By Imaan Irfan

16 minutes until Maghrib. The smell of fresh biryani floats in from the kitchen. The dates are nestled in a little dish, glistening in a way that tells you that the first bite will make it all worth it. A jug of ice-cold water glints mockingly at you from the table. Not long now. 16 minutes until Maghrib...and you discover your whole fast is invalid. It's that time of the month.

Ya Rabb, you think, you couldn't have spared me a few extra minutes?