The following version was used to make this guide: Jaigirdar, Adiba. The Henna Wars. Salem, MA: Page Street Publishing, 2020. This young adult novel is 34 chapters long, and for the purposes of this guide will be broken into seven sections. The novel is told from the first person perspective of the main character Nishat, a Bengali teenage girl growing up in Dublin, Ireland.

The novel starts as Nishat decides she is going to come out to her parents while at Sunny Apu’s engagement party. The next morning she comes out to them, and they say they understand but later she hears them arguing about what to do. The next day her parents act as if nothing has happened. The family is preparing for Sunny Apu’s wedding and Nishat does the henna for her and Priti, Priti taking pictures of it for Instagram.

At the wedding, Nishat and Priti are bridesmaids and participate in the ceremony. Nishat and Priti stuff their faces with as much Bengali food as they can. Nishat runs into a girl she knew from primary school, Flavia, and immediately feels butterflies. Flavia takes Nishat up to the stage to take a picture with the bride and groom, holding Nishat’s hand and exciting Nishat. Afterwards, Priti is suspicious, suspecting that Nishat has a crush on Flavia and worrying that Flavia is straight. The two prepare for the start of school - Nishat heading into her Transition Year while Priti is headed for her Junior Cert exams.

At school, Nishat reconnects with her best friends Jess and Chaewon. Flavia approaches Nishat at school - saying she is now attending the same school as Nishat. Though in the school assembly Flavia sits next to her cousin Chyna - Nishat’s enemy. Nishat remembers when Chyna ditched her at a party and spread nasty racist rumors about her family’s food. Later, their business teacher announces that this semester they will create a business, and the winner at the end of the year will get a prize. Jess, Chaewon, and Nishat agree to work on their business together. At home, Nishat decides she wants to try a henna business. At school Jess and Chaewon agree, though they are hesitant. Flavia and Chyna come to school with their own henna done, and Nishat gets upset.

At home, Nishat preps the business class project and Priti sets up Nishat’s business Instagram account - Nishat’s Mehndi. Nishat learns that Chyna and Flavia are planning to set up their own henna business. Meanwhile, Sunny Apu pays Nishat a visit, telling her Muslis are not gay, and Nishat has a problem. Nishat is so upset she goes with Priti to Chyna’s birthday party, where she gets in a fight with Flavia over art and cultural appropriation. After the party, Ammu talks to Nishat about her sexuality and family shame, telling Nishat she must make another choice. Back at school, Jess and Chaewon try to talk Nishat out of the henna business idea but Nishat is determined, and decides to go it alone.

Nishat starts to consider stealing Flavia’s henna tubes to get back at Flavia for stealing her idea. Meanwhile Nishat gets her Junior Cert exam results and she has done well. Flavia invites her to Chyna’s party to celebrate with the rest of the class, and when she gets there Flavia takes her to a room alone where they almost kiss. At school she prepares for the showcase, setting up her stall, but realizes everyone is whispering about her. Priti finds her and tells her someone sent an anonymous text outing Nishat to the whole school. Nishat thinks it is Flavia and Chyna but does not tell any of the teachers or her parents. She enlists Priti to help steal Flavia’s henna tubes to get back at her, but Chyna walks up on Nishat in the act. Later on in class, Nishat confronts Flavia about the text but Flavia says it was not her. Flavia invites Nishat over to her house to work on decorations for her stall, and at her house they almost kiss. That night, Nishat finds out from reading Priti’s texts that it was Priti’s friend Ali who sent the anonymous text to the whole school.

Flavia makes a special banner for Nishat’s business, and Nishat opens her henna business at her father’s restaurant that weekend. She has a few classmate customers, then Flavia comes in to get her henna done. They kiss in the restaurant. They then go on a date - which includes ice cream and a sunset over Ha’penny bridge in Dublin. Nishat prepares again for the next showcase at school, putting up Flavia’s banner. Jess and Chaewon help her set up - adding fairy lights and both apologizing for not being more supportive of Nishat. They go to lunch and when they return, Nishat’s stall has been trashed, Flavia’s banner ripped apart.

Priti and Nishat’s parents arrive just in time to see that the stall is a mess. Flavia comes over later to talk but Nishat says there is too much going on and they break up. Ammu talks to Nishat about her sexuality and they all reconcile as a family. Jess and Chaewon help Nishat re-do her stall, and Jess makes her a new banner with the lesbian flag in it. The competition ends, with Jess and Chaewon as the winners. Afterwards, Nishat overhears Chyna making racist comments about the competition and Nishat confronts her, with Flavia backing Nishat up. Later, Flavia and Nishat reconcile and get back together. Flavia even comes over to Nishat’s home, her parents supportive yet flustered about feeding her. The book ends with the two of them in Starbucks, Nishat doing Flavia’s henna.