"...Waiting in the interrogation room, the only thought that was goin through my mind was would I ever be able to get outta here.."
Flashback..
It was my day off and ritual demanded the afternoon was spent lazing around watching movies. The phone buzzed and a colleague suggested we go to the beach which is like 500 meters from our apartment. Never to back out, I get myself prepped up in less than half an hour and I took my 70-300mm lens for those long range shots.
The sun was almost beating down on us and the time was around 4 30 when we reached the beach. There were a couple of families on the beach, the usual Arabic women getting into the water with the entire burkha and the head scarf on and the men half naked and children completely naked and unabashed. I so pity them fools. On one side of the beach there were people fishing and barbecuing.
We picked a spot in the middle of the beach and I loaded up my SLR with the 300 mm Zoom lens. And we started happily clicking the sea gulls and people at the beach and what we thought of as a harbor extending out in the sea. I was showing off the little camera tricks that I have learned till now. From the left I could see two Arab guys walking straight towards us, I dint pay much attention because it dint strike me that I was doing something out of the unordinary.
As the two fat Arab guys kept walking in our direction, it was clear that they were coming towards us and in case there was a confrontation thankfully I was not alone. Maximum they could do to us was mug us, but I would not give up my precious. Over my dead body.
Fat guy 1: "What you guys are doing?"
Me: "Nothing, just taking pictures at the beach, Why?"
Fat guy 2: "Show your civil ID. I am a security guard. Dint you know this is a restricted area and photography is not allowed"?
Me: "Nope, this is the first time we have come to this beach"
Fat guy 1: "We will have to call the police"?
Me: "Ok. But its not necessary"
By this time my blood is boiling with anger. I want to knock this guy down and run away from the spot. I tell myself not to do anything stupid and give them a reason to actually have a case against me. I was not panicking because I know I hadnt done anything wrong.
After standing there with the guy for 10 uncomfortable minutes, I see a cop car riding upto the beach. And then another. And then another. Total of 3 cop cars. They called the entire battalion for us. Fack! I was never so scared in my life before. The two cops came over and they frisked us first. The Arab fat guys and the cops spoke something for like the longest time I could fathom meanwhile inspecting our camera. Two more cops came up, this one more threatening than the others.
He just walks up to me and Wham! Punches me straight in the chest. It took me a moment for the pain to sink in.
(To be continued..)
