Tags:
Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, FEB 8: Shopping, Taj Mahal and to see their husbands play8230;this is what visiting wives of Pakistani cricketers had come for. The first took so much time, that the other two took a back seat.
They admit excitedly that they have been painting the town red. From Lajpat Nagar and South Extension to Karol Bagh, they shopped till they dropped. So what if they had security guards in tow.
8220;For once, we did not sit in the stadium watching our husbands play. We thought we will only watch the match on the last day, but it ended a day early,8221; said Yuzma Ahmed, wife of Mushtaq Ahmed, who is on her first visit to India.
She gushed about the Banarsi saris, the cotton suits, the kakori kebabs and the baingan ka salan. 8220;I am not over as yet. I want to buy the Indian thalis with katoris tomorrow,8221; she said, as she shared a kebab with her husband at a reception hosted by Home Minister L K Advani.
Some of them stayed back at the hotel 8212; like the wives of Moin Khan,Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq.
Sangeeta Bijlani, their only Indian counterpart present at the reception, caught up with Yuzma and the others. 8220;Azhar has got an ear-ache and headache, so I came to look after him,8221; said Bijlani to them. Talking of shopping, she said she could have taken them around but she was busy watching the match.
They could not help but admire the intricate blue-and-gold bindi which Bijlani sported on her forehead. 8220;I will send them to you from Hyderabad,8221; she said generously.
8220;We have only bought plain ones. Although we don8217;t wear them, I was so fascinated by them that I just bought some,8221; said Yuzma, while her husband Mushtaq was baby-sitting.
There was no time for eating out, with all the high teas and dinners with the High Commissioner of Pakistan, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Advani. 8220;I want to eat bhelpuris and pav bhaji. We had gone to McDonalds once but that was all,8221; said Yuzma.
8220;Yahan ka khana bara lazeez hai,8221; they all agreed.
8220;I am sureto put on weight. I am eating so much,8221; said Yuzma, who seemed to have enjoyed her trip the most.
Javed Miandad8217;s wife Tahira seemed more settled and at home, as she sat next to her husband. She had the seen-it-all look, this being her third trip to India. A little shopping along with meeting a lot of friends was what her days were devoted to. She said she had lots of fun and that Indians were 8220;very nice8221; and hospitable. 8220;The other wives who are on their first visit here are going crazy shopping. I cannot keep pace with them,8221; she added.
Were they not scared of the threats and ill-will directed against them? 8220;We knew it was created by the media and leaders with vested interest. The minute we stepped down from the plane, the security personnel put us at ease. They held on to our babies and were so warm and welcoming. We knew it will be all very smooth,8221; said Lubna Anwar, Saeed Anwar8217;s wife. 8220;We have got VIP treatment.8221;
8220;There was one security car in front of our coach, one behind. We have neverreceived this kind of treatment,8221; they said, describing their adventurous entry into the city.
8220;One thing which did not faze us was the traffic. Lahore traffic is as bad. The pollution, though is a little too much for the kids,8221; said Yuzma. They discussed possible remedies for their kids, who have been complaining of throat irritation.
Their fascination for Hindi films was evident. 8220;We never watch PTV. Our main entertainment is watching Indian films on VCR,8221; said Lubna Anwar.
Now they are looking forward to going to Goa for a short break with their husbands in tow before they fly to Calcutta.
