The Black Album Read Online Free PDF

What you got so many books for?
     
    Shahid I love reading stories.
     

    Chad How old are you – eight? Aren’t there millions of serious things to be done? Out there … it’s genocide. Rape. Oppression. Murder. The history of the world is slaughter. And you reading stories like some old grandma.
     
    Shahid You make it sound like I was shooting up heroin.
     
    Chad Nice one.
     
    Shahid But don’t writers try to explain that kind of thing? Just now I’m reading The Possessed –
     
    Chad What about the dispossessed, eh? But let’s waste no more time discussing peripheries. We got many real things to accomplish. Hey, where d’you get this Paul Smith shirt?
     
    Shahid ( evasive ) A shop in Brighton.
     
    Chad Riaz’ll be thrilled. He like Brighton and he look best in red. You big-hearted, too, like a lion. Riaz was right about you.
     
Another coded knock .
     
    Now what? Everyone’s in a hurry today.
     
Hat pokes his head round the door .
     
    Hat Hey, Shahid, it for you. Popular guy!
     
    Shahid Is it Chili? Say I’m –
     
    Hat A lady.
     
Zulma strides in .
     
    Zulma Hello, Shahid.
     
    Shahid Oh, Zulma Auntie, great to see you. What’s up?
     
    Zulma Never call me Auntie, you damn fool. In some quarters I’m a sex symbol. Here – your ammi asked me to bring your favourite aubergine pakoras.
     

    She hands him the pakoras, wrapped in foil. He stashes them away. Chad shuffles out, taking the rucksack and Hat with him .
     
    Shahid She shouldn’t have …
     
    Zulma And leave those brain cells unfed? How are the studies coming?
     
    Shahid Fine, fine.
     
    Zulma Working hard?
     
    Shahid Never harder.
     
    Zulma Making friends?
     
    Shahid The best ever.
     
    Zulma Have you seen my beloved husband?
     
    Shahid Yes.
     
    Zulma When? Where?
     
    Shahid He popped by to say hello.
     
    Zulma That bastard Chili never said hello to anyone. Did he borrow money? What’s his number? My pen is hanging! Where’s he staying at the moment in London? Quickly.
     
    Shahid Don’t you know?
     
    Zulma I’ve chucked him out until he cleans up. If he can, or wants to.
     
    Shahid What do you mean, ‘cleans up’?
     
    Zulma Let’s just say your ammi worries about him.
     
    Shahid He’s with his friends. Playing poker all night.
     
    Zulma What the hell, Shahid, which damn friends? You better tell me or I’ll string you up by the balls, okay?
     

    That brother of yours – Papa’s barely got cold and he’s off dreaming.
     
    Shahid I must run to the library. You know Chili doesn’t tell no one what’s what.
     
    Zulma What are you studying?
     
    Shahid Post-colonial literature.
     
    Zulma No finer qualification for a travel agent. Are we still colonial after so long, ‘post’ or not? Get a degree – whatever else, make sure you come out qualified, for your ammi’s sake. You haven’t got in with a rotten crowd, have you? Intellectuals or some other such fools?
     
    Shahid ( ushering her out ) I’ve got to hand in an essay tomorrow, Auntie.
     
    Zulma ( forceful ) Shahid! Your ammi is worried. Get Chili to ring her. He hasn’t been home for weeks.
     
    Shahid I’ll tell him.
     
    Zulma Remember what Papa always said – working your arse off is the only religion worth the name. Do that, and then go home.
     
    Shahid ( ushering her out ) I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from Chili, Auntie. Bye.
     
    Zulma exits. Shahid puts the pakoras away and switches on some music as he does his yoga exercises. Chad enters. For a moment, he’s entranced by the music .
     
    Chad What you doin’?
     
    Shahid Yoga. It gets me in the mood.
     
    Chad That Hindu shit will infect your mind.
     
He turns off the music .
     

    They listen to that Ravi Shankar shit and burn joss sticks. You don’t want to end up like George Harrison, do you? Shahid, I tell you, I used to be an addict – a music addict like you. I listened to it day and night! It was overtaking my soul!
     
    Shahid You were controlled by music?
     
    Chad