Thisseemslikeagoodenoughplace.

Familiessittingaroundlittlebluetables,friendsengagingin
enviablefreeflowingconversation,waitersbustlingarounddodgingcarsandcrossingroads,parathas
andchai.
Wow,IwouldkillforsomeplacelikethisbackinSingapore.Allweevergettodothereisridearoundin
Qadirsjeepandhangoutatmallsorthoseshadysheeshabars.SuckstobeathirdgenerationPaki,I
guess.Icantevenimaginewhatitwouldbeliketocomehereeverynightandchilloutwithfriends.
Cheapfood,cheapdrinks,opentill3everynight!IfonlyIhadmyboyshere!Tarikwouldloseit!
Ohmygod!Lookattheseparathas!TheyareactuallyprettydifferentfromtheonesIvehadatthe
dhaabaclosetoJamilunclesplace.Theseonesareprettyundersizedbutthick,unliketheusualbig,
thin,crispyparathasatotherplaces.
FUCK!
Damn,thatteajustburnedoffmytongue!Wellservesmerightforbeingsoimpatient.Ishouldjustwait
forittocooldownalittle.Itisabittoosweetthough.
Ibetthiswouldbeagreatplaceforsomepeoplewatching.Heh,Iguessallthosevideosallover
Facebookaboutlookingupfromoursmartphonesgotsomethingright.Theressomuchtositand
observenowthatmyphonesoutofpower.
Lookatthoseidiotsthereflickingpaperballsatthecat.Poorcat!Itlookssodecrepittoo.Ishouldjust
gooverthereandtellthemtostop.Butthenagain,therearelike4ofthemandI'malone.Whatifthey
decidetostartpickingonmebecauseIhaveanaccent?Ithappenedyesterdayatthepark,itmightjust
happenagainhere.Fuckit,itsnotworthit.I'mnotverygoodatconfrontingpeopleanyways.
Theseguysatthetablenexttomineseemliketheyrehavingafuntime.Justsitting,eating,smoking,
andlaughing.Arentthesethesametwoguyswhowerehuggingsopubliclyinthemiddleoftheroad
rightnow?Thisissotroublingthough.Peopleherearecompletelyfinewithguyshugginginthemiddle
ofthestreetorholdinghandswhilewalkingalongtheroad.BackinSingaporethemostphysicalcontact
Icangetwithmyfriendsisjustshakinghandsoratapontheback.Casualcontactbetweenfriendslike
thekindheseesherewouldjustmakeeveryonefeelawkwardbackhome.Andyetbackhomepeople
arefinewithhomosexuality.Theywontmindtwoguyshuggingorkissinginpubliciftheyseemlikea
couple.Heretheyjustseemtorecoilindisgustattheideaofamanbeinginlovewithaguy.Iguess
everyplacehasitsowneccentricdefinitionofacceptablebehavior.
Ah,nowthatisacutechild!Shessosmall!Iwonderiftheyshouldbringachildthatyoungtoadhaaba
likethisthough,withallthesmokeblowingeverywherefromtheBBQgrills.
Therearesomanypeopleonthattablethough!Itseemsliketheirentirefamilymustbehere.Iwonder
ifitwouldbecreepythatI'mtryingtoeavesdropandseehowtheyreallrelatedtoeachother.
OkaysoassumingatypicalPakistanifamilymodelfromallthoseshowsMaandPawatchallthetimeon
thetelevision,thosetwoshouldbethemainMotherandFatherfigures,andthosethreearetheir

