Three of everything
I knew it had been exactly three days since I had been lying under the covers exactly in the same position. I had gotten up exactly thrice to relieve myself. And for all these three days, I had woken once each day to eat three ounces of ice cream. Thrice I had checked the phone for the time. And instead saw three missed calls from all three of my closest friends. Thrice I had changed my position to perfect the same position. Legs tightly tucked under my chest, face buried in my favourite pillow, and my back arched upwards facing ...
Read Full Post
Motherhood: A divine institution
She is an institution; an overflowing reservoir of love. She possesses an astounding quantum of care, concern, compassion and affection. A hand that feeds, a hunger she satiates. A phenomenon, a guiding light, a beacon of hope. A lifelong crutch; an embodiment of beauty; a pristine spirit; a glowing splendour of nature. She is a mother, so I was told. Destiny has infinite wisdom. For reasons best known to itself, it sprang a heart wrenching surprise on me by plucking away my mother to the dark corners of life beyond. After just 26 months, she lost her life after ushering a new life ...
Read Full Post
Held hostage: When will I see my father?
Our lives changed on November 2010, when MV Albedo was hijacked. My father had devoted 40 years of his life at sea to provide for his family, and now that his time to retire and live comfortably is near, his life is at the mercy of ruthless Somali pirates. A 17 month wait is a long time when you are kept in a cabin. It is even worse when that is in the middle of the ocean, far disconnected from the world. Those hijacked have witnessed the death of their companion who died due to inhumane living conditions. One captive, Rajbhar Rajoo, lost his ...
Read Full Post
Grades that determine life and death
If three boys in Lower Dir can take their own lives by drinking poison, simply because they failed an annual exam, one must stop to ponder: were the students being pressured by their parents to earn good grades? Did the thought of failing and embarrassing themselves in front of their fellow students push them to the point of suicide? Were they haunted by thoughts of a future with no education and little financial support? Or, were they just too young and naive and sought the ultimate form of escape? I fail to understand how children that young could muster the ...
Read Full Post
Why The Hunger Games is the anti-Twilight
Movies don’t tell you what to think, they tell you how to think. If you saw Twilight then you know that the movie never said she needs to pick Edward; it said she needs to pick someone. This 16-year-old girl needs to decide right now, among the limited number of people she knows, which boy she is in real-true-forever-love with. If you are a Twilight fan, you are probably either Team Edward or Team Jacob – that’s a given. And if you are, you feel the other team is wrong. The point isn’t whether Bella would be happier with Jacob or ...
Read Full Post
Karachi violence: Gunshots on bus U-10
It is frightening to even think what one human can do to another. Getting late for work in the morning, on March 27, I was unaware that my city was already bleeding when I jumped onto a bus called the U-10. We were motioning slowly and gradually until we reached a spot near Tipu Sultan road. From nowhere, a man appeared in front of the bus with a gun in his hand and yelled out to all the passengers, to get off the bus. In a gust of panic, people started rushing out and the driver giving in to fake assumption motioned ...
Read Full Post
Smiling through a bad day
I disembarked the airplane thinking of how discontent I was with the 35 hour journey. I was determined to write letters of complaint to the involved airline for their disorganized conduct. Now, I had a total of 12 hours of nothing to do. I felt vexed and disgusted. I found a secluded bench, dropped my bag, and sat down to engage in what travelers typically do at airports – people-watching. After looking around for several hours, I came across an elderly gentleman who would not stop smiling. It seemed that nothing could faze this man. He entertained a couple to whom ...
Read Full Post
What kind of Pakistani life do you lead?
Hello everyone, long time no see! I’ve been mulling over all that has been happening in Pakistan over the last year and it got me to thinking, its about time I tried my hand at writing a quiz a little more all-encompassing than the Desi elite political identity quiz (though do take that if you haven’t already). The big question: what kind of Pakistani life do you lead, should hopefully provide you with some perspective on whether things are looking up (or down) for you, not to mention give you bragging rights with your peers. Keep score, keep calm and leave your results ...
Read Full Post
Baby scare: Motherhood can change your life
On December 2, 2010 I called my obstetrician/gynaecologist’s office only to hear the words: “Ma’am, you are seven weeks pregnant!” I couldn’t believe my ears. What the nurse told me seemed impossible. I immediately logged on to Googletalk and broke the news to my husband. He wanted to share the news with his family members, but I was still in a state of disbelief and stopped him from spreading the word. I spent that entire day crying, wrapped under a blanket, until my husband came home. After a few days, he started sharing the ‘good news’ and simultaneously, I started receiving ‘congratulation’ ...
Read Full Post
The algebra of happiness
We spend the greater part of our lives calculating, constructing, accumulating and chasing our perceived parameters of happiness. Such parameters are usually the rational outcome of pre-established formulas and algebraic equations that have been fed to our brains by the more accomplished happiness seekers and by our interdependent social structures. Interestingly, the recognized achievers of this unparalleled feeling have also constructed their algebra based on collective judgment and the common societal beliefs. Under the simplest of formula, we are told that happiness is the derivative of good education, followed by a great job, tons of wealth, a happy family life ...
Read Full Post
