*Sometimes, all it takes is a walk through the city to understand what we’ve become, and what we still long to be.* I’m in the Goni Khan market. Around me, old beggars sit by the road, but one elderly man stands out. He isn’t asking for alms. Instead, he’s trying to earn a living, selling cheap carry bags for Rs 10 or 20. He wears them on his arms like bangles, walking silently among the crowd. Muzamilah is with me. We take a narrow lane that loops us back to the main road. We see another elderly man in a pheran. His right hand is held out like a beggar’s, palm facing upward. But his left arm stays tucked inside his cloak. Then I notice his left hand emerging from the collar of his pheran, holding a smartphone to his ear as he speaks to someone. The scene feels both familiar and surreal: an image of poverty and technology layered together. Read Full Story Here: https://kashmirobserver.net/2025/06/13/a-walk-through-the-city/