Sunday, October 28, 2007

By my self on M M AALAM Road

I had to buy some handmade papers for my illustrations on Friday. I deally my place of visit for this world have been Urdu Bazar. That is quite far fron my college and I couldn't convince anybody to come with me. So I went for an easier option. I went to M M Aalam road. M M Aalam road is an extremely expensive shopping area. I went to the shop as directed be one of the Teacher's assistant at BNU. None of the Guards t the plaza knew where the shop was.
After going around the plaza for 20 minutes I was lucky enough to find someone who knew the paper shop.
The papers were expensive but I had to buy them. After being content with my shopping and happy to have found a good deal I left the Plaza and started walikng towards the Main Market.
Now the funny part was that I was wearing jeans and a Full sleeves knit top which stopped just above where my jeans started. I also had a Shawl around myself lest I offend someone. I tried all types of drapes in Order to make my bottom less visible. As in wrap it around so that it covers my behind like a kurta. I was unsuccessful and i gave up. I just walked ignoring gawking men. It was no different from walking in India.
I walked all the way to a book shop called Readings. I musty have walked atleast 3 kilometers and I felt very good about saving the money and looking at shops, people and them looking at me.
I made mental notes of the shops I would want to visit again and the restaurants I want to come to.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

ID MUBARAK

Id Mubarak!

Aaj Id hai.

