Exploring Lahore Alone

There are certain places for every one which you may want to visit may be again and again but you do not want to live there. Reasons can vary for every person, you may not like the weather, and you may do not like the general attitude of the city or you may just miss your home over there. For me that city was Lahore. After spending the 25 years of my life in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, being a mountain lover and just visiting Lahore for some college tours, this city has never fascinated me much to start living here, but in this life many times you need to do what you do not like, (bi paise be to kamane hain). So I moved to Lahore as I got a job here which was quite relating to my field and seemed to be quite good for developing the so called Career. So for the greater good I had to move away from my first love “The Margalla Hills” and my good luck or bad luck, I got to stay in the place which was exactly the same as they say about Islamabad, the infamous Model Town. In start I was like “abe 10 bje to Islamabad ki markets band nahi hoti the” and quite frankly I was quite depressed. No rain (as compared to my place), bloody hot weather and even I could not get what Lahore was famous for. YES I could not even get the “Tasty Food” here. In my first week I had a craving for “Pakoras” and believe me I could not find a plate of Pakoras in whole model town. By the end of that week my stomach was giving chicken sounds owing to the hell lot of chicken I had been consuming and then I got sick thanks to the “Pure Water” of Lahore.

In those times I was a pure introvert. New job, new city, new people, living alone in the flat and no one to talk to, my life was just revolving around three things, office, eat and sleep. For some people it may sound like perfect life but for me, it was hell I was going into deep depression and this was not acceptable to my own self.

In such times, on a weekend when I was doing a very crucial task of “Staring at the Wall” I just got up to explore this city. The aim was to spend the least I could and to explore as much as I can. I got on the Metro bus but I didn’t know where I want to go and what I want to visit so the help of the ultimate guru the Google maps was taken and it took me to the shrine of Hazrat Ali Hajveri the “Data Saab”. It was 2pm and the sun was literally raging fire down to earth but still people were there to get their prayers answered. I believe it’s not the person sitting in the grave responsible of the acceptance of their prayers; it’s just their strong belief and Allah’s mercy which does the job. I guess the God up there would be smiling at us saying “In the end you must have to come to me for everything no matter from which path”. Before going in to the shrine I had to satisfy my stomach first as I didn’t even had my breakfast and hunger is the thing which can even force you to forget the religion. I guess for the same reason Islam allowed to eat even the Haram things in crisis.

I just went to the market beside the shrine and start looking for food but they were more like the wholesale dealers of the food. They were grabbing my arms to pull me aside saying “Bhai daig deni ha to yahan sa dain, sasti or achi” (if you have to donate the food, buy it from us at low cost and high quality) but I was not a giver at that time (bi pehli pay bhe nahi ai the abhi :D). in the end what I could find was a road side shop selling “Naan Kabab” so I had my lunch from there in Rs 80 (I am still wishing that let it not be the famous Lahori meat :P). Then I went in the shrine of that great person, the great sufi, the writer of “Kashf ul Majob” the “Data Saab” Hazrat Ali Hajveri who used to say “the most difficult task is to do what you say”. I went in there, prayed for that person, and sat there for quite a long time just looking at the building for quite a long time. I am not a very religious person but I have to admit that there was a peace in there, which would satisfy your inner self. People were moving around, chatting but still you can’t hear their voices. The voice of your inner self start getting domination over you at that place, if you just quietly sit there even for a short while the same was happening with me.

Then I moved out and start walking towards the “Taksalli Gate” following the direction of “Hazrat Google”. This city is always in damn hurry of nothing, moving on the wrong side is so normal in this part of the city that nobody even bothers it. When I reached the location I got to know that the gate used to exist here but time took its stones with it. Moving inside I entered the infamous red light area of Lahore the Diamond Market or Heera Mandi. It was nothing different from any other interior city of any place in fact that place seemed to be quite more tolerating than any other part. Kids were playing in the streets, young girls were riding bicycles, transgender were doing their every day stuff, women were busy in the gossips over the balconies and the men were busy in the try to meet the bread and butter for the life. It was just the same as any other part of interior Lahore or interior Pindi. Yeah I was stopped by some people asking me if I was there for the purpose this street was famous for but I cannot narrate those words here as it kills me from inside. I was moving towards a place known as “Pani Wala Talab” and the shortest route was through these streets.

If you cross Heera Mandi then just after it you can find a market dedicated just for the music gadgets. People tuning instruments, having gossip along, eating a lot of PAAN along with tea :D I also availed the opportunity and had a Metha Paan from one of the oldest Paan shops of that street. That guy was a jolly person and seemed to be from Faisalabad rather than Lahore :P. When I reached the desired location I got to know that the Google in Pakistan is not that updated because the “Panni Wala Talab” was also not there to be found. It was somewhere buried in the sands of time with just its name remaining.

Now I decided to go for a place which I visited some four years back and I was quite sure that it was not to be removed owing to any Metro Bus or Orange Train Project, The Minar-i-Pakistan. So walking along the fort road, I reached the Old Red Light area now the famous “New Food Street” of Lahore and it was beautiful. The colorful buildings, people having their supper, the smiles, the laughter. Yeah, money may not buy you happiness but it’s better to cry in an air conditioned room rather than under the hot burning sun. I sat there for a while and tried to compare the life of the people sitting and speeding a hell lot of money on the food with the families living just a street back just trying to reduce the temperature of their hell a bit. I just had a cold drink from over there

Walking side by side along the Badshahi Mosque I entered the “Greater Iqbal Park” and in front of me was that symbol of dedication, struggle and sacrifice, the Minar-i-Pakistan, the base of which was soaked with the blood of martyrs instead of water and it wasn’t the stones keeping it on its foot, but the bones of the people who died for its prosperity. I do not know why but my mind always goes back to 1940 whenever I visit this place, I can see the boards of “Manto Park”, I can see hundreds of people mostly Muslims, sitting there with the hope of good future, with hope of freedom, with courage to sacrifice anything for their rightful objective. I can see the leaders delivering speeches, I can see the combination of fear and courage on the face of the people, I can hear their whispers, I can hear the loud chants, I can listen the whole Pakistan resolution, I thought, I really thought that everyone can hear it but it turned out that they do not.

A sound of “Papar Karareee” brought me back to future and I could then hear soft sound of the Pakistani national anthem, o yeah, it must be the dancing fountains. I rushed towards the sound and yes it was the same I presumed, the color full water dancing on the music and in the background of these beautiful bright lights, I could see a sad and pale full moon. The magic of water and lights continued for about 20 minutes and then I was like, “Lekin kabhi kabhar to ghar jana chahea” so back to metro from Azadi Chowk station and straight back to my flat, believe me I had the most peaceful dinner and most peaceful sleep in weeks that night. This city was now accepting me and maybe I was too. May be not as our own, but we were getting to a compromise with each other.