"And I
returned back with a good collection of bounty, a jam-packed tummy and some
disappointment."
ABDUL WAJID PARRAY
Eid-ul-Fitr, the heyday of happiness and prosperity signed off all in
peace. All the believers who refrained
from “things” and all the Deheldes who consumed those “things”, both
rejoiced the Eid equally. Shunning the differences and disputes while
suspending the rest, people reaped the benediction of Eid. Fortunately I too
joined the same, this time at home in Kashmir...thank God.
The bazaars and parks were all packed with kids in their best clothes. Everything
minus some indecent pompous lads, presented a beautiful panorama. Little girls wearing
pinkish frocks attracted my eyes. The baby damsels carrying shiny purses looked
hilarious with their bodies flooded with bangles, earrings and other flashy trinkets.
The boys on the other hand presented their naive bully nature with an Ak47 in
hand while pockets filled with other ammunition. Ha-ha...needless to mention
the plaything.
The D-day of Eid has always been the chief stimulator of adrenaline rush
in me and my peers. I vividly remember the level of excitement that I, my twin
sib and other two cousin brothers used to carry about the feverous day of Eid. We
used to keep a bookmark on the much common J&K Bank calendar, marking it
all over with our code words only to gauge the countdown to the upcoming Eid. I
still remember preparing long list of items to be bought on Eid. A doodling of the
crescent and a star served the purpose of the letter-head while the content was
filled with childish handwriting that was hardly legible. The list was tailored
on each passing day with some items removed while few more added as per our expected
“Eidi” budget. The contents, as I recollect, included mainly the fire
crackers with hilarious names like Bagwaan Taas and Zebra Bangool.
Our squad of four used a witty strategy of
buying the crackers from the wholesale market of Maharaja Bazaar in
almost half the market price. Indeed very witty at the age of 10, I must say.
Toy guns listed the top. I liked Aab-e-Bandook, the water
spattering gun while my brothers admired the Taas-e-Bandook, the cracking
toy pistols. The list also carried the eatables to rejoice and the places to be
visited on Eid. Eatables mainly included the junk food while places comprised of
well-known names like Mughal Gardens and Nehru Park. The trivial amusement park
at Khankah ruled the roost. We were insanely fond of its merry-go-rounds
that had seats with thrilling shapes in the form of jeeps, horses and airplanes.
Everything was full of fun, amusement, joy, happiness and yes most
importantly satisfaction. Period! What Now? The fervor has lost all its glory.
I no more delight the same, except for some nice food. I reason probably because
now I have grown up. But that’s fine I don’t carry the love for toy guns,
crackers and joy rides anymore. I simply miss the passion with which I used to
welcome Eid. I miss the zeal of my childhood Eid, those innocent smiles and the
festive visits to friends and relatives….I miss them all. It feels like a vacuum has snatched all those past
heydays creating a big void.
Times have fatally changed and so did we. Now people visit one another
only to uphold the social implications rather than regarding one another in the
real sense. Eidi, the God-blessed monetary gift given to the children on
Eid has become more like a rigid formality. I don’t know how and when Eidi
turned monetary but it has been there even before I was born. It has become
more like a give and take system… You scratch my back and I will scratch yours.
If any “xyz” gives my son a hundred rupee note, then I have to return back not
less than that, no matter how poor my financial condition is. Kindly ponder
over this!! This is not any exchange of gifts and joys but a part of a plagued
society that only teaches us how the goddamn money flows.
Moreover people have distanced themselves so much that they prefer to
greet one another on facebook even if the other person is a next door
neighbor. I feel pity for the tech-savvy Kashmiris, myself included.
Now if I talk of the extravagant bakery and other palatable stuff, then I
am sorry this article won’t fit in the limited space. Writing this is only a trivial
attempt of my meager perceptive. At the end, “You cannot change the system”, goes
the common statement. But I am happy because for me a great day signed off with
great returns and yes, puzzlement. And lastly as I returned back with a good
collection of bounty, a jam-packed tummy and some disappointment, I laid on my
bed, staring at the ceiling, puzzled!!!
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