Maut Ka Kuwaan (Well of Death)

Binifer# 38

[[``shirin: the akhrote ka halwa killed. any more suggestions please?``]]

So yout tried it and liked it??? Good for you !

Right now if I talk about food, or think about Karachi, I might have to catch a flight back home tomorrow! so let me just recover , then I will post you a long list:)O.K. ?

sa:)

taimur: it is known as exchanging ideas on a public forum and both anNy and shirin have appreciated the piece and then moved on to other things.

lets get a life now?

shirin: the akhrote ka halwa killed. any more suggestions please?

cyra: are you from the 1995 kgs batch. funny hair gorgeous boyfriend?

wow..anNy #32..trying to steal the limelight from the author:)..and i must say i am impressed..

you have succeeded in impressing both elders(Shirin(jee)) and youngsters(Cyra #36) alike!

keep it up!

Rozaiba that was quite insightful. Makes me wanna leave this horrible land of Uncle Sam (seriously I hate the place!)and come right back to Pakiland. i remember there used to be a maut ka kuwan in funland or was it playland in clifton, karachi? (im originally from karachi u see). *sigh * Those were the days. Speaking of Karachi would anyone be interested in giving me the postal code of saddar, actually soldier bazaar to be more exact (i think!)? I needed to send something to an old friend and for the life of me I can`t seem to remember the postal code :(

anNy: Wow! things sure have changed in Karachi since i Last came (that was ten years ago by the way). Perhaps when I come back to Karachi, you can show me all these wonderful new places (if its ok with u :]). (p.s. did I apologize for being nasty to you on one of the earlier interacts? If I didnt then Im sorry. I guess I was just having a really bad day at that time and it came out on a complete innocent, not to mention sweet person like you. Hope you didnt take it to heart :[)

anNY # 33,

Hello !Thank you very much for such a wonderful and detailed reply.it really took me down memory lane .Good to know that all the places which were my favourites `once upon a time ` are still flourishing and attracting crowds !

I was extremely happy to read about `Anarkali`.Would`nt have thought she would still be there !certainly beat begum to it!

Which school did you go to anNY? i am sure you must have seen begum !but then one can`t forget begum, once you see her :) she is as confusing a creature as C.K. menu ! First the kids have to figure out , like i said earlier key woh `` Insaan hai key Machlee ``, and then a few years later on the same field trip , key woh begum hain key sahab !

It was hilarious to hear about sundays justing being stag days at the zoo ! Hmmm ! wonder why ? now who would they like to tease there on their own ? mino !! and apply red nail polish and get lovable hugs ? Good God ! wish we could put a candid camera there ! and `wednesdays` for ladies day` ! now what are the ladies upto ? certainly not wanting to give the monkeys a headache ? you must have heard this one ! its P.J. rated so i am not posting it here :)

Well, some things have changed !

Good to read that silverspoon`s kebabrolls and sunshine`s kulfi is going strong ! Btw, the reddish strands in the kulfi are probably ``zafraan ``[ safronon ] used for a sweet fragrance ! I have not tried the little fish and chips shop next to mr. burger.I guess i was always distracted by the kebabrolls and chaat of silverspoon. InshaAllah will .

In our days the then called Holiday Inn [Mariott ] had its small cafe called Deja vu ! The bakery part was pretty awful, but it sold freshly made waffles with maple syrup , and icecream.They werejust Wow ! Have not heard of this other new place you are talking of .

Actually to be very honest anNY, now whenever i go back home it is for just a few weeks, and the time is so precious .I like to spend as much time as possible with the family, mainly parents, and see a few close friends .I love eating at home, my mother`s home cooked meals !even khitchree, raita and podinae ki chatnee tastes better than any cuisine !However i love to go to barbie tonight .Everytime i go back, parking lot `` aur ghair liya hota hai ``for seating arrangements , but no body seems to mind, as the food is so good !yes the Afghani Tikkas are superb ! even their Naans .crispy out of the tandoor with the huge bubble on them.

