Erstwhile, the biannual religious festival of Eid was celebrated with unmatched zeal in Sameer’s family. It was characterized by pure gluttony (for a host of desi delights including puri-kaleji, kebabs, cholay, dahi baday, gulab jamun and the final entrée, siwaiyaan) and impressive monetary returns (in the form of eidi) from relatives Sameer never saw otherwise. Much less thought was given to the religious significance of saying Eid prayers in the Mosque or hugging one’s Muslim brothers thrice. Rather, the emphasis was on dressing up in a brand new kurta shalwar, having sheer khurma repeatedly, and comparing Eidi received with friends.
This year, however, Eid-ul-Fitr (or Meethi Eid as considered by some) was marked by a gloom like never before. Karachi’s halaat (conditions), the early morning downpour on the first day and the tightening of pockets owing to the economic strain left a damper on the celebrations. Sameer’s relatives cut corners in every way they could think of. While some kept fewer food items on the table, others sufficed with paying a paltry Eidi. Still others seemed to have given up the use of showers and deodorants; even the quick act of hugging them gave Sameer migraines.
Moreover, to his annoyance and his sister’s amusement, Sameer seemed to have become the talk of the day. Apparently, he was receiving rishtas (marriage proposals) right, left and center because he was expected to land a well-paying job after graduation. The fact that Sameer was the most-wanted bachelor in the family manifested itself in the behavior of aunties, who eyed him as if he were the juiciest piece of meat around and kept pushing their daughters to talk to him. After a while, he began seeing the humor in the situation too.
What Sameer really enjoyed though on these three days was the family gossip that leaked from everywhere. From the female second cousin who eloped with a really hot Greek in college in Winchester, to the uncle who got caught buying illegal Cuban cigars in Arizona (and apparently having to pay a whopping fine of 5,000 bucks), Sameer believed his family had finally done it all. This was however, only one side of his family. The other extreme’s expertise lay in religious fanaticism. One cousin had decided to join Jamat-e-Islami with the aspiration of being selected at an annual convention at Raiwind (in North-East Punjab) to go preach the message of Allah around the world. Sameer knew an act like this required dedication and courage and was in awe until one of the heavily made-up aunts condemned it with a flourish of “Woh sab tou theek hai magar kamaye ga kaise?” (That is all good but how will he earn?) Sameer thought she really had a point there but was too ashamed of his materialistic thoughts to voice them. So he hurriedly excused himself from the conversation and switched on the T.V., hoping to catch a mindless sitcom.
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