What Haunted the Men on Hamdan Street? Aathma Nirmala Dious
TW: sexual harassment/assault, mentions of blackmail, revenge porn, and sexual exploitation.
Abu Dhabi, February 2018
“It’s the twelfth one this month,” Papa muttered. Anagha looked up at him or rather the newspaper he was holding up to read mid-sip of her late-morning chaya. “What was the twelfth time?” “What?” Papa folded the newspaper and placed it next to his phone. “Oh ... another man getting hurt ... near that Burger King place. Jobin uncle
sent me a message on whatsapp yesterday night … I am surprised they actually reported it today—”
Amma slapped the table, startling Papa and Anagha. The older woman
was still in her orange nightdress and looked frazzled even with her hair clipped away from her face.
“Finish your chaya! It’ll get cold in that mug and I don’t have any more milk to remake it. This house …”
“Where’s Gopu?” Anagha asked as Amma left to grumble at the state of
the laundry, while slowly tearing off a piece of the soft, fluffy appam. “He’s not here yet.”
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