Habib Khan, Quetta: Typically, our Saturday café (Ex-Baldia) sessions strive to steer clear of the gloom and doom stories prevalent in the country. However, sometimes, the conversations become overwhelming, making it challenging to shift towards more lighthearted topics.
Yesterday, anticipating a similarly somber atmosphere due to the country’s and town’s dismal news, I arrived at the café with a gloomy face. But our youngest partner, Ahmad, who will be celebrating his 39th birthday this month, introduced a personal topic that initially seemed gloomy. Nevertheless, thanks to Hasan’s quick wit, the conversation took a humorous turn, filling the air with laughter that continued even as we walked out of the café and onto the road at the end of our session.
Ahmad has achieved a remarkable feat over the past year, shedding over 50 kg of his bulky weight through diligent exercise and diet control. However, he is concerned that his thinner face now appears more wrinkled compared to his previous more imposing persona, which tipped the scales at 128 kg. Ahmad was seeking my advice on exercises to reduce wrinkles when Hasan chimed in, saying, “O Ahmad Jan, these are the wrinkles of poverty; they’ll disappear with wealth, not exercise!” This witty remark triggered the first wave of laughter, which persisted throughout our three-hour conversation and even as we walked out of the café.
As we stepped out, we noticed a massive billboard advertising a wrinkle-free cream, featuring Mahira Khan’s face, which ironically appeared wrinkled. We joked that Mahira Khan, likely around Ahmad’s age, must be facing a similar wrinkle dilemma. However, we soon realized that the previous day’s storm had curled up the panaflex sheet, causing the wrinkles on her face. We couldn’t help but agree that this advertisement must be removed or rectified immediately to at least protect the creams credibility –if not Mahira’s beauty.
Thanks to Hasan’s presence, I am sure he will not allow any gloom enter into our fortnightly meetings, and later I recalled a verse from Joan Alia confirming Hasan’s spontaneous comment:
یہاں تو جاذبیت بھی ہے دولت ہی کی پروردہ
یہ لڑکی فاقہ کش ہوتی تو بد صورت نظر آتی
