Roseena Veronika Hussain

‘We rented motor scooters and purchased straw mats to spread on beaches of black volcanic sand, which the sun had made too hot for bare skin; we stayed in the rooms of quaint houses let out in the summertime by elderly couples to tourists; we ate grilled octopus and drank sparkling water and red wine. I had not before this been to Europe or even swum in the sea – Lahore is, as you know, a ninety-minute journey by air from the coast – and so I gave in to the pleasures of being among this wealthy young fellowship.’

– Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist