5 NO-COOK, NO-BAKE Tea Time Recipes

Mehfil loot lein, budget mein

There are lots topics discussed on my blog which are close to my heart and one of them is keeping it easy and stress free for yourself when you’ve got people coming over. The idea is not to be NOT mehmaannawaz. I idea is to keep it simple, practical yet making an impact. Kaun keh raha hai bad-maza cheezein khilaao, ya sookhi chai ke sath hosting karo. Bass barhi si trolley ko choti si tray se replace karo aur mehfil loot lo!

Move over haleem and shaami kababs (unless you’re banay banaye DAWN walay), easier and yummier condiments are the new cool.

Three-tiered Pineapple sticks

My mum's been using these since my bachpan to serve as appetizers at dinner parties but I think if you have them chilled, they would make a great item for tea time or iftar parties too. A little sweet, a little sour and so fulfilling, thanks to the cottage cheese.

Ingredients:

1 block of cottage or feta cheese (depends on what you prefer)

A few olives (green or black, both work)

A small tin of pineapple slices

Some chili flakes and oregano

What to do:

Cut the cheese and the fruit into small cubes and then use toothpicks/finger food sticks (fancy ones if you have them, like the ones I have used) to assemble this delight - cheese on the bottom, then pineapple and then an olive on the top.

Garnish your dish with some chili flakes and oregano before serving. 

Cracker Platter

This one’s super impressive, tasty and ideal with a warm cup of chai or coffee. There is so much going on in one platter yet there’s no cooking or baking involved. Bijli na bhi ho, kitchen se aap zinda hi lautein gay!

Ingredients

Crackers of your choice

A can/packing of ready-made hummus

Olives (green and black)

Pickles (handful)

Jalapenos (handful)

Cold cut chicken

Cheese slices

Chili flakes and oregano for garnish

What to do:

Choose a nice flat platter and spread crackers in lines. Cut all the olives, jalapenos, and pickles in small pieces, as shown in the photo. Now alternate the lines, one with hummus and one with cheese slices.

For the hummus crackers, use a teaspoon to top each cracker with a generous dollop. Top with one piece each of jalapeno, green olives and pickles.

For the cheese crackers, cut the cheese and cold chicken slices into 4 parts. Top each cracker with a piece of cheese, cold chicken, then finally finishing off with black olives and jalapenos.

Sprinkle chili flakes and oregano on the dish as garnish and serve.

TIP: Don’t prepare the crackers too much in advance. They tend to get soggy otherwise.

Cream Cheese Dip

Okay, this one’s famous. I made this for Faizaan’s birthday party and had everyone asking me for the recipe. So, I did it again when he invited his colleagues over. Someone actually said “this is the best sauce I have ever tasted”…..only that it’s a dip and not a sauce. I like serving it with cucumbers and carrots but everyone started dipping in their grilled chicken too! So, if I were in Pakistan, I’d order a plate of chicken boti and even serve that alongside!

Ingredients

½ cup yogurt

½ cup Philadelphia cream cheese mousse (I used to buy Puck or Kraft  cream cheese when I was in Pakistan)

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 tablespoons cream (optional)

½ teaspoon garlic paste

Chili flakes

Oregano

Salt to taste

What to do:

Mix everything together with a whisk and serve with the veggies.

Yaani. SO EASY.

Cheese platter

If you love cheese, you’re going to love this. Plus, this is mostly assembling, not even cutting.

Ingredients

Variety of cheese (I used 3 types, out of which 2 are easily available in Pakistan, the cheese slices and triangles. If you find just those, it’s good enough. OR you can make a cheese dip and pop that into the mix too!)

Grapes (green and purple)

Variety of crackers

What to do:

Put everything on a cheese board aesthetically and serve. If you don’t have a cheese board, use a chopping board!

Nutella Crunch Cookies

This list would not have been complete without meetha and without chocolate! Here’s the simplest, most divine ‘goodness on a biscuit’ that you can serve without working hard.

Ingredients

Nutella

Cereal (I usually use Kellogg Special K because we always have that at home. You can use Muesli too.)

