Sunday, May 6, 2012

The Streets

Contributed by Sana Ahmed Khan 


Karachi is known as a city that never sleeps but the moment the Sun breaks the dusk, the rays bring along a dead silence that spreads across the city. The winds become the carriers of last night’s bustle and the streets become eerie. The entire city seems ghostly and this is when the silence is the loudest.

As the morning progresses, the blanket of the stillness is gradually removed, allowing the city to wake up to the sunlight. All the sounds, chirping of the birds, rattling of the cars, cries of the children merge into one rhythm of life. This is the only time when all the classes form a bond; they all become the slaves of working hours.

Walking around the streets, you can see a mother sending her children off to school, a husband bidding goodbye to his wife, a milkman ringing a door bell and people chasing vans and buses. You can see people running in suits with a briefcase, reflecting their corporate slavery. There is a race against time and it seems as if the entire traffic has the same destination. Honking horns and arguments among constables and drivers just add to the morning extravaganza.

In contrast to the busy city life, there are some people who live through their mornings. You find people sitting in local cafes, commonly known as ‘dhabbas’, enjoying their morning breakfast of hot pancakes, tea and eggs. The aroma of this mouthwatering food spreads through the neighborhood and calls out to people.

Sometimes, even in the brightest of mornings, you do bump into the misery of this city. You would find the homeless and drug addicts lying at the corner of the streets, wrapped up in their own thoughts.  They are so indulged in themselves that they don’t even notice the mornings and the nights that pass them by. Life becomes a one big torturing moment for them but even in this pain, they find their joy.

Every morning, all the shades of city life are brought together in a palette and every color complements the other, adding to the beauty of the city. Even the social issues and violent dramas of the previous night are put to sleep when the Sun arises, bringing new hope and a new beginning to the new ending. 

 

 

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