I started to wear my hijab in high school on a Wednesday in tenth grade, but like Nurah I practiced wearing it first to regular places like Pizza Hut and Walmart. I think wearing anything that makes you look different, especially when all you want to do is blend in, can be quite challenging. I admire those who choose to be different in a country where it is not common and appreciate all those who support these students, whether it’s simply being a friend or treating them exactly the way you would want to be treated.

I also remember sitting alone at lunch and how different my school experience was when a girl asked if I would like to eat lunch with her. Having a friend believe in you, like Stahr and Nurah do for each other, is life changing. Thank you to all those who invite others to eat lunch with them—it makes a world of a difference.

Glossary

alhamdulillah: Praise be to God

aloo kabab: potato and ground beef mixed together and then dipped in egg yolk, coated in bread crumbs, and then fried to make a crispy patty

assalamualaikum: Muslim greeting for “peace be upon you”

biryani: spicy meat and rice cooked separately before being layered and cooked together

Chacha: Urdu word for paternal uncle, specifically father’s younger brother

dadi: paternal grandmother

dal: lentils

dupatta: a shawl-like scarf women in Pakistan wear over their shalwar kameez and worn over the kurta. It can be draped over the head or chest.

ek: Urdu word for one

ghee: clarified butter made from the milk of a buffalo or cow, used in South Asian cooking

halal: “permissible” in Arabic. For food, it typically means meat that is specially butchered with Islamic guidelines. For fish, the guidelines are more lenient, which is why Nurah gets fish fillets from McDonald’s.

hijab: headscarf Muslim women or girls may wear

istikhara: prayer recited by Muslims when in need of guidance on an issue in their life

jaldi se: Urdu words for quickly

kajal: powdery eyeliner that women wear in Pakistan

khichri: rice and lentils cooked together until soft. It is cooked extra soft for babies.

kurta: loose, flowy Pakistani top. Girls’ clothes are usually colorful.

masjid: Muslim place of worship

mehndi: henna paste that temporarily dyes hands, usually drawn on hands to celebrate events, but can also be put on for big moments, such as Nurah moving, in this case!

motia: tiny white flowers that appear at the start of summer and bloom joyously in shades of white. These flowers are often threaded together to form bracelets or necklaces in Karachi, Pakistan, and South Asia.

namaz: Urdu word for the obligatory Muslim prayers that occur five times a day. In Arabic, the word for prayer is Salah.

nana: maternal grandfather (Nurah calls her maternal grandmother Nana, though, since it was Owais’s first word)

nani: maternal grandmother

paratha: delicious flatbread consisting of layers of cooked dough

rupee: Pakistani unit of money

samosa: a fried or baked pastry with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, meat, or lentils