Saari raat sabhi dukaane aur restaurants khule rahenge.
Humlog aaj Sajana aur Raju ke ghar gaye the. Sajana aur Raju Nepal se hain. Dono abhi teacher's assistant hain. Yahan main market karke ilaaka hai, wahin dono ne ghar liya hai. Bahut hi pyaara sa ghar hai. 1'st floor par hai. Unhone bataaya ki unke makan-malik bahut hi achhe log hain.
Jaalidar grill se unki balcony ghiri hui hai. Badi si balcony hai, teen kamre, ek kitchen aur toilet baathroom. Do kamro main, jo ki living room aur bedroom hai, wall to wall carpet hai. Kitchen main pipeline se gas supply hai. Sabhi S.A.A.R.C. students wahan aaye the.
Aaj pehli baar achcha home-made khaana tha. Sajana ne hi subkuchh banaaya tha. Main keh rahi thi ki unke liye kuchh le chalte hain, lekin sabhi keh rahe the ki wahan pahunch kar dekhenge ki kya banaana hai, phir market jaayenge. Aisa kabhi hota hai? Stupid!
Raju humen lene aaya tha. Sabhi hamen hi dekh rahe the, kyonki bas ek ladka aur 8 ladkiyaan jinme se ek bhi Pakistani nahin lagti. Khair uske ghar tak ka raasta, mujhe bahut achha lagaa. Bilkul chhote shehron jaisa. Chhoti -chhoti dukaane, Khoob chahal pahal, aur Id ki raat thi to roshni ka bhi khoob intezaam tha. bahut saari auraten aur bachche, jagah -jagah choodiyaan, aur kapde khareed rahe the. Roshni ki wajah se yahaan ki khoobsoorat auratein aur bhi khoobsoorat lag rahin thi.
Sajana aur Raju ke ghar, humne, pake huye chawal(hostel main hamesha adhkachcha chaawal milta hai) dal, methi ki chatni, dry palak ki chutney, kerav ki sabzi, bangladeshi machhli aur salad khaaya. Maine chaar baar apni plate bhari thi. unke paas bilkul chhota sa rice cooker hai, isliye unhe chaar baar chaawal banaana pada tha, humsab ke liye. Uske baad humne mithayi khaayi.
Humssab kuchh der yunhi baithe rahe. Unke ghar ki taareef kar rahe the. Nepali sangeet baj raha tha, shayad Nepali film music. Jo bhi tha bahut achha tha. Chimi, Zuki, Pratima aur Sonam pehle naach rahe the, Nepali style main, phir hum sab bhi unke saath nachne lage. Bahut mazaa aaya. Sonam, Bhutan se hai, aur woh mujhe Govinda ke steps kar ke dikha raha tha. Bhutan, aur Nepal ke students ko Buddhist chants bhi bahut achhe lagte hain. Humne chai pi, aur phir humlog ghar ke kiye nikal pade.
Hum auto ke liye kaafi chale . Raaste bhar tarah tarh ki dukaane, roshni, log, itna badhiyaan lag raha tha. hawaa main kabab aur mithai ki milijuli khushboo thi. Auto waale bahut zyaada charge kar rahe the. Lahore main aaj ki raat sabhi bahar hote hain, raat bhar ghoomte hain, jagah-jagah khaate hain, shopping karte hain aur phir subah subah ghar jaa kar so jaate hain. Mera bhi man tha ki hum-sab poori raat nahi to kam se kam 2 ghante ghoomen, lekin aur kisi ka man nahin tha. Main jitna dekh paa rahi thi wahi yaad rakhne ke koshish kar rahi thi.
Pehli baar aaj itne bhikhaari dikhayi diye. Generally husband-wife the, jisme husband hamesha andha tha, aur wife behad sundar. Aise kum se kum main 9 bhikhaari dekhe.
Best-buy jo ki hamaara nearest utility store hai, bharaa hua tha. Aate samay hum wahan bhi gaye kyonki kal-parson woh band rahega. Maine two hairpins khareede, Id ki khushi main, aur mehndi.
Bahar kuchh chhote ladke chinese khilone bechte hain. Hamaari unse baat-cheet hoti hai. Woh subah school jaate hain, aur shaam koi gubbare aur khilone bechte hain. Saku ne unhe Idi di aur maine hair beads ka packet double daam main khareeda. Hume woh ladke baaji bulaate hain. Baaji mane badi behan.
Maine wapas aakar room theek kiya, nayi chaadar bichhayi. Saku ka bhi bistar theek kar diya. Bathroom main naye phool rakhe. Kambal bhi nikaal liya. Azra ne Saku, Chimi, Zuki aur mujhe mehndi lagaayi. Maine Azra ko mehndi lagayi. Phir Chimi aur Zuki ko bhi lagaayi. Azra kal bataa rhi thi ki jb woh chhoti this tab Id ke din koi kaam nahin karti thi. bas naye kapde pehan kar, ice-cream khaati thi aur gaane sunti thi. Koi use kaam deta tha to kehti thi ki ki uski choodiyan kharaab ho jaayengi. Uski behan ne Islamabad se uske liye Junaid-Jamshed ke material se suit banaakar bheja tha. Usne yeh bhi bataaya ki Id ke din khoob meethi-meethi neened aati hai, aur bahut bhookh lagti hai. Lekin Id ka itn romanch hota hai ki khaane ka man nahin karta.
Kal Suraiya aur Azra hamaare liye naashta banaane waale hain, aur humlog khaana. Kal ladkon ko bhi nyota hai. Dekhen kya banta hain. Kal main bhi naye kapde pehnoongi.
Id Mubarak

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Prayer Room

Olper’s milk pack pajamas talk about how babies are born
Matching slippers enter the room with eh! Strange!? Boys?
Matching slippers leave the room
Oho!!! Re-entry
Eh! Boy? Again?
4 pairs of matching footwear lie around AttentivE
2 rest lazily under the feet
Hard juicy orange balls light up her wrists
How do you have sex??? The question floats around
Suddenly reminded of the class
Envelopes are de-creased
Red rides up the pajama’s neck
Bulbs have left their sockets
12 in all
4 on each side
2 on the top
1 shared by all three sides
Eyes of the three men pass after permission, with the men.
2 more
Pink clip sits like a bud to the left of the face, ready to be nipped
Hairy legs peep out of the envelope
Studded thongs on the feet hide some hair
Sparsely dyed orange nails match the lower envelope
Limo juice dupattas
Open door is shut by the guards
Prayer room is too tempting
Give in after Id
Tall lady with matching slippers passes the room
Study conversations happen all around
Glittering thongs crown the white skin
The green bag matches nothing. It is not its day
Wonder why it exists.
Find it a partner! So what if it is Ramzan?
The black hair stays unmoved
The smile touches the telephone
2 pairs lie ignored
Olper’s milk: Rs. 13 for 250 ml