Mahlia S. Lon
Despite the heat and the power cuts, Ramzan has become a festive season here to be celebrated. Perhaps we have started emulating Middle Eastern tradition. Regardless of the reason, it’s definitely a step in the right direction. This year, people got creative regarding evening Iftari and night time Sehri dos, as you will see in this issue. Waking up refreshed after a long siesta post work, those fasting came alive after breaking their fast. Gyms around the country were thronged in the late evenings all the way up to 1 a.m. Bazaars and restaurants were similarly pulsating with energetic revelers making the most of the twilight of their evenings.
To help entertain you during Eid holidays, this issue’s Memorable Romance features Heer Ranjha, the tragic lovers immortalized by Waris Shah in his epic Punjabi poem. While I was researching the story, I discovered that the folkloric version popular in India that predates Shah’s literary work has a happy ending. Apparently, Waris based his own retelling of the tale on the unrequited love of his own youth and man’s eternal quest for the love and understanding of Allah according to Sufi traditions. Coincidentally, actor and TV host, Ahsan Khan portrayed Ranjha on the stage of the historic Sadler’s Well Theatre in London last year and recounts his experience in this issue as well.
All fun and games aside, children are a gift of God. And it’s very painful for parents to see their children in need and they being unable to help them. Mehreen Arshad, armed with a Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis with a specialization in Developmental Disabilities from the U.S, is holding a workshop this August in Lahore for parents of children with special needs and learning disabilities, instructing them how they can help their children cope and give them essential life skills.
Bringing you not just entertainment, but useful information, I give you the latest issue of GT. Hope you like it
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