Simple plain biscuits (I used Marie in Pakistan)

Chopped hazelnuts for garnish (optional)

What to do:

Crush some cereal in your fist (lol) and put it in a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of Nutella and mix. The consistency should be thick. Put dollops of this this mixture on the biscuits, garnish with hazelnuts and serve. Voila!

TIP: If you’re Nutella has succumbed to the temperature and is a little too thick/hard, warm it in the 

microwave for a few seconds before mixing.

FARHAT ISHTIAQ ANSWERS ALL YOUR YKS QUESTIONS

Let this cure your YKS blues this Wednesday

Mahvish Ahmed

Sometimes, “they lived happily ever after” is just not enough. Some plays find an eternal place in your heart and you become severely attached to the characters, especially when one of them is the drool worthy D.Asfandyar casting his charm on the TV screen for one hour every week. Just like he didn’t want the car ride with Zubia to end, we didn’t want Yakeen Ka Safar to end. Wednesdays now feel gloomy and we miss seeing Zubia’s pretty smile, listening to Dr.Haroon’s lame jokes and watching Asfi stealing glances at his lady love. There’s so much more we wanted to see happen in YKS and then there are several questions too that were left unanswered.

So, guess what we did! We went straight to Farhat Ishtiaq, the woman behind it all, and asked her questions to our heart’s content. We also gave her some scenarios which she imaginatively answered. She’s warm, she has magic in her pen and can feel human emotions so very deeply. You want to what our conversation was like? Here goes.

WO: What did Asfandyar actually think when he got the “Love you darling” message from Zubia?

Farhat Ishtiaq: For a moment, he was shocked at Zubia saying this to him right after he had scolded her. But being an intelligent man, he soon realized it was a mistake and the message was not meant for him. By the way, I wrote this scene based on my own experience when I sent the wrong message to someone thinking I am texting my friend (haha)! These situations can be very embarrassing.

WO: Did Asfandyar and Zubia ever discuss THAT message? Did they laugh over it?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Yes! On the wedding night he showed her the message since he had it saved in his phone and teased her about it.

WO: What was the exact moment when Asfandyar started developing feelings for Zubia?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Well, he was developing a soft corner for her since some time, though he was in denial. But the first time he really noticed her was when she asked him to help Khajista. He was able to see Daniyal in her, as he had also taken a stand to help a girl get justice. And, after that rainy night post the hepatitis camp, he falls for her full-fledged.

WO: Did Zubia ever forgive Rehan?

Farhat Ishtiaq: After showing Zubia how weak he was as a brother, she was never really able to forgive him dil se. After all, he had kicked her out of the house in the middle of the night and left her all alone to face the world. However, for duniyadaari, she does keep a relationship with him after her marriage. Aik aurat ka agar maika ho, uskey liye izzat ki baat hoti hai. Dil mein khalish to rahi, but she started speaking to Rehan again.

WO: How did Asfandyar save Zubia when she tried to commit suicide? Did she actually jump into the river?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Actually, I had written the scene a little differently – Asfandyar reached Zubia before she could jump and when he gets to her, she faints in her arms with a nervous breakdown. At that point, Zubia was someone who was not in her senses and did not know what she was doing. That’s how scared and panic stricken she was to see Rehan. However, while shooting the scene, it was dramatized a little for television where it seemed as if she did jump and the audience could not figure out how she was saved.

WO: Where did the wedding take place – from Zubia’s house in Karachi or Islamabad?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Zubia agreed to go back to her home in Karachi for the wedding. If I got the chance to write that scene, entering her house where she grew up, where her mother was killed, where she finally saw Abbi acting like a real father to her and the house from which she was kicked out, would have been a very emotional moment for Zubia. Itnay saalon baad ghar jaa ke usay wo tamaam takleef de waaqiyat yaad aatay.

WO: What happens to Rehan and his relationship with Sheema?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Rehan becomes just like Abbi. This is my observation that men eventually treat their wives the same way they have seen their fathers treat their mothers. Though Sheema  wouldn’t be able o do much when Zubia comes home for her wedding and re-enters Rehan’s life, she would always remain as bitter. People with so much negativity in them can never change. Usay kabhi apni zyadati ka ehsaas na hota.

