The sun had set a couple of hours back. It was a moonless night, but the cool breeze was alluring. A quiet road with not much traffic, and Aab was walking along aimlessly. Aab prefers roads that are less traveled.
At one point Aab saw bright lights creating an eerie effect in the stillness of the night. Not the welcoming neon and illumination lights, but yellow floodlights piercing through a lot of dust rising from the ground. On coming closer Aab saw the familiar sight of building construction work. Deep pits had been dug and concrete was being poured into the foundation. A human chain of men and women were passing the “gamelas” or metal bows containing the cement and sand mixture.
They reminded Aab of ants carrying sugar particles in a snaking line. The only difference was that these humans were not carrying food to store for a rainy day. They were pouring concrete to make strong pillars emerging from the dirt to filth – to eventually become a magnificent edifice.
With fascination Aab stood and watched. The men and women doing the work were jet black in complexion, their skins burnt and hardened to thick leather. They were working mechanically, and with clockwork efficiency. Aab wondered what they would be thinking. Maybe their only thoughts were of when they would complete their work, eat their crude and tasteless bowls of rice, and sink off into tired slumber. Aab was sure they were not thinking of how the completed building would look like. He wondered whether they were capable of visualizing what would happen after they finish the structure, wash, scrub and clean it up, and move out. Dainty and elegant ladies would walk in, perform puja and purification, deck up the rooms with finery, set up bright and shaded lighting, and throw lavish parties with loud music and ostentatious food.
Aab peered into the darkness to see the faces of the construction workers. He wondered what was the difference between them and the rich residents who would come to occupy the building? Why where they doomed to a lifetime of dirt and grime in building mansions for the clean and sophisticated to come and occupy? As usual Aab had no answers ….. he looked skywards.
