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Wednesday 2 January 2019

EP8: AN UNWANTED FLIGHT- MEETING LONELY EXPATS AT DUBAI- FUSION STORIES

January 02, 2019 TRAVEL , 0 Comments

Novel: AN UNWANTED FLIGHT

CH# 8

Adventures of Dubai


‘Let me see you my favorite places at Tehran,’ she dragged him towards south.
‘But what if some falconer or hunter spot us or …,’ he seemed scared and confused.
‘Nothing will happen.  They speckled at dreamily architect Golestan palace first then she dragged him towards Niavaran complex.
She also got enthralled while peeping at the jewelry of royal families in national jewelry museum, Tehran. 
'Do you like jewelry?' Houbara asked.
'Off course, every female on earth do?' she smiled. 
'Soon we all female birds will fly towards Dubai to attend shopping festival,'Houbara bustard got amazed on Crany's overwhelmed excitement. It was about dusk so they decide to stay at one of the trees on historical Valiasr Street. The night was clammy and dark than usual. Next morning were passing by main market when Houbara over heard someone calling him.
‘Hey Houbara, help, help over here,’ just then Houbara spot out a vehicle carrying his best friend Siberian crane trapped in a big cage.
‘Oh my…How you reached here? I left you at Caspian coast after Kazakhstan,’ Houbara flew near to that van.
HOUBARA AND SIBERIAN CRANE AT TEHRAN
HOUBARA BUSTARD AND TRAPPED SIBERIAN CRANE,TEHRAN 

‘Actually this vehicle offered me lift and I sat inside this cage. Off course I was trapped in a thin transparent net stretched by a hunter in town near Caspian.They should stop teasing migratory birds now but it’s just take water off duck’s back in Iran. He sold me in the main market with many other birds. As I am beautiful healthy crane so I was safe of being selling at slaughter shop otherwise I would be roasted by any Iranian family at Shab e Zalda(a celebration in Iran at longest and dark night of the year). Today, someone has bought me just in $10. How much affront I’m feeling now on just less price?’ crane told his story fluttering in the cage.
‘In fact, you worth $0 but some fool like you…,’ Houbara flew at back.
‘Who is she? Oh…you make new friend…she is beautiful…are you in…?’ Crane asked about female Houbara flying behind but Houbara didn’t answer as the vehicle entered a big farmhouse outside Tehran. Houbara and his friend sat at the top branch of tree in the farm.
‘Oh, my…a beautiful Siberian Crane, my birthday gift,’ a chic Iranian girl with red nose and vivid black eyes, wrapped in a blue scarf and coat came outside, held crane in her lap and took selfie with him. ‘Oh, Baba always surprises me. Yes, some of us are abusive towards you but most of us wait to cherish you in our land dear migratory bird. In winter migratory Cranes are sign of hope for our people and for me too,’ she may send that picture to her father with thank you note.
Crane got excited to see its picture on mobile but its surprise finished after a while when a man came with a sharp scissors and cut its wings.


