Ziyad awoke to the familiar ugly rumble of a bulldozer. It was sitting right in front of his gate...
It was a joint family of fifteen that Ziyad headed. The ancient single-floor house with three rooms was beginning to appear smaller everyday. Another floor above would make things easier. But that needed a permit. He had been to the city on many occasions to arrange for it. But it was always the same denial. Eventually, after two years, he gave up. Meanwhile, a stone's throw away from his house, a beautiful and luxurious "gilo" came up in no time. The land had not been bought, just taken. Families from outside had come and settled down.
In desperation, Ziyad had gone ahead and built two rooms above his house...
Far away in Atlanta, the CNN newsreader read out, "Israeli bulldozers demolished a Palestinian home under construction. Authorities said that the owner had no building permit..." AbNQ
Sunrise Before Dawn
The drone of the aircraft's engine was like a lullaby. And predictably, almost all the passengers were asleep on the overnight flight. The flight was eastward bound, so that it would be flying into the sunrise...
The view from the window was surprising. It was not yet three in the night (or in the morning), and the sky was turning light. There were no clouds, and it was mesmerising to see a blue curtain getting bluer by the minute outside. But of the sea beneath, there was only darkness. It was like someone shining a torch over a wall. Above the wall's shadow, everything was bright, but what lay below remained dark. In the thrill of this spectre, little did the curious young child realise that his bright new watch displayed the time of a timezone left far behind. He wouldn't have cared had he known. It was magic. And magic is not to be understood...
So it was, that on this summer night, the sun came early. It came before dawn. AbNQ
The view from the window was surprising. It was not yet three in the night (or in the morning), and the sky was turning light. There were no clouds, and it was mesmerising to see a blue curtain getting bluer by the minute outside. But of the sea beneath, there was only darkness. It was like someone shining a torch over a wall. Above the wall's shadow, everything was bright, but what lay below remained dark. In the thrill of this spectre, little did the curious young child realise that his bright new watch displayed the time of a timezone left far behind. He wouldn't have cared had he known. It was magic. And magic is not to be understood...
So it was, that on this summer night, the sun came early. It came before dawn. AbNQ
The Party
The sun went down after a sluggish preformance. The old beggar at the corner of the road pulled the ends of his ragged shawl around himself...
The lawns were done up beautifully. Flowers hung from the main gate. Tiny lightbulbs glowed prettily between the bushes. The party started slightly late. The guests trooped in in twos and threes. All of them were dressed up for the occasion. The woollens were out in full glory. Silk shawls, cashmere coats, leather jackets could be seen everywhere. Faux-fur was also spotted. The warmth and the cheer was infectious. There was laughter all around. Piping hot kebabs were served on fine china. A Kashmiri chef brewed pots of kahva. Guests lined up to fill their glasses with the pink concoction. As the cold intensified and dew began to fall, a bonfire was started. People huddled around it to warm themselves. It rarely got this cold in the city. And everyone was determined to make the most of the chilly night...
When the fog lifted the following morning, the old beggar was dead.
The lawns were done up beautifully. Flowers hung from the main gate. Tiny lightbulbs glowed prettily between the bushes. The party started slightly late. The guests trooped in in twos and threes. All of them were dressed up for the occasion. The woollens were out in full glory. Silk shawls, cashmere coats, leather jackets could be seen everywhere. Faux-fur was also spotted. The warmth and the cheer was infectious. There was laughter all around. Piping hot kebabs were served on fine china. A Kashmiri chef brewed pots of kahva. Guests lined up to fill their glasses with the pink concoction. As the cold intensified and dew began to fall, a bonfire was started. People huddled around it to warm themselves. It rarely got this cold in the city. And everyone was determined to make the most of the chilly night...
When the fog lifted the following morning, the old beggar was dead.
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