Yara recalls the day they visited a fortune teller, with the narrator's mother visibly tense and under a sort of trance.
Despite Yara's curiosity, the mother remains silent about their destination, leading her children through the bustling streets of Fifth Avenue to an old building.
They struggle up the stairs of the decrepit building to visit the fortune teller, a majestic woman in blue with kohl-rimmed eyes and hennaed hands.
The fortune teller, recognizing the mother as Meriem, invites them into her apartment filled with crystals and a curtain of crystal beads.
Instructed to watch her brothers, Yara observes curiously as her mother is led to the other side of the beaded curtain, where a ritual is to take place.
Yara is intrigued by the darkened room and compares a palmistry hand decoration to her mother's necklace.
Despite being told to stay put, Yara can't resist peeping through the beads to witness the fortune teller drawing a protective circle and reciting incantations.
The fortune teller indicates the intention to perform a ruqyah, a ritual to remove curses or evil spirits, sparking fear in Yara.
The mother appears anxious and out of place on the prayer rug, reflecting a recent avoidance of religious practices despite not being particularly devout before.
The fortune teller places iron stones around Meriem and mentions their use to repel jinn, but Meriem remains silent.
After an eerie silence, the fortune teller declares she cannot help Meriem, revealing that she has been cursed.
Meriem's face shows a combination of confusion and understanding before letting out a pained sound, signaling her deep distress.
As they leave, Meriem appears dazed and unable to maintain eye contact with Yara, showing a profound sense of helplessness.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Meriem collapses to her knees, overwhelmed by emotion, and screams.