Wednesday, September 18, 2013

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Before I dedicate few words to my dear one, let me first offer a song to her titled ‘Tum Tak’ from an Indian recently released movie Raanjhnaa: A beautiful melodious love song ‘Tum Tak’ is composed by AR Rahman, written by Irshad Kamil and sung by Javed Ali, Pooja AV & Keerthi Sagathia.


Meri har man-maani bas tum tak
Baatein bachgaani bas tum tak
Meri nazar
deewani bas tum tak
Mere sukh-dukh aate jaate saare-
Tum tak, tum tak, tum tak,
sohne yar!
Tum tak, tum tak, tum tak, sohne yar!


Tum tak tum tak arzi meri
Phir aage jo marzi
Tum tak tum tak arzi meri
Phir teri jo marzi meri
Har dushwaari bas tum tak
Meri har
hoshiyaari bas tum tak
Meri har taiyari bas tum tak
Tum tak, tum tak, tum tak, tum tak
Meri ishq khumaari bas tum tak.......!

The innocent smile. The mute story of beauty. The sacred look that does not chase worldly temptations. The voice that is uttered to praise the Creator and the birth envy that person who can stimulate the most sensitive part of your heart and mind. The chastity that is preverbal but the words cannot interpret it. The youth that is desirable. The character that is unparallel. Her beauty is not in her ivory neck but in the bow of her neck. Her beauty is not in her bewitching eyes but in the lashes that covers them from inducement. The captive of her beauty has to adore the bond, which is between two human beings.

The sweet fragrance, the seven colours, the splendor of sky and green forests, the precious gold and the mountain brook, the chirping birds and the playful kitten, the calm sea and the moonlight night, the smiling face and the mischief of a child, the power of pen and the magic of words, the sensitivity of a bubble and the conscience of a believer,
the mercy of mother and the devotion of a soldier, the valor of a lion and the gentleness of a lamb, the sweetness of love and the determination of a freedom fighter, the heart of a woman and forgiveness for those who do her harm- all these qualities are a part and parcel of her character.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

DIARY OF A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY

I've come home to Lahore after three full months. Oho baba I was away na. In London only. Had such a fab time going to cinemas, street walking, park strolling - total heaven. Full bijli coming full time. Full gas coming full time. Na koi worry of abduction, na of kidnapping, na of hold-up at gun point. Kulchoo used to go out with friends at night, and that also on pubic transport and I swear I never even worried for one second. Banda jaa kay total relax ho jaata hai. You only realize then in how much of tension you were living over here. Of course, there was that little bit of rioting in London - and between you and me, it was quite scary with all those kaala goondas in hoodies roaming around - but then the guvmunt gave them all a good danda and it was back to normal in one week flat. But despite of that in the end I was missing home so much, so much that don't even ask.

I wanted to see Mummy, wake up in my own bed in my own room, wanted to meet all my friends and hear all their gup shup and see what what they'd done to their houses while I've been away, go buy paan and flowers from Main Market and new lawn prints from Liberty Market, eat aloo gosht with proper tandoor ki roti (salad shalads are fine for a while but nothing like your own khaana, baba), watch desi TV serials and new, new Indian films in my lounge while getting oil message done to my head.

Haan so bus I've been back ten days and already I'm so tired and depressed keh don't even ask. While I've been away apparently hundreds of people have been killed in Karachi. And not just shot, but burnt alive or chopped into little little bits and left in sacks on roads ki sides. Shahbaz Taaseer has been kidnapped in broad daytime. So has that American from Model Town. I think so his name was Waterstime. The maulvi who led Salman Taseer's funeral prayers has received so many threats that he's had to run away from the country. Bijli is still not coming. And despite of it not coming the bijli ka bill is huge. The servants have eaten three boris of atta and one of sugar and six large tins of ghee (fife kilos each) and I don't know how much of meat and sabzis. Our backside wall fell in the rains and next door neighbour had a big robbery in the middle of Ramzan. They lost their TV, DVD, computers, mobiles, cash, jewelry, silver and their car. But they are so happy that the robbers didn't rape their daughter and kidnap their son that tomorrow they are doing big shukraanay ka khatam. Also it is still very hot. But I don't think so I'm allowed to say in case I'm taken to be anti-Pakistan, American/Indian/Jews lover. 

Courtesy TFT
I've come home to Lahore after three full months. Oho baba I was away na. In London only. Had such a fab time going to cinemas, street walking, park strolling - total heaven. Full bijli coming full time. Full gas coming full time. Na koi worry of abduction, na of kidnapping, na of hold-up at gun point. Kulchoo used to go out with friends at night, and that also on pubic transport and I swear I never even worried for one second. Banda jaa kay total relax ho jaata hai. You only realize then in how much of tension you were living over here. Of course, there was that little bit of rioting in London - and between you and me, it was quite scary with all those kaala goondas in hoodies roaming around - but then the guvmunt gave them all a good danda and it was back to normal in one week flat. But despite of that in the end I was missing home so much, so much that don't even ask.

I wanted to see Mummy, wake up in my own bed in my own room, wanted to meet all my friends and hear all their gup shup and see what what they'd done to their houses while I've been away, go buy paan and flowers from Main Market and new lawn prints from Liberty Market, eat aloo gosht with proper tandoor ki roti (salad shalads are fine for a while but nothing like your own khaana, baba), watch desi TV serials and new, new Indian films in my lounge while getting oil message done to my head.

Haan so bus I've been back ten days and already I'm so tired and depressed keh don't even ask. While I've been away apparently hundreds of people have been killed in Karachi. And not just shot, but burnt alive or chopped into little little bits and left in sacks on roads ki sides. Shahbaz Taaseer has been kidnapped in broad daytime. So has that American from Model Town. I think so his name was Waterstime. The maulvi who led Salman Taseer's funeral prayers has received so many threats that he's had to run away from the country. Bijli is still not coming. And despite of it not coming the bijli ka bill is huge. The servants have eaten three boris of atta and one of sugar and six large tins of ghee (fife kilos each) and I don't know how much of meat and sabzis. Our backside wall fell in the rains and next door neighbour had a big robbery in the middle of Ramzan. They lost their TV, DVD, computers, mobiles, cash, jewelry, silver and their car. But they are so happy that the robbers didn't rape their daughter and kidnap their son that tomorrow they are doing big shukraanay ka khatam. Also it is still very hot. But I don't think so I'm allowed to say in case I'm taken to be anti-Pakistan, American/Indian/Jews lover. - See more at: http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20110909&page=31#sthash.ZKhEjg7b.dpuf

POWER & GREED OF THE ELITE (the 1%), & SCARCITY & COERCION OF AAM AADMI (the 99%) FUEL CORRUPTION IN PAKISTAN?

MAHTAB BASHIR mahtabbashir@gmail.com 0333 53 63 248 ISLAMABAD In my exploration of the socio-political landscape, I have come to a rather s...