Its been interesting these past ten days. And my failure to blog about all of them means a very long post this time around.

I start off with Saturday…June 24th. Saddy had been on leave from office on account of SHOPPING for her wedding. She called me in the morning to see if I was free for lunch…and when am I not! So we went to Subway…grabbed a bite to eat. Then she takes out this black box and hands it to me. Inside was a ruby trinket.

Now I know that I lost my bet to saddy on a mere technicality of ten days…but still she got me this ruby wristlet!!! I wuv you saddy!!! You maybe Moiz Bhai’s Pearl but you have always been my sunshine.

Sunday was alright I guess…cant recall much from most of the week other than my usual work. I have started outlining my first documentary that I will be hosting, scripting and producing. It will inshaAllah be my first major production and I am naturally very psyched about it.

Friday was a difficult day. I came to office as usual and had the coverage plan well underway when I got a call from my friend Usman. He asked if I were in the office and then told me that Saba’s dad had passed away in the morning. Saba and Usman both are two of my dearest friends. Saba and I used to live close to each other so on every function or outing, we used to help each other with logistics. This way, I shared countless rides with her and her father. Uncle was a very nice guy. He never made an issue about the frequency of our outings or the lateness of our timings. And although I hardly ever exchanged more than salam with him…I held in him in high esteem because of his love for Saba.

I happen to know all of Saba’s sisters and her mother and I are very friendly. It wasn’t easy…seeing Saba cry, seeing how her mother was going to pieces. Even Usman had tears in his eyes. He had been looking after uncle in the hospital and Saba later told me he hadn’t slept in three days.

I know that for anyone losing a member of their family is very difficult. But it jolted me to my core when the sweetest avowal of love I have ever heard came from Saba’s mother. In my attempt to console her, I stayed by her side mostly. And she kept on telling me all the little things about uncle. What he liked to eat, what he liked to wear. How protective he was of her. She kept on referring to him as ‘my life’. I don’t know what love is…but whatever it is…it can’t be any different than what Saba’s mother felt.

I spent the whole day with Saba’s family. I also met Usman’s mother and sisters. I had met them on the wedding but it was a very formal setting. Usman’s mother is so much like Ammi…uncomplicated and willing to love everyone unconditionally. I think that it is times like these that people are the most important. Their compassion and kindness is often the push one needs to make it through really trying times.

The next day I came to office and after taking care of some necessary things, I went to Saba’s again. Around noon time, I think there were some 20 women in the room and I was sitting between Saba and Saba’s mother. Ok! This is the part where my life goes from mundane to ridiculous. As I was sitting, this lady sitting right across from me asks me my name. Now it’s a room full of women and needless to say, her voice was rather loud. I told her my name and next she says…’ can I ask you something directly…I don’t want to ask anyone else’. Now everyone was looking at me. I mumbled a yeah sure. And then she goes…’are you married?’ I replied in negative. ‘Are you engaged?’ My response was the same. And then she said ‘are you sure?’. At this I couldn’t control my laugh. I said ‘believe me, if I were engaged…I’d know about it’ And then she goes…’ok! Good! I am glad to hear that’. Next thing I know, she gets up and makes her way to me. And I was literally backing into a corner. Then Saba started elbowing me…’ Batool! Be polite!’. And I was thinking…just because the lady has so publicly singled me out…I am supposed to start acting like a door mat. Anyhoo, the lady gave me a hug and said May Allah bless you. And I was standing there, all wooden. The moment she left, the room erupted…’Batool! Her son is such a catch!’( I didn’t know I was fishing!!!). You’re as good as married now. And I couldn’t believe my ears. Only moments ago these women were crying their eyes out. Maybe it’s life…how everybody is unconsciously looking for things to hide their pain or maybe it just how our society works…! I don’t know really. It was just shocking.

Anyhoo, I came back to my office and then tied up with Sobia to meet her at GA. Sobia, Saddy and I were classmates in school. Saddy was the interesting one, Sobia was the weird one who gave herself haircuts and I was the ugly duckling. We weren’t great friends or anything, we just hung out together in one large group. That is how Saddy and I became friends. After matric, I met sobia a couple of times till she left for Canada. Since then, from the pictures we say, she matured into this gorgeous beauty while I have stayed pretty much the same. She is visiting Pakistan these days and wanted to meet up. I enjoy talking to her every now and then online but meeting her…well lets just say, I’d rather not be in a mile radius of her. It makes me feel so …

Anyhoo, Sobia was some thirty minutes late and I was alone in GA without a book…quite miserable actually. And then she came and really everyone turned to look at her. She was dressed in a really smart sleevless top and I was wearing a scarf & white shalwar qameez since I had to go to Saba’s. We made quite an odd picture. She was accompanied by one of her friends who in turn was accompanied by this boy, probably in his mid teens who looked like he hadn’t showered in ten days with a mouth full of metal and he was smoking. We sat and talked for some fifteen minutes before I bid them adieu. It wasn’t bad…the meeting. Sobia was quite charming. Only I know that I will NEVER look anything like her…ever!

Sunday was lazy. I spent the day in alternate states of sleep and cursing myself for being fat! In the evening, we went to watch M.I.3 in Ciros cinema. The place was dingy but we were determined. And we got the laugh of our lives when we were asked to stand for the national anthem. Don’t take me wrong…I love my country but I didn’t know that they played National Anthem before every movie. But it was heartening to see that everyone honored the anthem, I cold even hear someone singing along. Once the anthem ended, everyone clapped as well. The movie itself was alright and the crowd was very alive. They grunted, they laughed, hooted, clapped…it was a lot of fun!

So that’s pretty much it…the bad, the good, the sublime and the ridiculous of my life!