My Moments # 6

For My Moments series, I always try to find an old possession of the time I intend to write about and take its picture. This time it is a very old book which has faded and is crumbling to pieces. I have a bad feeling, my next episodes will contain images of my old books as I have atleast one or two books from all important phases of my life. I do hope I get lucky and find something else to blip.

Till now, I have written 5 episodes/chapters, whatever you may wish to call it. For a recap, here they are:

My Moments # 1
My Moments # 2
My Moments # 3
My Moments # 4
My Moments # 5

It has been long since I sat down, recalled and wrote. I have been very busy, with the engagement preparations, the engagement and then the university. I have had no time to think and right now I am clueless as to where I should start.

I guess, the way to go about it is to link this one with where I ended My Moments # 5 i.e. leaving for Kharian after a vacation in Lahore, at my grandmother's place (Temple Road). As I have already mentioned, coming to Lahore was always fun and we always used to look forward to those times.

Going back was always sad as we did not want to go back to a disciplined life. Once when we were going back to Kharian. One of my cousin who used to live in London was visiting Lahore and she had the most adorable barbie dolls ever. Ofcourse, I wanted one too, so my parents got me one from Potpourri before leaving for Kharian. It is a famous chain of stores in Lahore, which used to be just one shop at the time I got my barbie. I remember loving their toy section and I wanted more toys and clearly remember my mother telling me ... next time :)

As Kharian was a very small place, we used to buy many things from Lahore. One essential visit was always with my mother to a shopping market called Panorama. She used to buy our uniform supplies from there. I don't know why I always hated the sight of piles of socks and leggings and stockings. Probably because I hated to wear leggings during the winters and my mother used to make us wear two of them during the times when it was really cold (It does not snow here in Punjab, but it can get quite chilly). Another visit was always to Ferozeson's for buying of books and stationary (not available at the small bookshop of Kharian).

Going back and settling was always hard, but we had many stories to tell our friends. Once I had my barbie doll, I wanted to play with it and the way I played is something of a joy to remember. I used to stitch clothes for my doll. My mother used to stitch clothes for me and Hajra and the pieces of cloth left, were given to me, so that I could sew then together to make frocks and shalwar kameez for my barbie. I used to give my doll nice bath's after a week or so and I even gave her a haircut (expecting the hair to grow back ... lol).

Remember the kids next door, the two sisters and two brothers whom we were friends with ... well, they used to be our best friends and we used to do everything together, even our Summer vacation homework. I remember sitting with Sarah (one of the girl) in our dining room, when I managed to somehow put a pencil mark on her copy. She went hysterical and was not convinced when a rubber was used to rub the pencil mark. She just had to get that page taken out of her copy and got the copy bounded again. I still cannot understand how an erasable pencil mark could have instigated such fury in a child ... I was to know years later when I met Sarah as an adult and got to know the real her (that part of the story is better left unwritten and untold and forgotten).

The time when my mother gathered the whole group of kids and had a burger party in our front lawn. We just sat down in a circle on the ground and had the most amazing burgers, fries and juice. Its one of those burgers, the taste of which I also remember ... funny :)

The time when I went to Ali's place (one of the guy's next door) to study and his mother made the most amazing triangle shaped paratha's and shami kebab's for us. I think I have not mentioned this before, that Sarah, Ali and I were in the same class and my brother and siblings of Sarah and Ali (Saima and Mania respectively) were in the same class, so we made a nice gang.

I even remember my very first Ramzaan fast. It was in Kharian and I was adamant that I have to fast as my mother is fasting. Small kids are not supposed to fast and it is only when they become teenagers, should they start to develop the habit of fasting. My mother tried to talk me out of it but I did not listen. Then, my mother had to cook up a story so that I could open my fast after half of the time had passed. This is what is called as a chiri roza or a bird's fast. As birds are small and tiny, they cannot fast for the whole duration till the evening, so they break their fast in the afternoon. I bought that and I was so proud to have kept a chiri roza. I remember breaking my fast with roti and Okra curry. I was to know years later that every parent of every friend that I ever had used to cook up the same story of the chiri roza to prevent their small kids from fasting. How cool is that? ... I would called that parent's conspiracy against their toddlers ... is that written somewhere in the "How to raise kids" books? :)

Kharian is a small place and there were hardly any places for recreation. Once a concert by a new Pakistani Rock band (I think they were called jupiter's, but I am not sure) was arranged and I clearly remember going there with friends. My mother made pizza for everyone. Pizza was very uncommon during those times and it was not available as commonly as it is now. The pizza I remember from that time was rectangular, had a thick dough, meat and very little cheese. Why am I having a feeling that I am writing my version of Eat Pray Love? ... I am still reading the book and the part where Liz is enjoying in Italy.

Anyhow, my memory is failing to play along with me at the moment and I cannot recollect more memories from this time. There are so many that I don't want to move on to the next phase. I guess I will wrap up now, although I don't want to as I feel as if I have not written enough. I am now going to make a conscious effort and write My Moments # 7 in parts everyday and then publish it together next Sunday. Lets see how that experiment turns out to be ...

till next time ...

Have a great Sunday and the next coming week ...