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      Dahling, If You Luv Me, Would You Please, Please Smile

      by

      Rukhsana Khan

      Copyright 2013 by Rukhsana Khan

      All rights reserved

      Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com

       http://www.eBookIt.com

      ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-1267-2

      No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

      Originally published by Stoddart Kids 1999

      Cover art by Chum McLeod, used with permission.

      Contact: Rukhsana Khan can be reached at

       [email protected]

      Dahling if You Luv Me Would You Please Please Smile

      Zainab is a thirteen year old facing a LOT of problems that threaten to overwhelm her: manipulation, bullying, the sexual exploitation of a friend and an attempted suicide.

      But when a teacher offers her the opportunity to direct a school house league play, Zainab thinks it might be the chance she’s looking for.

      If she can bring the most popular bully in school, in line, maybe she can prove she fits in.

      Maybe...

      Winner of the 2001 Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Honor Award

      Nominated for the 2000 Ruth Schwartz Award

      Nominated for the 2000 Red Maple Award

      Glossary

Abi Arabic term for father
Alim Arabic term for scholar/learned man
Ami Urdu term for mother
Asr Third of the five daily Muslim prayers—prayed just after mid-afternoon
Bethi Urdu feminine term of endearment, ‘my dear’
Assalaamu alaikum Arabic phrase and Muslim greeting meaning ‘Peace be on you’
Atchi bethi Urdu phrase meaning ‘good girl’
Dua A small prayer/supplication
Fajr First of the five daily Muslim prayers—prayed at dawn, before sunrise
Gee Urdu term of respect agreement
Haa Hai Urdu phrase equivalent to ‘Oh dear’
Hadith Arabic word meaning ‘saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’
Insha Allah Arabic phrase meaning ‘if God wills’
Jehangir Second Moghul emperor who ruled India in the sixteenth century
Karayla A vegetable also known as ‘bitter melon’ or ‘bitter gourd’
Kufi A small cap worn by some Muslim men
Kurtha A tunic top worn by men and women
Maghrib Fourth of the five daily Muslim prayers—prayed just after sunset
Nafil Extra, non-obligatory prayers
Quran The Muslim sacred scripture
Rakat A unit of prayer
Roti Flat bread
Shab-Khair Persian phrase meaning ‘good night’
Shah Jehan Third Mughal emperor who ruled India and built the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal A world famous marble structure built as a mausoleum to Shah Jehan’s wife
Va Va Urdu phrase meaning ‘Oh Wow!’
Wudu Ritual ablution/washing before each of the five daily prayers
Wa alaikum assalam Reply to Muslim greeting—means ‘and on you be peace too’
Zuhr Second of the five daily Muslim prayers—prayed right after high noon

      About the Author

      Rukhsana Khan is an award-winning author and storyteller. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, she immigrated to Canada at the age of three.

      Her books have been sold to Italy, Japan, Indonesia, China, Australia and New Zealand and have received international acclaim and recognition.

      She has been featured at conferences and festivals in: Canada, the U.S., Denmark, Italy, South Africa, Singapore, and Mexico.

      She has toured all over Canada and the U.S. and has appeared numerous times on television and radio.

      She lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and family.

      For more information visit her website: www.rukhsanakhan.com

      Chapter 1

      I guess I’ve always wanted to fit in. But mostly, I can’t afford it.

      Deanford, being a public school, doesn’t have an official school uniform, but nine out of ten kids wear Lucky jeans. They’re easy to spot because of the little red tag sewn into the seam of the right rear pocket. Stupid place to put a tag. In order to read it you have to look at someone’s bum.

      They cost more than eighty dollars a pair. Just looking at them makes me sick. At least 450 kids at Deanford wear Lucky’s. What a waste. Especially when there are so many poor people going hungry. Why would anyone pay that much for a pair of pants? I can just picture people twenty years from now looking back at us, thinking what fools we are forking out that kind of money.

      But if you want to be accepted, no other brand will do. And they have to have that little red tag, as small as your smallest fingernail, intact. If the tag’s not there it means you’re a cheapskate and you bought seconds, not first quality.

      There’s a game where they try to rip off each other’s tag. In order to do that, they grab at each other’s bums!

      I thought I was okay in my polyester pants. They look like Lucky’s, they have a zipper and pockets and belt loops, they just don’t cost that much. At least I dress better than Premini Gupta, the only other “Indian” in the school.

      Even if I wanted a pair

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