The Lady-Charmers of Laloo-Khait

For adolescent adventures involving girls Laloo-Khait provided an unusually harsh environment. In highly conservative and poor town there was no easy access to girls through co-education, large families and small quarters afforded no privacy at home, and streets were an image of family-planning disaster as they hosted crowds of people who made it their business to seek every intimate detail about every aspect of your life. And owing to the brutal nature of the community, the road to love was littered with unusually high hazards of violence – not only that you could encounter angry and violent brothers or father of your target of affection but also an ample supply of the neighborhood Raqeebs waiting in their wings to help in dispensing punishment that was meant to be a lesson for coming generations of all lovers.

But when has such adversity daunted the true pursuers?

Tundee-aiy baday mukhalif say na ghabra aiy uqaab
yeh to chalti hay tujhay ooncha urranay kay liyay

So these daredevils continued to march forward unfazed by the Burqas and large chadors that attempted to shroud the “Husn kay jalway”. The large fabric and dark colors proved insufficient covers to hold the fireworks within. As any true Ashiq would claim, in a parody of an otherwise beautiful verse:

Jisay dekhna ho tum ko voh meri nazar say dekhay
Naqaab main jo uljhay voh jamal tak na ponchay

A keen and trained eye looks beyond the Burqa. The body structure and posture, the swiftness and bounce in the gait and the figure sculpted to precision by the facing winds untwines the mystery behind the covers. In a herd of Burqas a beautiful girl is never lost.

Tales of many boys who spent their youth in ‘Isi Dasht ki Sayyahi Main’ are not so outrageous but they are funny.

So once in a while a boy on a bicycle will throw in a crumpled love-note in the home of neighborhood girls and run away from the scene. I wonder what rush of excitement greeted him over this. Because this was not part of any ongoing love affair – but just a spontaneous action of an idiot who thought that in perfect strangers his note will find fawning beauties ready to render their hearts to its contents and author. Such were the lady–charmers of Laloo-Khait. What followed the incident was also hilarious – the neighborhood would be stirred up, the boy would be chased, people will rush from one house to another exchanging the juicy details about the incident, boy’s parents would be contacted, and an unwritten restraining order will be drawn up against him. Later, in the girls house, an effective solution would be sought in further toning down their attire, expanding the chador, reinforcing the Burqa and further restricting their outdoor activities.

We had this young boy, a 7th or 8th grader, in our neighborhood whose deep and unusual passion for girls does not quite come across in films like ‘The summer of 42’. While he shared the dreams of those boys, his unique vicinity limited his opportunities. But nothing could break his determination. Like many other boys his age he bunked school and in the scorching heat of summer afternoons walked several miles hopping from one girl’s college to another tirelessly pursuing his dreams. But he differentiated himself from the ordinary fools by saving up all his lunch money for probably several months to buy Brylcream - to give proper shape and shine to his hair. As if he was just a dab of cream away from gaining the looks of an irresistible hero. You have to pack a lot of love in your heart to pony-up a huge sum for a hair-care item – we are talking about a poor kid who gives up meals and treats for an eternity just to submit himself stylishly to girls.

Entering the magic kingdom of sexual attraction is a captivating event – its spell loosens a young mind’s grip on rules of logic. And these adolescent vulnerabilities cut across class boundaries. Although these guys did not have easy access to girls nor did they drive expensive cars but, I am sure, the ride was just as much fun.