WO: Abbi left the house for Zubia in his will. Did she ever claim her right over the house and her mother’s jewelry?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Zubia is not at all materialistic and not one to claim her right over her property. But it is possible that Rehan, realizing his mistakes and as his apology, would have handed over the house to his sister eventually.

Also, if Zubia had claimed her right over the house when she was being kicked out, how would she have met the hero of the story?!

WO: What did Asfandyar give Zubia as moon dikhaai?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Perhaps a medical book dealing with liver to remind Zubia of the wrong treatment she gave a liver patient and the scolding she got for that (haha). Of course, this would be just to tease her. After that, he would have given her a piece of jewelry.

WO: What is Dr. Asfandyar’s specialization? How can he handle every surgery?

Farhat Ishtiaq: He is a general surgeon. However, he specializes in the abdomen and hepatitis. That was his main focus since the incidence of this disease is very high in Pakistan’s northern areas.

WO: How did Noori bring the big rifle to a political rally without alerting the security?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Since the play was fiction, we had to take some liberty (haha)! But on a serious note, these things happen in reality. When a person is driven to the point Noori was at, completely broken and hopeless, he does not care of the consequences of his actions. Noori just wanted revenge, even if that cost her life. And that is exactly what she did.

WO: Did Gaiti and Dr.Haroon have more children after their marriage?

Farhat Ishtiaq: You know, that is an area which I could have explored as an entirely new story but I did not have that space while writing my novel. But if I think about it, they would have had a happy marriage and would have had more children. Initially though, it would be tough for Gaiti since learning how to truly love for the second time is difficult for a woman. Aur Gaiti ne Daniyal se shiddat se mohabbat kit thi. So, in the beginning, she would probably think of Daniyal a lot, compare Haroon with him and feel she is not being faithful to Haroon.

WO: Why was the khala telling the entire family history to an unknown Rashid?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Well, she is shown as a seedhi saadi, ghar mein rehnay wali khatoon and Asfandyar being an intelligent man gets her to say more than she should have to a stranger. However, I’d like to add that sometimes when you write a scene, it is not translated onto the TV screen the way you had imagined. We were probably not able to portray that part the way we had perceived it.

WO: Why did Asfi cancel the wedding if he trusted Zubia all along?

Farhat Ishtiaq: He never stopped trusting her. In fact, it was just the manifestation of his disappointment in the fact that Zubia did not trust him enough to come and tell him that it was her who he had saved from Rameez’s trap several years ago in Karachi.

WO: What is Dr. Asfi smiling at when he looks at Zubia during her first meeting at home with 

Faryal?

Farhat Ishtiaq: Although both of them had warm feelings towards each other by the time Faryal came back to visit, they had not said anything. Hence, when Zubia cannot help feeling jealous and her feelings are written all over her face, Asfandayar feels happy. Zubia’s behavior confirmed that the feelings of love are not one-sided.

WO: Will you ever consider writing a sequel to Yakeen Ka Safar?

Farhat Ishtiaq: A lot of people are asking me that question (haha)! I won’t say never as you never know what might inspire me to write it someday but as of now there are no plans. Something else MIGHT be cooking though but I cannot say anything just yet.

10 MEN’S CLOTHING ITEMS YOU NEED TO OWN

Wear their clothes better than them

When we are so much better than men at everything, why not steal some of their sartorial options and rock them too? Blurring away the gender binary will open up more ways for you to ace the modern style game and at the same time gain more access to comfort and nonchalance. In fact, some items from the men’s section might actually be more flattering for tricky body types. Fitted dresses, showing some skin and walking around in high heels can be archaically stylish but, when done right, nothing can be sexier than donning some masculine garb. Here are 10 men’s clothing items you need to get hold of and some ideas to help you cross dress in a super stylish way.

1. Whitey Mightey

A classic white button down shirt will give you a cool, boxy look. Roll up the sleeves, pair it with ripped skinnies, summer sandals and add a dainty necklace. You can also tuck in one side and leave one out for a relaxed feel.

To wear it at night, team up with black leather pants and a black lace choker. Leave your hair in soft waves and sport some maroon lippy FTW.

