The Virgin Bride and then it all came crashing down -

haunting story -

hope to see you again

-p

ps: to random interactors - its not about hormones and sex - its what repression and ignorance and the inability to listen to what we hear - does to the kids in societies like ours. a vicious self-perpetuating system.

The Nature of The Sea ``at least their sh *t you can smell before you step in it - who needs affection when you can have truth - ex-sanguinated - disfigured``

and not all of that is a figment of yours/anyone else`s imagination.

i`m struggling to put this into words but i think `fakhra` would be able to relate to this chill of controlled violence.

good writing.

-p

The Indus that Strayed Ms Venkateswar:

hope to read more of your memories in print ... i have been trying to prevail upon my parents to do a bit of the same ... but to no avail ...

enjoyed your writing ...

-p

Roshanara Begum in Lahore Karachi ISLAAMABAD rehanansari 11:

er, yes!

Roshanara Begum in Lahore Karachi ISLAAMABAD seriously i agree with whoever said they expected something ghazal oriented ... which is grossly unfair ... imagine how many people could have read it but havent. honestly the only reason i clicked on it was cos everything else ... esp the new stuff was so bloomin boring ... apparently chowk is about india and pakistan and how never the twain shall meet ...

just as well ... if it meant i got to read this ... reminiscent of random ocurrences that i for one have hidden away to be looked at and smiled at once in a blue moon ...

;p

Motherland Tales oh my god. you really are slow though one would have thought otherwise given your choice of pseudonyms.

I was not replying for temporal, merely making a point. I think its been well made!

Sticks and stones child, sticks and stones!

Motherland Tales Bijleeee #21

Not so `enlightened` bijli - don`t call me honey !

And I hate to point this out but your mindless ``Man,you some nasty rascist to the hide ,to keep mentioning people in terms of Skin colour.Living in North America should have enlightened you atleast at the dowdy ,balding age of yourself that you know specimen of beuty yourself,`` tirade hardly places you at the pinnacle of human intelligence.

While we`re at it, how the heck are the references derogatory? Is it temporal`s fault the suitors were generally a certain hue or have you recently been running around with your little black brush colouring them all in?

Who the heck includes `one of our own` … certainly ain`t me babe !

Motherland Tales Bijleeeee .... the `piece` is an allegory - or did you miss that? That means its based on reality; try figuring out the allegorical references and maybe you`ll just about get it!

chowk is truly dying a slow death! what a shame the initial interaction on this promising tale is bereft of all intelligence ...

temporal: this was a sensual read whether you intended it that way or not ... i am still working out all the references though given my ability to immediately retrieve the relevant historical facts is not as impressive as it ought to be ... i`m sure chowkwallas will have all sorts of stock responses to the questions you have raised ... i personally think it is only a matter of time ... for what I dont know!

;p

Reforming the Armed Forces sameerjb (69)

aaah! thanks for the clarification and the background. in that case `humble` is just about right ;)

-p

Reforming the Armed Forces sameerjb (63)

Do you really think Islam will keep `us` - whoever that is - humble? If the current situation in `Islamic` countries is anything to go by, I seriously doubt it. Unless by humble you meant poor, hungry, uneducated as well as illiterate, and of course deluded.

-p

Desi: The False Ideology yasser ... why do you wear your heart on your sleeve? it doesnt really matter where you got your degree considering the good it seems to be doing you in terms of diplomacy, consensus building and conflict resolution all of which you will need when (but not if?) you return to Pakistan.

Besides your grasp of economics and knowledge of history (note i did not say understanding) will do you no good if you can`t get your point across to people without jumping up and down, shaking your virtual fist in their face and generally resorting to ineffectual babbling even if it is based on `facts` - though those facts may not be universal - strange concept that but such is reality.

All this passion wasted on arguing about your history or mine. meanwhile, people are DYING. will you be able to put a stop to that?

Drive-By-Baggings oye ... all religion bashers ...

please take your bashing to the appropriate boards and leave those of us who can relish pannini in all its fresh glory to our gluttonous pleasures ...

hey pannini ... these mad people are beneath contempt ... don`t deprive the few for the many !!!

;p

Drive-By-Baggings almost as good as the parrot. hilarious metaphors. Though at a literla level, I was immediately transported to long nights in college halls and the unending litany of stale sandwiches and dish water coffee ...

;P

Refusing the Sitara-I-Imtiaz re: Solitude #4

You are funny ... i invariably get some serious entertainment mileage out of your rantings ... as they say on paki report cards ...

`keep up the good work` as opposed to `could do better` !!!

;p

Soulmate? re: kalki #97

So why do you disapprove? Since you have given no context beyond saying the datee is american i am assuming that that is your main gripe ? Its not that your cousin is dating a mean, malicious, lying, cheating, rude, obnoxious, what have you person. Its an American. And that apparently is enough to incur your disapproval.

At least you`re honest.

-p

Soulmate? re: zahra

your experience of the desi male sounds rather unfortunate ... but gross generalizations tend to leave out a heck ov a lot of detail ... by definition of course ...

better luck ...

:p