That summer$$$ Titanic fever gripped Kabul. People smuggled pirated copies of the film from Pakistan- sometimes in their underwear. After curfew$$$ everyone locked their doors$$$ turned out the lights$$$ turned down the volume$$$ and reaped tears for Jack and Rose and the passengers of the doomed ship. If there was electrical power$$$ Mariam$$$ Laila$$$ and the children watched it too. A dozen times or more$$$ they unearthed the TV from behind the tool-shed$$$ late at night$$$ with the lights out and quilts pinned over the windows.At the Kabul River$$$ vendors moved into the parched riverbed. Soon$$$ from the river's sunbaked hollows$$$ it was possible to buy Titanic carpets$$$ and Titanic cloth$$$ from bolts arranged in wheelbarrows. There was Titanic deodorant$$$ Titanic toothpaste$$$ Titanic perfume$$$ Titanic pakora$$$ even Titanic burqas. A particularly persistent beggar began calling himself "Titanic Beggar.""Titanic City" was born.It's the song$$$ they said.No$$$ the sea. The luxury. The ship.It's the sex$$$ they whispered.Leo$$$ said Aziza sheepishly. It's all about Leo."Everybody wants Jack$$$" Laila said to Mariam. "That's what it is. Everybody wants Jack to rescue them from disaster. But there is no Jack. Jack is not coming back. Jack is dead.