Auntie agrees.” I asked, “So, have we agreed on everything?” He replied, “Auntie has a few points.” I said, “Go ahead.” He said, “Auntie wants your life together to be normal, not turning into a long interrogation about the Jinn. Auntie says that a human husband doesn’t spend all his time grilling his human wife about her homeland, environment, and society.” I said, “Agreed.” He continued, “Auntie also wants you to know that you can exercise your legal right to divorce her at any time. She adds that she will leave your life the moment you express a desire for her to go, and she swears that as long as she is your wife, she will not form a romantic relationship with anyone else—neither human nor Jinn.” I said, “I appreciate that. There is just one point left.” “I wouldn’t want Aisha to drop in on me suddenly without warning, nor to vanish abruptly.” Qandish laughed and pulled a device from his pocket—roughly the size of a modern mobile phone, yet featuring only two buttons. He handed it to me, saying, “As for a sudden departure, that will never happen. And regarding her arrival—she will never appear unless you summon her; you can call upon her at any time using this device…” He asked, “Is there anything else before I sever the telepathic link?” I replied, “No.” He said, “Now, if you’ll excuse me…” I interjected, “Wait—the negotiations with Aisha are concluded, thank God, but I still have many questions about the Jinn.” He said, “You’re getting tired. Take this pill and get some sleep. We can continue our conversation when you wake up.”
This tale by Ghazi Al-Gosaibi harkens back to the imaginative world of *One Thousand and One Nights*, yet it presents a contemporary take on those themes and fantasies. It chronicles the union between a human man, Daribi, and a female Jinn, Aisha, unfolding through gripping episodes that captivate the reader; the author’s masterful storytelling convinces us that the events within this tale are far more than mere fiction.