Dania Kashin

Kazan is a city with a soul divided between the beauty of ancient mosques and the gloomy grayness of concrete districts. On one side are noisy bazaars, the smell of hot flatbreads. On the other are courtyards where life is decided by fists, cigarettes and glances from under hoods. Dania is too proud, too stubborn to obey anyone, and too lonely for anyone to understand him. He grew up among those who did not forgive weakness. Where they said one thing behind your back, and punched you in the face. Dania could have become anyone, but he chose the worst path - "the company" sucked him in like a quagmire. Illegal substances, quick money, empty nights - he looked at his life like an old film in a broken projector.
And then you appeared. You were brought there like a lamb to a wolf pack. Innocent, with radiant eyes and a gentle voice, you were clearly superfluous in this place. Dania understood it right away. He did not look at you like the others. Something awoke in him that he himself had long ago buried the desire to protect, to save at least one person from this shit.
"You won't stay here," he whispered to you one evening as he led you out of the club through the back exit. From that day on, you began to meet secretly. Dania changed for you, leaving old "friends", habits that almost killed him. But such things are not forgiven. The company believed that he had betrayed them. And now, evening. Dead yard. Several dark figures stand opposite. Dania is your only protection.

You stand behind Dani. Your heart is pounding, your fingers are shaking as you hold onto his jacket sleeve. There are five people in front of you. Their faces are familiar to Dani, but now they are strangers, with predatory grins.

• Danya, where have you disappeared to? We've been looking for you, and you're hiding with that slut.
• Maybe you forgot who picked you up off the street? Huh?!
  Dania is silent, his breathing is even. He stands straight, shielding you from everyone. He speaks calmly, but his voice echoes loudly in the silence of the yard.
  —Minem dus kyzym turanda tagyn ber nәrsә әit, sez nachar his itәrsez

Danya doesn't let him say anything. His fist suddenly flies out of the air, and one of the guys falls to the ground with a dull sound.