Like most saturday nights—we (dost yaar) sat in the cars for out on the town. By & largely—dinner, beach, hut, bowling or just a plain outing r our options. But, something, was different this week; this was a night of Ramadan.
As the cars started to spin the wheels, a touch of fresh air on cheeks started to amplify—as if, it was in some sort of rivalry with the speed of the vehicle. A fresh pearl drops I felt on my cheek, a rain drop perhaps! Ohh wait, theres not a single cloud on the sky….errmmmm daynm that was probably the water on the road arghhhh.
One one one—showed the watch. It was 1 AM—we had to pick one of the friend from near “Uzma center” (a shopping place) and than we were planning to go for a bowling. Actually a match between 12 of us with teams of 6 players each.
Something in the air was different, the aroma was diffrent, it felt nice. Although tonight there was no earsplitting music, or much of the conversation—everyone & everything seemed calm—in peach. The moment I felt! Ramadan in the Air.
Almost 2—not rushy but ppl were still shopping. After we picked the friend the convoy of four cars moved again to its destination. 15 min more & we begun to hear the thud of those sporty engines. Yes! The sound of Illegal Car Racing. (two weeks ago two of the guys got killed I heard) but looking at this place u would never be able to realize that.
Around 2:10 AM and the bowling alley was over crowded (of course Ramadan in air remember?). We were on an hour waiting time. A loud music—place filled with smoke. Some girls were wearing capri pants—or skin tight jeans with short & sleeveless shirts. A body language had a slender touch of salsa in it with the rhythm of music, between fingers a burning ash of triple 555 or B&H. And i asked my self again—Ramadan in the air?
We won. It was a time to decide a place for “Sehri” a local restaurant was mutually decided which had the buffet sehri package. After a rushy place & loud music—everything seems so calm & quiet. 4:30 AM & u would feel its a busy lunch time in restaurant. Ppl, friends, families—some kids too—half asleep, some running & playing around—others crying.
Yes! It was a Ramadan in Air. In its own various ways.
Taking an afternoon nap just so iftar would seem to come quicker. Then waking up just before asr. Running to the masjid just before iftar to give some food on a grossly disbalanced tray (there wasnt any rubbermaid back then). Then rushing back home and smelling the pakoras in every alley you took to get back home. Birds chirping going crazy. Just as you open the door the whole neighbourhood starts to reverberate with the voice of the muazzin of the local masjid givin the azan. And then you jump straight to the table and open your fast desi style (eat till you drop) and then pray maghrib about 20 or so minutes late. Pray maghrib at lightspeed and ask God for all the things you ever wanted, very quickly, just in time to catch Thundercats on NTM. Then later at night being forced out of the house to go pray taraveehs (although somehow the same rule never applied to the elders at home). Going to the masjid and fooling around during namaz with other kids of the mohalla. Then running away to the local arcade game shop, half way through the taraaveehs, to quench your day long thirst for Street Fighter 2. Then on the way back being spotted by your neighborhood tell tale aunti who makes BBC want to bury its head in shame. And ofcourse going back home to an angry ami jaan ready to go nuclear on you for not going to taraveeh.
That was so true …sheeeesh now just not go into details 