‘Ooo…,’ crane resisted with flutter but in vain. That girl had dinner with crane and luckily offered him, his favorite pizza. Then she got busy in her studies.
‘Dear crane, wish me good luck for my medical exams. I’m sorry I’ve to leave for my hostel tomorrow but I’ll keep coming here,’ she patted him.     
The night was getting dark. The Iranian girl went to sleep leaving him alone across a big swimming pool.
‘Hey Houbara, are you there?’ lonely Crane called in dark.
‘Oh at last the feast is over. I know, you must have decided to stay over here to enjoy pizza and mobile. Then ok…,’ Houbara showed outside tree and sat at high boundary wall.
‘Take me out of here. Look,they’ve cut my wings. The beautiful girl will also leave by tomorrow,’ crane was really gloomy.
‘Really,’ Houbara looked at side.
‘May he can come out from here,’ female Houbara pointed towards pattern of trees from small to big in the garden. Crane jumped up like jumping on staircase and after struggle of 1 hour crane was successful to escape.
‘Ooo…your friend is a genius,’ crane praised.
‘Just like me, now you’re coming with me and will stay at marshes of Dasht e Kavir,’ they were flying very low.
A group of migratory birds with mostly excited female fowl tourists reached above Persian Gulf.  The tough but temperate sea breeze greeted the company.
The group stayed at Small Island to feed itself. Siberian crane enjoyed fishy treat on turquoise coast line.  By 1 ½ hour the birds entered from Dubai port.
‘Oh my…it’s stunning,’ Siberian crane was glancing at sky tower, modern styled buildings at Dubai. It was his first visit over here.
‘Have you been here before?’ he asked Houbara Bustard amused.
‘Once…few years before. Be careful, this area is filled with sky-scrappers mostly made of glass. You may hit,’ Houbara answered while flying over Burj Khalifa.
‘Hey, looks what I’ve found,’ browny came in there with blue pearl in her beak.
‘I’ll put it in our nest,’ she was very excited.
‘From where…?’
‘Its just imitate. I found it from trash near the workshop of famous jewelry designer staying at The Palm resort,’ she was quite excited.
‘Can we turn back now?’
‘How come! I’ll search near world famous fashion designers places to collect any silk piece and also I’ve to enjoy at Dubai theme park,’ she told him the next plan angry.
‘Guys, I’ve found quite reasonable place to feed us all at dinner,’ just then a flamingo approached them over Burj khalifa.
Leftover burgers, meatballs, big packs of chips and much more was there to treat.  Even with efficient sanitary labor, they found plenty across wide roads of Dubai.
It was midnight but Dubai was still alive with choreographed jets and lights dance show across Dubai Fountain. All birds arrived near Dubai Shopping Mall which was overcrowded because of shopping festival.  Whites, Browns, Africans, Chinese…the whole world was seemed to gathered at that place. Among content faces, chirping ladies and affluent men, there was a massive number of working laborious expats from different developing countries.
Houbara and Siberian Crane sat above an electric pole. Under the scintillating glow of lane bulbs, the two human expats parked themselves after their duty and started to chat to their kids through mobile phones. Their faces were thumping with elation among flashlights of mall while listening and seeing at their loved ones from far apart.
‘Human expats from developing countries who left their native places in search of better earning have the same story like us. These worker expatriates at middle east countries spend whole of their lives striving at Malls, sweating at oil wells or saving every penne as nomadic taxi drivers in hope to fly at their native towns to meet their families soon but do you know the question which is asked by everyone there as soon as they arrived?’ Siberian Crane now observed the two expats feasting on single piece of pizza.
‘For how many days, you’re up here? When is your flight to departure back? Houbara Bustard instantly answered.
‘Employee expats at Middle East countries mostly put up with loneliness as they approach here leaving their immediate families behind dreaming to earn enhanced life for their beloved relations. Soon they just turn to be ATM machines for their native countries and families. By sharing the rooms with other expats and spending whole of their youth at hard mattress often they forget to dream of their own desires,’
 ‘And others forget to dream about them,’ Houbara Bustard observed another worker coming out of mall after his duty.
   ‘Dubai is not the place to gossip but to adventure. It’s time to ride on Dubai theme park giant rides, ’Browny came there to call them.
Theme park was looking desolated at early morning but not anymore. All tourist fowl attacked and apprehended the rides from all sides. Houbara bustard and Siberian crane really had fun on full of rides park. They were too tired that all birds scattered and fell to sleep at cozy places among forest of sky scrapers. Houbara Bustard was resting among thorny bushes when another morning was about to leap at oil wells and sand dunes of Dubai. Siberian cranes and flamingoes chose a quiet place near Persian Gulf coast to have some rest.
‘I hope my mom and little sister will be watching the same moon out of harm's way at Lake Poyang, China. At least human expats can know about the safety of their loved ones through different gadgets but birds can’t. I just wish to see and enfold my little sister, my brave sis with spiky red nose…,’ Siberian Crane sighed and peeped on the full moon shinning at the edge of twilight.
‘You didn’t make your promise and left me alone. Nobody loves me…not either mom,’ the little sister Siberian crane gazed at blazing sun at the same time swimming at Lake Poyang, China. 
