by Iman Verjee
As I am leaving, about to turn off the light, I hear the laughter of a little girl and it makes me turn around. I see her dancing within these walls, the overflowing ink of her happiness staining every corner. I see the man with the golden hair and permanent smile, who at one point, meant the world to her. They ignore me, trapped in their horrific happiness, and it hurts because it’s always hard to say goodbye to something that has given you joy, even though you have no use for it anymore. Even though you no longer want it and find it ugly.
I turn the lights out on them; cast them into the smoky shadows of my past. Whether I am ready for it or not, whether it is right or wrong, everything has changed irrevocably by the time I step out into the brightness of the corridor. When the door swings firmly shut behind me and I can’t hear them anymore, I am finally free to take a step in the direction of the only place to go from here; away from this decrepit space where it all began—forward and without him.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I would like to thank the four most important people in my life: Nasoor, Nilufer, Safia and Mishal—my parents and my sisters. It is because of your unfailing belief and constant patience that this novel has seen life beyond my desk drawer. Words will never be enough to express everything I feel for you.
Thanks to everyone who read the various drafts of In Between Dreams, in particular Jonathan Myerson for believing in me and his always insightful comments, Lucy Caldwell and everyone on the MA course at City University, without whom this book would not have been possible. Thank you to Mihir Shah, for all the advice, the countless brainstorming sessions and encouragement while I was writing and to Tamiza Rasul, Shaloo Manesh and Rehana Virjee for their endless support and wonderful friendship. Thanks to Rahim Kassam, Amit Shah, Fatima Hussain, Vicky Patel, Kushal Sanghrajka, Shivali Kamani and Sandhya Dulashia, among many others, for their constant enthusiasm and excitement. Thank you to my grandparents for their support and for teaching me the meaning of unconditional love.
My gratitude goes out to my agent, Janelle Andrew, for, among countless things, her passion, commitment and delicate editing. To Charlotte Van Wijk for believing in this story as much as I do and for treating it with such care and understanding. A big thank you to my editor, Rosalind Porter, whose advice I trusted instantly and for her dedication to making this novel the best it could be. Finally, a big thank you to everyone at Peters, Fraser & Dunlop and Oneworld Publications for turning my biggest dream into a reality.
About the Author
IMAN VERJEE won the 2012 Peters Fraser & Dunlop/City University Prize for Fiction for In Between Dreams, which she wrote while completing an MA in Creative Writing at City University. Prior to studying in London she studied psychology at the University of Alberta in Canada, where she lived for six years. She now lives in Nairobi, Kenya.