The day for Azhar’s family to visit came around very quickly. Kalsuma’s sisters and mother were thrown into a frenzy of cooking and cleaning. Her family had long discussions about the dishes that they should prepare, the type and number of dishes and how they would cater to Azhar’s veganism. Her mother’s house was turned upside down. Every corner dusted and every sofa and cupboard moved. The laminate flooring underneath was wiped down. The vases were replenished with fresh flowers, the day to day cushion covers removed and the special covers taken out from storage. The wall coverings were washed and rehung on the wall, the crochet pieces made by her mother many years ago were brought out and placed on the coffee tables and on the dining room table. All the bedrooms were tidied and made presentable. The bedspreads from Bangladesh taken out and stylised. The small bedroom was vacuumed voraciously because the carpet in there was stu...