TEHRAN: For Tehran resident Fatemeh, the highlight of her day in a city beset by deadly daily US-Israeli strikes in the now month-long war is to make the short journey to her local cafe.
“When I make it to a cafe table, even for a few minutes, I can almost believe the world hasn’t ended,” said Fatemeh, 27, a dental assistant.
“It feels like stepping out of this damn war and into an ordinary day, or at least imagining a world that is not filled with the constant fear of losing your life, or where you stay alive but lose a loved one or everything you have,” she said.
If a lull in the bombing allows for a better night’s sleep, Fatemeh said she would put on makeup and dress up to make her visit to the cafe extra special.
“And then I go back home, back to the reality of living through war, with all its darkness and weight,” she said.