2.  His jeans instead of boyfriend jeans

Why spend on the trending boyfriend jeans from the women’s department when you can get the same look in less by picking up men’s jeans instead? Try out the skin fit type in the men’s section and you can always go for a belt to keep them up and cuff them if they are a little too long. We bet you will get more comfort as well as a break from the overdone skinnies. Pair with a black off shoulder top, a cool pair of reflectors and embroidered denim loafers.

P.S. Check out the embroidered denim loafers at Chapter 13.

3.  Play red riding hood

A black men’s pullover hoodie paired with red pants is casual done right. Wear big silver hoops in the ears and opt for the no makeup look and a messy bun.

4. For the love of Paul Smith

If you have ever felt that women’s Peshawari chappals are uncomfortable around the toe area of your feet, go for classic tan ones made for the boys. They will work very well every time you slip into a casual t-shirt and jeans. Add a tan cross body bag and some ethnic rings to your look to femme things up.

5. Watch where you’re going

Chunky jewelry is in fashion so why not wear a men’s watch once in a while? Wear some beaded bracelets in different colours along with the watch and a leather band so create a happening look on your wrist. If you feel trendy and powerful wearing one, we will accept your note of thanks!

6. Say hi to the tie

Ties are not the best partners for suits only. Get your hands on some quirky patterned ties and pair them with solid shirts on days when the regular shalwar kurtas or cold shoulder tops feel boring.

7. Blazing hot

A black oversized blazer screams chic and you know where to find one from! Leave the buttons open and wear it with a maroon tee and dark blue skinnes. You can also simply drape the blazer on your shoulder. Add a gold bracelet or two on your wrists and some lip gloss for a hi-fashion look.

8.Waist that NOT

Get your hands on navy blue pin striped waist coat and wear it with a half sleeves grey t-shirt for a super chic look. For bottoms you can go for white skinnies or wide legged pants. Don’t forget a bag with a long silver sling, little shiny studs in the ears and a feminine silver bracelet.

9. Camouflage the sweat.

Grab a grey sweatshirt from the men’s section and pair it with camouflage pants (which are all the rage ATM). You can pick skinnies or a more relaxed fitting, depending on your style. Tie your hair in a messy ponytail and experiment with the colour of your shoes.

10. Plaid it right.

Play the queen of quirk with a red plaid men’s shirt paired with jeans and a black bomber. Don’t forget to add a pair of cat eye sunglasses for some casual glam.

This story was written for Limu Studio. You can follow them on Instagram here.

THREE SOUP RECIPES TRIED AND TESTED AT HOME

Let’s get cozy with bowls of goodness

Mahvish Ahmed

Curled up under blanket by the fireplace, a Netflix binge plan in mind and a huge bowl of warm soup in your hands…hmmmm…that does sound super attractive, given the weather, doesn’t it? Soups can help you fight the winter chills, they make a great meal when you’re looking for options lighter than nihari and paaye and they can be yummy and nutritious at the same time. As condiments, play with different types of bread (try Pie in the Sky for some great options), get hold of some soup sticks or prepare simple hunter beef sandwiches for a perfect winter touch (our mouth is already watering for Hanifia).

This month, we have been pretty active in the kitchen, testing some recipes at home. Here are three of our favourite ones for you to try and love. Get hold of some spinach, tomatoes and potatoes and get ready for soup-ilicious times ahead.

Cream of Tomato Soup

Ingredients

6 cups chicken stock

4 large tomotos

1 medium sized carrot

1 small sized onion

1 tsp soya sauce

A few drops of vinegar

Corn flour

½ cup cream

Salt and pepper to taste

.

Method

1. Chop onions, tomatoes and the carrot in small pieces and sauté in some oil (or butter).

2. Add the vegetables to the stock and allow to cook on medium heat in the broth for an hour.

3. Use a hand blender to make sure no big chunks of vegetables are left in the soup.

4. Add the vinegar, soya sauce, salt and pepper.

5. Use some corn flour to thicken the soup according to how you like it. (If you like the soup thin, corn flour can be skipped.)