We used to go to village a lot, but the loud band that played there , just forced us to eat in our cars . have you tried the rognee Naans at village and their parathas , botee kebabs ? uff ! like a relative says ``Tabah kun ``!

I was very very upset to hear about the incidence at boat bain. Usually these places are so well crowded i fail to understand how it could have happened ? i guess the park side is a bit deserted ? Yes i have indulged in ``karachi broast ``. it was something very new which had come up, broast chicken in our days ! but all said and done i would go for bar bq any day !have you tried ``Al-kebab `` in bahadurabad ? a very simple, unprentencious kind of a place .just has an occassional table or chair outside it, so basically you have to eat in your car as there is

no place to sit ! try it .

and please do try the carrot cake from Hob Knobs ! you will love it !

and last but not least anNy it was very very sweet of you wondering how to address me. pleaseeeeee not aunty ! i don`t think i am that old yet ! Just Shirin would do :)

I think we covered most of the topics , except yes , i dont like niharee , dont ask me why ! like my mother says `` duniya ki naimat sey mehroom ``! but bar b.q. stuff, am always ready !

and yes, i was taken to some Mongolian restaurant[in defence] last time .The decor was quite nice, the fixtures etc. but the food was not much. a glorified version of stir fries ``do it yourself style ``!!

Anywayz , very nice talking to u . more for next time . do keep filling me up with all the interesting happenings in karachi !

love,

sa:)

p.s. i had written this mesage earlier also , but it never went through, hope it does this time ! here goes .......

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Ref anNy #: 32

[laikin bicharee kee koee izzat nahin…chalk sae somebodys scrawled `anarkali` in urdu on her forehead…]

I must protest this desecration in the strongest terms.

The only adornment suitable for elephants are three horizontal white stripes with a large red dot in the center symbolizing that the elephant belongs to a Shiva temple. In case the elephant belongs to a temple to Vishnu, it would be a large `U` in white with a center line of red.

Wriring `Anarkali` in Urdu is sacrilegious!

;-)

hullo shireenjee(I don`t know how old or young you are therefore I shall refrain from a simple shireen or an aunty:})

you my dear lady don`t know what you have started..that elephant is the love of my life…we will not call it `the elephant` from this point on since that is tantamount to insulting our lovely lovely anarkali..i fell in love almost 3 months ago when I had gone to the Karachi Zoo to do a feature for The Friday Times on the zoo itself (printed in feb or march don`t remember)…there, the first thing I saw was this huge big fat blob of grey..anarkali has the cutest asss and the fudgiest wudgiest pudgiest legs…if you give her a 2 rupee note she actually opens that big fat mouth of hers and smiles! A lil later I was taking pictures when all of a sudden I feel this thing rubbing against my cheek..lil miss anarkali wanted to borrow my camera…laikin bicharee kee koee izzat nahin…chalk sae somebodys scrawled `anarkali` in urdu on her forehead…she`s grown very old though...has white hair adorning her chin..I realize I sound like a nut but how I love that elephant…I tried to find out if we could maybe adopt a baby elephant but apparently one needs a license to do that…if you would like pictures of her adorable behind or fat legs please let me know…I have almost a whole collection..:0) you`ve seen begum mumtaz mahal? I so wish i had…my friends says I have too on school trips but I cant for the life of me remember….the zoo on the whole has gone through a complete facelift..they`ve got these wonderful Shetland ponies and the cutest chimps mino and gurya…mino loves having nail color and we got the sloppiest kisses for applying blood red for her..these chimps are at the zoo hospital which is itself a new addition I believe and they come out every evening to play…many new animals and a new management too..the place is very safe and has the nicest gardens…wonderful green lush gardens that are very very well maintained..one funny thing is that the zoo is only open for men on Sundays depriving families from an outing on the only public holiday..Wednesdays is a `ladies only` day

