My Ramadan away from home*
(*This post is dated August 14, 2012)
In the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is the most sacred and awaited month of the year. This month not only brings the blessings from the Almighty but also joy and happiness for the devoted Muslims. Fasting from dawn till dusk and praying to the supreme Lord is what one is supposed to do and since the Satan is kept in the jail, all of the people find it pretty easy to follow. The end of Ramadan month is marked by Eid-ul-Fitr, the most important festival and a gift to the people from Allah for sacrificing your food for his blessing.
Talking about this month, it has always been a wonderful experience for me to be a part of all the joys that is associated with it. Be it, the fasting which is called Roza or the meals before beginning and after breaking the fast, Sehri and Iftar respectively. Those shirmals , bakarkhaanis and firnis in sehri and pakodis, samose, fruit salads, kheers, haleems, sharbats and what not in the Iftar . All of this will definitely make Ramadan a beautiful affair between you and Allah’s divinity. These special meals are not just amazing because of the kind of food that is prepared but also the way all of the family members, from the tiny toddlers to the oldies, sit together praising the lord for the food. Also, with Eid approaching, there would be a whole lot of chaos in the market where people will be seen day in and day out shopping for the ultimate day.
xime ki sehri
But alas!!!
All this is over. From home to Hostel it’s totally different. Iftar and sehri are almost alike the other meals or even worse as the only thing you get to eat is bread!! Along with it boiled eggs from the morning, milk which gets cold till the time you have time you had to drink it, bananas which are as old and pulpy as the jam, while the jam is just colored sugary pulp. The Iftar is a bit different, in terms of not providing you with breads but same in terms of repeating the canteen’s favorite roti and egg curry.
Forget about shopping for Eid, even the excitement about it is not there, thanks to our XIME’s very modest way of giving holidays. For the first time in my life, I won’t be there with my family for Eid. This Eid, might just be Me, Me and only me and no matter how big a narcissist you are, you won’t be able to enjoy this day all alone. I am no different.