
“I made them sign a piece of paper promising they wouldn’t cause problems inside the hall,” the doorman said. Then the drunks went fully armed upstairs where Javed was performing. The gunlord, a minor figure in the local crime scene, began sending Javed slips of paper requesting a song. But a rival gunlord was also at the party and doing the same. Meanwhile, dancers also besieged the boy with requests. Javed couldn’t fill them all. Before long, the loaded gunlord was in Javed’s face at the stage, issuing detailed promises of abduction and rape. Abdul Latif alerted the doorman, who called police and intelligence officials. They posted in front of the stage with their own weapons shortly thereafter. The situation was defused, and the doorman considered himself the hero. “Nothing happens inside the wedding hall, but once they’re outside…” he trailed off. Wahid is a cameraman who makes his living filming wedding parties. He said he’d witnessed many similar events. Randy men of power go after the singers, he said. Usually, the advances and the money that comes with them are received. “This is their profession. They are used by men,” Wahid said. Wahid told me that the Akhtaris have their own personal patron of sorts. His name is Wahab, and he’s the bodyguard of a government minister. Years ago he kept company with Javed’s brother Wakil, who is now past 20. Then Wahab took Javed. Wahid said he’d witnessed Wahab’s affection for the brothers, which is utterly unhidden. “This rich man, he loves the beautiful boys,” Wahid said. “He has too much money and too many boys.” PORTER BARRON