6. Beat the cream and add a few teaspoons to a bowl of soup and serve.

Creamy Spinach Soup

Ingredients

6 cups chicken stock

500 grams roughly chopped spinach

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 small onion

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 cup milk

½ cup cream

Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Melt some butter in pan and lightly sauté onion and garlic

2. Warm the broth and add in the in the onion, garlic, spinach and broccoli.

3. Allow to cook for an hour on medium heat and then use a hand blender to blend in the vegetables. Make sure no big chunks are present in the soup.

4. Add milk and allow to cook for another 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add 2-3 tablespoons of cream to each bowl and mix before serving.

Potato and Cheese Soup

Ingredients

6 cups chicken stock

4 large potatos

1 medium sized carrot

½ stock celery

8-10 leaves of parsley

2 tablespoons flour (white)

4 tablespoons melted butter

¾ cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Chop potatoes, carrots, and celery in small pieces

2. Add to the broth and allow to cook on medium heat till all vegetables are cooked and soft

3. Use a hand blender to blend in all the vegetables till no big chunks are left behind

4. In a blender, add butter, flour and parsley and blend to form a paste

5. Add the paste to the soup. Allow to cook for another 15 minutes on low heat

6. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper

7. Allow the soup to stand for 5 minutes before serving

#confessionsonsafarnamay: "My 29th Birthday"

Married for 3 years, the jibes and scorns had started coming my way for being ‘bold enough’ to plan when I want a baby. Hence, when the pregnancy test strip showed a faint red line on the morning of my 29^th birthday, my social conditioning made me feel joyful. After all, I was going to become a mom, and the occasion was joyous.

It was too early in the pregnancy though. My periods had been delayed for only 25 days. The scan showed an empty uterus, but the pregnancy hormone was rising. My gynecologist asked me to not get carried away in my excitement and return after a week. 

As the hours passed, my excitement of motherhood increased. Perhaps that’s what God has made women to be like. I was ready to host the baby in my womb and eventually welcome the little being into my life, and my arms. My husband and I started Googling baby names too! But this magical feeling didn’t last. One day while I was hanging out with my mom, I felt a tight knot on the right side of my lower abdomen. I was taken to the emergency room, where fresh scans discovered that my pregnancy was ectopic. Instead of growing in my uterus, my baby was growing in one of my Fallopian tubes. The only option my doctor had was to kill my child with an administered dosage of chemotherapy. While for my family,the child was already a distant memory and my survival the focus, I couldn’t believe that my baby was being treated like cancer. How could it be that my own child could prove to be fatal for me?

I mourned the loss of the embryo that was supposed to be my first child. But I didn’t even get time to feel the pain of that loss. I was sent home from the hospital, only to return because of continued pain. It turned out that the baby survived the treatment and that had led to an eventual rupture in my Fallopian tube. There was massive internal bleeding and if not dealt with right away, this would be the end of my life.

The doctors did their business and post the surgery, I woke up. But I woke up with just one Fallopian tube. The other had to be removed. Since I was no longer pregnant, I began shedding my uterine lining. My threshold for the monthly pain is high, since ‘desi’ girls are instructed to curb their screams and not make a big deal of their menstrual pains. However, this time, I couldn’t control it. For hours, I screamed like a lunatic, until the pain subsided.

In a short span of 20 days, I had felt more than I had ever felt before. I went through the joy of knowing I’m pregnant for the very first time, being scared about childbirth, realizing something is wrong with me, going through chemotherapy, a surgery, losing my baby and losing a Fallopian tube. I couldn’t believe the emotional roller-coaster I had been through. I couldn’t believe I had suffered so much physical pain. I couldn’t believe I could have died. My future pregnancies may be affected. Will I have another baby? When will I have another baby…..I now think to myself.

It’s only been a week and I am trying to search for my peace in my surroundings. My husband somehow doesn’t exactly understand my pain. And on the other hand, my mother’s over caring attitude is getting to me. Perhaps, it’s too soon for me to feel normal. I am irritable. I know women go through miscarriages. I didn’t even hear the heartbeat of my child, yet I am living in despair. There are women who carry a child in their womb for 9 months and then deal with still births. Some have healthy children and lose them while they are just babies. I know I am not the first one dealing with this. Yet, I feel I have the right to feel sad….at least for some time. Do I not?

