Birds of Paradise

<p><span style=background-color: rgba(246 248 249 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Birds of Paradise</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(246 248 249 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>''Trifecta'' screams the audience seated in the pavilion as Gajra reaches the finish line. It is Zaheer's maiden race as a professional jockey. The mare has never let down the owners. Zulu and Bulbul are enthralled. The pavilion resonates with the beating of drums and the sound of bugles. In between are heard cheers for' Gajra' who made many grab a bootie. The two girls are on cloud nine! Zulu and Bulbul love Calcutta's 'The City of Joy' for its intellect culture and unfettered enthusiasm.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(246 248 249 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Blessed are these girls who laugh giggle and play together on the banks of River Hoogli.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(246 248 249 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>As the winter of 1971 draws close the clouds of The Indo -Pak war loom over their paradise. One</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(246 248 249 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>day amid war Zulu goes missing.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(246 248 249 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Bulbul has lost her only friend Zulu. She wipes the tears with her sleeve and prays for Zulu to be</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(246 248 249 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>alive.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(246 248 249 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>She walks into the Ali lodge. It is charred and in shambles. Bulbul enters Zulu's room with</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(246 248 249 1); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>conviction to find her friend. Bulbul trips over something and bends down to pick it up. It is a diary covered with black soot. She dusts it with her hands and quickly hides it under her dress.</span></p>