sunshine sweets being close to my grandparents house was a favorite hang out as a kid..i haven`t tried the akhrote ka halwa but will soon:]..have u had their kulfi with those yellow strands? I don`t believe theres better kulfi anywhere in this world…theres a very nice gas balloon wala outside who caters to almost the entire city with his pink green and yellow gubaraas..and and ofcourse silverspoon kae rolls are as good as they were 15 years ago..have u eaten the fish n chips at this lil shop right there next to mr.burger? lovely cappuccino and fish if you ever get to visit..boat basin is very much the hang out it was..but girls ofcourse may no longer go alone..this valentines a young man I know off and his girl were picked up..he beaten black n blue (for holding hands apparently) and she raped in a secluded corner by 9 policemen..i get the creeps since then when I go with my people to eat there...but it`s a nice place overall…there are these musicians who play old instruments walking all over the place..have you been to karachi broast there?...if you havent u must on your next visit.. lovely lovely chicken :P bundoo khan on sindhi muslim has fast turned into a favorite family place these past few years with kfc and some juice and chaat place right there…they`ve enroached on the roads so that there are 6 to 7 cars parked on the main road at any time with just enough space for one or 2 cars to pass at a time..but wonderful tikka…lol..C.K (sophistication by abbreviation;) ka menu keeps getting stranger by the day..they`d redone it again when I last went and its as moronic as the last one..but the food is good no? I havent had the carrot cake at hobknob but the Mississippi mud pie wasn`t very nice...another place that`s popped up on Zamzama is `pie in the sky`…sickeningly expensive, the brownies are sinfully delicious…aap déjà vu gaye hoe? That`s where most of the crowd hangs out aajkal..its wonderfully done..lovely place, lovely food, desserts, cocktails..but the prices are killing..The Point n Park Towers are other hang outs in clifton..theres a food court there which is very reasonably priced and you`ll find students thronging that place at any given time…Area 51 is this new bowling alley..fully automatic (the first of its kind here)…its right next to the creek club…whatever you do there…do not wear white..the food is by the people at copper kettle and its very good…but its again not within very easy access for students with budgets :s …have u been to burns road? Delhi nihari house? No place as wonderful with their steaming tandoori roti and hot nihari..they even have a crumbling lil family room painted a funny green with these tubelights…:] and ofcourse barbque tonite..the only place to eat at and be seen at as many will claim..have u been there?…the atmosphere there is surprisingly non pretentious and very festive at any night of the week...on a weekend its impossible to get place even on the footpaths that they have enroached upon without a loooog lonng wait..the afghani tikka is scrumptious…café grand is this Korean restaurant I just went to last night..the food is good but christ the chopstick business is just not my piece of cake…they have this lil libraryish thing there..quaint see jagae hae but only for those who like korean cuisine..…not tikka kebab paindooz like me..do tell what your favorite places are:0)

love,

anNy

AnNy # 26,

[[``lady with the tail will be Begum Mumtaz Mahal at the Karachi Zoo..i didnt know of her existence till it was too late sadly..by the time i got to the zoo some 2 months ago she was not there..``]]

Funny enough when everyone was talking about ``Mout Ka Kuan ``, I was instantly drawn to thinking about the mermaid who thrilled so many hearts of young children at the Karachi Zoo! I remember her so clearly , as in those days field trips in school were inevitably spun around a visit to the zoo ! I was always fascinated by this creature , and remember asking her ``Aap Insaan hain yaa Machlee ``? each and every time , but she just smiled back and never spoke .I remember her heavily made up face , bright lipstick, which would begin to melt in karachi`s heat ! Btw , sometimes I wonder whether ``Begum `` was actually a `` sahab ``?!!!

Is the elephant still there ?

So you live in Karachi ? my hometown ! Does ``Sunshine sweets on Tariq Road`` still sell the best ``Akhroot ka halwa ``[ walnut halwa ] ? It still is my favourite. If you have not tried it , do so ! Are silver spoon`s[just off Tariq Rd in the gulley of BATA shoes] Kebabrolls still as good as they used to be 15 years ago ?

