Mirage

Bandula Chandraratna

Sayeed is an ordinary man living a difficult life in a shanty town in a Middle Eastern Kingdom. It is a place of minimal aspirations where even modest hopes are not usually fulfilled. He manages well enough until social pressures catch up with him and everything changes.

Extract

'There's no harm in going to see her, is there? You might not be able to see her face, but at least you could see her shape. Her parents are very nice, farming folks, like us. The father had only one wife, Latifa's mother. This woman's child is a pretty little thing.'
'Have you been to see them recently?'
'Only yesterday. Akila said that I should go and meet the parents, and ask about you.'
'What? You should not have done that!' said Sayeed angrily.

Parallels