kids.Theeldestkidseemstobethegirlinthatredtshirt,Zara.Sheseemsabout12yearsoldIguess.
Theboyinthewhitehoodedjacketmustbearound8yearsold?IthinktheMotherjustcalledhimZain.
Thatshouldmakethatadorablelittlegirltheyoungestsibling.Shecantbemorethan5,andyetlookat
her.Solively,soenergetic!Shesgoteveryonepayingattentiontoherallthetime!Ah,sohernameis
Zoha.
ThatZainkidjustcalledtheoldguywiththemustacheUnclesothatprobablymakesthebored
yawningwomanwithwhitehairnexttohimtheAuntie.
Theyreallyseemliketheperfectfamilyyouknow.Imeancomeon,Javed,lookathowtheyareall
talkingsocomfortablywitheachother.ThatlittlegirlZohakeepsthemalllaughingsohard!Theymust
reallyloveher,andshemustlovethem.Lookatthem,alllisteningsocarefullytohertalkingabouther
teacheratschool.
Hmm,soUncleistalkingtoZaranowwhiletheothersarestilllaughing.Iwonderwhathessaying.
Probablyaskingheraboutherschool,andherteachersIimagine.Sheseemsreallywithdrawnfromthe
entiregroup.Iwonderwhatswrongwithher.Maybeshessick.
OHGOD,INEEDMYBROSHERE.Lookatmesittinghere,spyingonpeople,tryingtoanalyzethem.
Damnthisissad!
Okaywhatthefuck.Isitjustmydirtymindordidthatjusthappen?Shit,forasecondIthoughtIwas
imagininghishandgrabbingatZara,butthatUncleisstilltouchingthatpoorgirl!Whatthehellisgoing
onhere!Seriously?Hesjustgoingtotouchherlikethatunderthetableandnoonesgoingtonotice?
Damn,thatpoorgirl!Ishouldgetupandtellherparents!
No,Ishouldsitbackdown.
Thisisbig.Theywontbelieveme.Whywouldsomeonetakethewordofarandomstrangerovertheir
relatives?Whatiftheystartyellingatme?WhatiftheUnclehitsmebecauseIaccusedhim?
WhydoIneedtobethebraveguywhointerferesinotherpeopleslives?Lookthoseguysoveratthe
othertablearealsonoticingitbuteventheyarentsayinganything.Ishouldjuststayaway,mindmy
ownbusiness.
Still,ifIdontsayanything,whatdoesthatsayaboutme?Doesthatmakemeanaccomplice?Icansee
thepoorgirlshaking,Icanseethatfuckingpervertshandonherleg,andstillIdonothing.Fearof
consequencesmademesitbackdown.SoifI'mnotstoppinghim,amIoneofthoseinthissocietywho
enablesexualpredatorslikehim?
No!I'mnotsomeaccomplice,neitheramIanenabler!Ijustwanttonotgetintosomeoneelsesdrama!
Ihaveenoughproblemsofmyown,whyshouldImakesomeoneelsesissuesmyown?Itsjustgonna
complicatethings!Ishouldjustlookaway!Survivaliseveryonedoingwhatisbestforthem.Standingup

forsomestrangersdaughtermightseemliketherightthingtodobutitsnotworththetrouble,the
possiblefighting,thearguing,andthespectaclethatwillbethefinalresult.
Whatifthatwasyoursister?Whatifthatwasyourdaughter?FUCKYOU,BRAIN!Ihatequestionslike
this!Itsnotmysisterordaughter,isit?Yet,ifitwasmydaughterIwouldratherbetold.Iwouldrather
thegirlnotgothroughthetraumaofthisanysecondlongerthanshealreadyhas.Makesmyhands
trembletothinkofwhatmustbegoingthroughthelittlegirlshead.Shemustbefeelingsohelpless,
beingpunishedfornoreason.Noreasonotherthanbeingtheonlywaytosatisfysometwisted
pedophilessexualappetite.
No.Icantdothis.Ijustcant.Icantbethemanwhofightsforthisgirl,nomatterhowmuchIwantto.
Noteverystoryintheworldcanendwithsomeherosavingsomelittlegirlindistress.Theworldisa
selfishplace.ImightjustcursemyselfeverydayfortherestofmylifeforwalkingawaytodaybutIdont
wanttoknowwhatwillhappenifIdotherightthing.Ihavereadenoughaboutthiskindofthing
happeninginthirdworldcountriestoguesshowthefamilywillreact.Theywilldefinitelybeatmeup.
Theymightalsohurtthegirl.TheUnclewillgetoffscotfree.Thereisnopoint.Someday,someoneelse
willstandupforher.SomedaythatUnclewillbepunishedforwhathehasdone.Nottoday.Notbymy
doing.Icanonlyadmitthistomyself,butIamnottheguywhohasenoughcouragetostanduptohim.

Aamir,ayoungwaiter,standswatchingthegirlbeingtouchedbyheruncle.Hehasbeenstandinghere,
watchingthisfamilycomehereeverycoupleofmonths,andthegirlbeingmolestedeverytime.Heonce
askedanotherwaiterBaba,whydoesnoonetelltheparentsofthatgirlwhatishappeningtoher?
Theoldwaiterwatchedhimwistfully,asifrememberingthedayswhenhehadcontemplatedstanding
upforwhatwasmorallyjust,andtoldhimItsaboveourAukattostandupforwhatsright,son.Just
doyourwork,andleave.Herosareonlyappreciatedinthemovies.Aboveourstatus.Aboveour
position,ourcapacityaspoor,minimumwageworkers.Asmuchasthatthoughthurt,whathurtmore
wasthefactthatitwastheundisputedtruth.
Hesawtheboywhoatealone,atthetablenexttothefamilystable,getupandcometowardshim.
Aamirknewthisboyhadalsoseenwhathadhappened.Aamirhadseenhimstandup,takeastep
towardsthefamilyandthensitbackdown.Nomatterhowbadlyhewantedtoasktheboywhyhe
hadntdonewhatthepoorwaiterscouldntdo,Aamirknewtheanswerhewouldget.Hedidntbother.
Theboypaid,motionedtohisdriver,gotintohiscar,andleft.Thewaitersstoodtherewaitingforsome
customertocallthemovertoplaceanorder.TheUnclekepttouchingthegirl.Atsomepointinthe
nightthefamilypaidawaiter,saidtheirgoodbyes,gotintotheircars,andleft.
Theworld,sadly,keptspinning.Lifewenton,havingdisappointedahelplessyounggirloncemore.