Is Boat basin [Clifton ]full of activity today as it was a few decades ago !It used to be a real haven for young boys and Girls to hang out ! I remember going there for `chaat` with my friends , esp. when we needed a break from studies !Somehow i never get to do all this stuff whenever i visit back home , i guess time is so limited , and divided between family/ friends , and also the `` hanging around days`` to be realistic,are very different now !

I just wanted to hear all about the fun stuff happenings from someone doing it today ? Hope all the places I mentioned are still there and not deteriorated , to the extent that they no longer attract a crowd.Do write about some of the fun things students still do !

Is it all the fast food chains that have cropped up, the In place to hang out ? I find them terribly expensive for students !Copper Kettle in Clifton was very popular , but somehow its menu always confused me ! Anyone read it would know why ? :)

Yes AnNY, one more thing have u tried the bakery on zamzama [clifton ]called Hobnobs ? it sells the best carrot cake in town ! Just a few recommendations ! I hope you have a sweet tooth like me :)

[Sorry to sidetrack Rozaiba !]Please dont get mad !

love,

sa:)

rozaiba #20, ``Scout, I don’t know who Ray Bradbury is and was not able to access information on him through the links on the internet. I will find out though.``

Surprisingly enough, I couldn`t find anything either. I found a couple of sites regarding his novel, ``Farenheit451.``

But that`s more of a science fiction genre. He has written manyyy interesting little short stories that are gems.

I read them as a kid, I forgot what the collection is called, but if you go to your local library, I`m sure you`ll find something.

You should read him definitely. If you can get your hands on ``Something Wicked This Way Comes,`` that`s even better.

Rozaiba:

Nice story-telling... and I`m sure there`s more to be got from a second drive-by.

Sameer: interesting post (#6) as usual. Thanks.

taimurmalik #6: ``And i agree with Apparition#12 & anNy#13 that its pretty amusing and interesting for a one time visit!``

i`m wondering.. why the guarded insistence on `one-time`, guys/gals? I absolutely thrill to the maut ki kua feat. Though it`s probably a lot easier than it appears to spectators, once was never enough, at least for me.

rgds,

PM

Rozaiba: Thanks for your replies. The article I reproduced in my last post about ``Mullahs and Roosters`` was taken from Lahore Diary by Sajid Abbas. Here is something else he wrote in the Midweek section of Nation daily.

[`The Sufi`, says Ayesha Abid Rehmani, `is a source of light in this dark world of ignorance. The Sufi is free of any fear of material loss, for, he is content, is free of any encumbrances and constraints and has nothing to lose`. This is what the artist said to this scribe when she had put on display more than a dozen of her prints, recently, at the Co-opera Art Gallery.

Ayesha Abid, a graduate in fine arts of the University of the Punjab, is a budding Print Maker, who expresses her premise of the abstract and intuitive state of mind, by putting it on a substrate of paper, in shapes forms. Before bringing her ideas before everybody to see, Ayesha went through the works of the Sufis and Sages of earlier times. She took time to study the life and work of Data Gunj Bukhsh of Lahore. The Kalam of Hazrat Ghulam Fareed of Mithan Kot, the works of Bhulley Shah the Sage of Kasur and finally that of Hazrat Sultan Bahoo and then settled on illustrating the thoughts of the last named. Most of her work is in black and white. Talking to this scribe, Ayesha claimed to have made full use of that neutral Black in her work. That `colour` which, along with White, represents the spiritual world. She added that, for certain technical reasons she decided to make use of that colour. Black happens to be the only colour that was not affected by the addition of any other colour unless the quantity of that is not overwhelmingly large. Whereas colours other than black lose their original tone if mixed with one of a different hue. Even a drop would be enough to make a pronounced change.

