Playboy

(2 weeks ago, I was out of town. Fortunately met some old friends. From one late night mehfil)

(The following post has some sexual content)

I have been called and rightly called 'Playboy' all my life. I don't even remember how many women I have slept with or had an affair with. I don't take women seriously. Maybe a couple of times in my life, I thought of getting married to a particular woman, but spending the rest of my life with one woman freaked me out. I run away! Though I enjoy their company and conversation, I think women are just good for F***.

Now that said, let me narrate my one childhood experience. I was nine years old. Since all characters are now dead, I am comfortable sharing this. We were not very rich people. We lived in Lyallpur. They start calling it Faisalabad to make Arabs happy. Our father, in the mid-1970s, with a wave of the labor force, went to Dubai so he could provide a better lifestyle for us. He used to stay there for a year or two amid brief trips back to see family on Eids. Every evening, we went to the neighbor's house to watch TV for hours. One evening, my two-year-old brother and I were sent home early by neighbors, and we found our mother sleeping with my one distant uncle. That day, we did not know what to make out of a naked man and a woman sleeping together.

My brother and I never talked about that.

As chapters of life unfolded in the next 30 years, I turned into a playboy. And my brother is a divorced, impotent man who lives in a one-bedroom apartment somewhere, popping anti-depressants every night and every week, spending 200 dollars on his psychotherapy session.

May I step out to puff a cigarette?

*

About last night / Captain Phillip

About last night is a typical hollywood Saturday night flick, with tons of comical sex scenes. What we call paisa wasool masala picture. But one conversation was interesting.

Girl: "Why keep trying if 95% of relationships are epic failure."
Boy: "Because other 5% are mindblowing."

Movie Trailer here

Captain Phillip: I watched Tom Hanks' Captain Phillip in Airplane. After Forrest gump, this is one of his most mature and powerful performance. In last 10 minutes of movie, playing a role of a man who is shaken and broken  was just awesome - particularly when he delivered the dialogue; "Its not my blood". Pure Oscar performance. Trailer here

A worthy Man and A Lucky Man

(years and years ago, one sage gave me a worthy piece of advice) 

Qaabeel-e-qadar hai woh shaks jo Ma ki izzat kare, biwi ka bharosa kare aur beti se piyar kare - Aur , Khush-naseeb hai woh shaks jise Ma ka piyar mil jaye, biwi ki izzat aur beti ka aetamad. Agar Khush naseebi na mile to kam-az-kam apni qadar ko barha lo.

A Man is worthy if he respects his mother, trust his wife and love his daughter. And,
A Man is lucky if he gets love of his mother, respect of his wife and trust of his daughter.
If you are not lucky, at least be a worthy.

A quote

''The more fragile an idea is, the more terrifying its defenders are.''

-  Syrian writer Nabil Fayyad 

Perspective / Parenting

Roti

(This one line haunted me for days)

The Last Valentine

"Since childhood my father celebrated Valentine's Day. My mom passed away long time before I can even comprehend things. My father never married again. We were three siblings. 2 Brothers and I was the youngest, special and princess of the house.  Every Valentine, coming from work, my father brought flowers, card and cake. When I was away for college and even when I married and moved 10 states away, his card, flowers and cake arrived every year. Forty five years and not even a single year was missed. One year my husband was stationed overseas in Germany and indeed his valentine's flowers arrived. My father got diagnose with lung cancer two years back. Chemotherapy did not stop him from his ritual. My father died on the 13th of January at MD Anderson. It was a sad day. But this morning card, flowers and cake arrived with a note saying Good bye, love and Happy (last) Valentine's. He made arrangement with local floral shop before he died. I will always miss my Dad.... Happy Valentine's Dad".

Aik Bud-Dua

Mujeh malum hai tum bud-duaoN ko nahi mante magar hamare khandan ki kahani suno

Jab mere 'par-Nana' ne meri 'par-Nani' se dusri shadi ki to, log kehte hain, unki pehli biwi ne meri 'par-Nani' ko bud-dua di ke: Tumhari saat (7) nasloN main kisi aurat ka ghar na basey.

Mere 'Nana' jawani main hi meri 'Nani' ko bewah ker gaye

Mere 'baap' aur meri 'Ma' main saari zindagi alehdgi rahi

Mere Shohar ne apne ghar walon ko  khud-kushi ki dhamkiaN de de ker mujh se shadi ki aur phir meri beti ke paida hote hi woh mujeh chor gaya.

Main ne saari zindagi laga laga ker jis beti ko parhaya likhaya, achhi tarbiyat ki .......... pata nahi, achha bhala larka tha - woh dono saath pale barhe - dhum dham se hasi khushi shadi hui , honeymoon banaya - - - - - aaj wahi beti apni beti ko liye mere ghar aa bethi hai...

Ye kesi bud-dua hai ke, betiaN hi janam leti hain, aur kisi aurat ka ghar hi nahi basta

Jane's (Fairy Tale) (take on Man)

"Did you see my big fat diamond ring?"

"Get out of here. When did this happen?"

"A week ago! .......... I was born in a broken family. My Dad left us when I was very young. My mother was an alcoholic. My Grandmother raised me. I never had a 'Man' in my life! In my teenage and 20s - I was so busy with work and my education. I had only one short serious relationship, but it was too violent. He was an angry and physically abusive man. I gave up and moved on. I put all my energy into work. I turned 40 three years ago. Going to an empty home was not a great feeling. Cooking for self was labor. I always craved that warmth of a kind, gentle, but firm man. I don't know about other women, but I always felt incomplete. I never had a father, brother, or a proper boyfriend. 'Man' was a fairy tale to me. I met him a year ago at the airport as our flight was delayed for six hours. We started talking, and since then, there was not a single day we hadn't talked. 2 weeks ago, he was here, and one Saturday night, quietly on the couch as we watched TV, he slept ring in my finger. I was speechless. I had tears in my eyes. I don't know how to explain. For a woman, nothing is more precious than a loving man lying next to her in bed each night. She wants his arms, either around her or her breasts, with a cozy hug. A ring is a big thing as it signs love and security.....We are going to Montreal for our honeymoon.......I am out of here soon, dude!"

*

On 'Equality'

"Is it true, all men are created Equal?"

"No Son! Don't let that crap contaminate your mind. Everyday thousands of kids born very ill, handicapped enough to be dependent all their lives, in extreme poverty, ill fortune and in shackles of not yet described slavery. Be thankful for, to be blessed and privileged than others".