She then peeped to her mom who was full of activity while gulping and fluttering with her new mate whose wife was dead in way. Her mother seemed busier flattering his new mate’s brood than of her own little daughter. She very smartly approached one of them and snatched tasty roots out of his mouth. He was not even able to cry upon her as she punched his paw sharp till she finished all.
‘Ah, what happened? Look he’s crying for no reason,’ she left his paw and swim away fast.
‘I’m not little Siberian crane with spiky red nose any more.  I’m brave Crany now who knows to come to blow at times. You would be surprised to see your little coward sister but I still need you brother,’ she prayed by closing her eyes.
‘I’m bored of this limelight city, Dubai. I can’t waste another day over here. I’m turning back,’ all of sudden brother Siberian Crane saw a flamingo that was ready to fly.
‘Hey, just wait. We’ll leave soon.’ Crane called him from back. The sun was above head now. The city was ready with usual hustle bustle.
‘I don’t think so that these lady fowls will gear up to leave before the ending of this shopping festival. I’m decided,’ flamingo instantly flew higher in air.
‘Just let me ask others, if anyone else wants to exit. We can make it together,’ Crane chased him.
 It was the exact time when an international flight from the world’s busiest airport took off and hit by a bird in air. The bird was a migratory flamingo that was deceased but the flight was fortunate to continue after a jerk. Crane hardly managed to survive from the wing incensed metal bird.
‘Mostly few migratory birds turn up to Dubai but this year we witnessed many at skies of U.A.E. People all around are talking about flamingoes, Cranes and Houbara Bustard across Persian gulf.’ The demise of flamingo after hitting a plane took them all to media lights at once.
‘Have you spotted our ringed birds are flapping here above Dubai. This is very rare,’ Yong checked on the monitor after hearing the news and called to Zain who was in Pakistan.
‘May be they’re enjoying shopping festival like you,’ Zain laughed.
‘I was thinking…if you could join me here in Dubai…then we can catch them to read the codes from their rings. I think they’re finished with their journey,’ Yong suggested.
‘You just enjoy and let them enjoy too. Still there is time to spring,’ Zain laughed.
‘Then you’re not coming to Dubai. It’s our vacations,’ Yong went apparent this time.
‘Umm…why not you come to my place after vacations then we’ll complete our migratory project together,’ Zain offered her.
‘I’ll plan. Let me happy with my Siberian Crane and Houbara Bustard flying near me,’ she disconnected the call.
All birds were stunt on demise of flamingo. There was not any choice to turn back to Iran from Dubai now to get away from media and Arab falconers. All expat but tourist birds had to return back from Dubai.  
                  The day was cold but bright at Dasht e Kavir.
‘I’ve planned to visit Tehran again at shab e zalda. Would you…?’
‘Why so…we can have fun here too. We’ll awake all night, will talk about our plans, our hopes and our…?’
 Female Houbara Browny was out again to Tehran with her friends to get amusement from the festivity of Shab e Zalda: the night of birth (when the god of light was born to cherish the days to become longer again after this night). The longest, darkest and more often the coldest snowy night of the year is celebrated awaking the whole night while listening at Persian poetry of Hafez at drawing rooms with gathering of all family members. A lavish feast, dancing and fun with nuts and fruits following the plentiful dinner is part of Shab e Zalda.  
       ‘There is a big born fire arrangement with Bar B Q party at Main Park to celebrate Shab e Zalda and I don’t want to miss listening at my favorite poet Hafez loud. I even can recite few verses from Hafez over there,’ Browny cut him up.
‘Why can’t you stay at one place like many of other females,’ Houbara Bustard was louder now
‘We had a discussion about it many times before. I’m not like others. I want to explore the world,’
‘I just want to….,’
‘I’m not ready to have brood now. I can’t sacrifice my freedom. Why don’t you get it? Even you don’t like to hang about your family then what the hell to force me up,’ she yelled.
   ‘You better hang about with your marshy buddy,’ she flew out of nest without listening at him.
‘Listen,’   
      Houbara Bustard was fed up of Browny’s out of the way wandering or she was angry of significant affection among semi deserted fowl and a wetland prêt but there was breach among two Houbara Bustards story now.
‘You should fly off with her,’ Crane saw the flock of Houbara Bustards leaving at side.
‘What! Leave…she is not my cup of tea anymore. Let’s have elongated flight. I just want to drift from here,’ Houbara Bustard pleaded.

‘But…,’     
The day was cold but bright at Dasht e Kavir. Female Houbara was out again to Tehran with her friends to enjoy the festivity of Shab e Zalda. Houbara and Siberian Crane were flying at North-East across Dasht e Lut. Crane wanted to trial its new wings. Out of the blue a falcon attacked Houbara which Houbara saved but that falcon got furious and ran after Crane now. They both flew fast to save their lives but a group of falcons chased them.
 In struggle to hoard their lives, they crossed a chain of dry barren mountains when falcons suddenly stopped and turned back. They held their breath for while and sat at the highest branch of a single dry tree among bushes on that mountain. They were about to fly again when a devastating and brutal blast on mountain flipped them ups and down.
‘Afghanistan…a country at war…we must reach Afghanistan,’ they both screamed after looking at the grinded rocks trembling up in the air after the blast…
TO BE CONTINUED
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