Ayesha continued explaining her point of view, that the shape and form of everything in this universe is emphasised by the contrast created by the play of light, by the light and dark shadows created. She went ahead further to say that every thing we encounter in this world, living or inanimate, is a mixture of positive and negative qualities, adding that `my work consists of black and white spaces in my imagery, spaces occupied or vacant, spaces positive or negative. I do not feel the need of other colours and tints to express my thoughts and emotions, or to speak on my behalf if I have nothing, no words to express. I feel that the use of neutral Black along with gaps or voids, spaces with or without symbols was sufficient to express myself. Nevertheless, somewhere I have made the use of colour to give a different connotation to the message that I wish to convey to the viewer, or to let him have the pleasure to have his own interpretation`. ]

Haneef Ramey, Aitazaz Ahsan, Prof. Mubarak Ali and Prof. Aziz Uddin Ahmed are just few of the well known persons who openly appreciate their native cultures. There are large number of concerned individuals who think the same way without necessarily agreeing to the political bent to the left (Aihtazaz Ahsan and Haneef Ramey). Many people in Pakistan wish to support their own cultures but religious right, Mullah orthodoxy, conservatism of the society, fear of lashback and being outcasted and above all, the official propaganda of anti-native cultures in the guise of Islamic nationalism deters them from expressing them loudly. We are locked in a strange type of inferiority complex about our roots only because they were not Islamic before the arrival of absolute truth through Khyber pass and Bolan pass by the descendents of golden hordes (lately, it has changed directions from west to east to now east to west-Jat and Rajput military officers of Pakistan Army are giving bags full of absolute truth back to the golden hordes in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrghistan, Farghana and Chechniya).

Sufi poetry of Punjab, Sindh and NWFP is simple yet beautiful particularly when read as an art form related to our cultures than for spiritual reasons. There is no religion involved when Shah Hussain wrote, ``maiye ni maiN kinoN aakhaN, dard wichorey da haal``. As a pukka punjabi paindoo, I love poetry of Shah Hussain, Bulley Shah and Khawaja Farid without any interest or involvement with religion.

Please keep writing. The experiment of writing in Urdu, English, Punjabi mix in Roman alphabets is becoming acceptable and even ``stylish``, at least at chowk. I think it can be made a distinct desi style of expression. A specialty of south-asians, by the south-asians, for the south-asians. For example, Kuwaan could have been written as Ku(N)waaN in some standardized way of romanizing Urdu/ Punjabi. How about your next piece in 50 percent English, 30.471 percent Urdu and 19.529 percent in Punjabi.

Rozaiba the lady with the tail will be Begum Mumtaz Mahal at the Karachi Zoo..i didnt know of her existence till it was too late sadly..by the time i got to the zoo some 2 months ago she was not there...i regret it to this day and now that i know you are going to be reading for sure..that was a lovely lovely piece..:o)

words of encouragement are appreciated Hana and Shirin.

was the cow with six legs able to walk? another major attraction of deformed proportions which little kids could not resist was the `pooshal vali mai` (the lady with the tail). the picture outside the tent testified to the existence of such a creature.

words of encouragement are appreciated Hana and Shirin.

was the cow with six legs able to walk? another major attraction of deformed proportions which little kids could not resist was the `pooshal vali mai` (the lady with the tail). the picture outside the tent testified to the existence of such a creature.

Rozaiba:

Wonderful read!

Really liked the description in the following para...

* * * * * * * * * * *

Sharmelee and Maulvi Assadullah remained in the embrace with the former weeping at having evaded death. The Maulvi, with arms still around her, tried to realize what had just happened but was unable to. The hormonally charged teens could only stare. The photographer took a barrage of pictures in what was a truly remarkable story for the chattering classes. Rozaiba felt as if he was somehow responsible. The crowd outside, who couldn’t see the accident, gasped at the sight of the figure present in their Maulvi’s arms. The only person who took the whole episode lightly was the 12 year-old man who began to laugh like a hyena, danced obscenely and started singing a lewd Punjabi-filmi song.

* * * * * * * * *

Keep writing!!

-Hana