Hope is a wonderful thing. Women are wonderful creatures, capable of bouncing back to life from all kinds of situations. I do think that I will bounce back…but as of now, even if I am being over dramatic, I want the space and the permission to dwell in my pain for some time. I am engulfed with darkness, it is not easy to live once you survive a near death situation. But perhaps, it will take a long walk through this darkness for me to eventually see light again.

By Anonymous.

Illustrated by: Fatima Baig. You can follow her on Instagram here.

THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT AHAD RAZA MIR

His take on destination weddings, romantic letters and more

What's the most common daily activity for all Pakistani girls these days? Yes, you got that right! Drooling over Ahad Raza Mir. From mommies to grannies, if you’re a female, Dr.Asfandyar makes your heart go all mushy. Some of us are even jealous of Zubia, who’s going to end up having him forever in another episode or two of Yakeen ka Safar. Basically, this Canada-return hunk is doing to us what Fawad Khan did when we saw Hamsafar. If you are glued to the TV screen at 8 pm every Wednesday, holding your heart and wiping off your drool, know that you are not alone.

Want to send him a perfume or run into him at his favourite restaurant? Then scroll down without wasting another second. Light a few scented candles, grab some chocolate and get to know ARM a little more closely.

WO: If you weren’t an actor you would be?

Ahad: A chef or a director

WO: Hollyoood or Bollywood?

Ahad: Depends on what I am in the mood of watching.

WO: Favourite restaurant (s) in Pakistan?

Ahad: In Karachi my favourite restaurant is LOCO.

WO: Chocolates, flowers or jewelry – the best present for a girl in your opinion is?

Ahad: A meaningful letter.

WO: Destination wedding or a big fat Pakistani wedding?

Ahad: I’d love a destination wedding but I think I will end up having a big fat Pakistani wedding and then some functions abroad since my family is spread across the globe. I do hope I am financially stable enough to afford all of thus though (haha)!

WO: Favourite perfume?

Ahad: Euphoria by Calvin Klien

WO: The beach or the mountains? Your favourite holiday destination?

Ahad: I like both actually – the beach since I have grown in Karachi and the mountains since that’s what I enjoyed in Canada.

WO: Favourite desi dish?

Ahad: My mum’s chicken karahi

WO: Favourite Bollywoood actor? Actress?

Ahad: Ranbir Kapoor and Madhuri

WO: What’s the last song you listened to?

Ahad: Since I’ve been loving you by Led Zeppelin

WO: The last person you texted?

Ahad: My mum.

WO: A country/city you are dying to visit?

Ahad: Japan.

WO: Do you read, watch a movie, or sleep when on a plane?

Ahad: I do a lot of writing! And I am working on a few scripts.

WO: What’s next after Yakeen Ka Safar?

Ahad: Well, Parwaaz hai Junoon is releasing this year and I will start shooting for my next drama in November. I cannot reveal the details but I can say that it will be epic in its scale.

WO: The one thing that made you say yes to Yakeen Ka Safar?

Ahad: Asfandyaar’s transformation.

WO: Cake or steak?

Ahad: Steak.

WO: Your weirdest childhood habit?

Ahad: Well, I still have the habit of wearing hats – come summer or winter. I used to wear them even when it was -40 in Canada!

WO: Have you ever done something you wish your parents never find out?

Ahad: My mum reads/watches all my interviews, even the ones I try she doesn’t. So, I cannot if I do answer the question , she will find out!

WO: One thing you’d like to tell your parents?

Ahad: That I love them!

WO: Who’s the most influential woman in your life?

Ahad: My mum for sure.

WO;:. What comes to your mind when we say feminism?

Ahad: Equality.

WO: Laundry or cleaning – what did you hate more during your time in Canada?

Ahad: I didn’t hate either of them actually. Sundays were reserved for these activities. I’d light some candles and make the house smell nice while doing home chores. It was quite therapeutic.

WO: The three things your ideal girl MUST have?

Ahad: She should respect herself and other individuals, she should be able to argue cool headedly, and she should be active.

WO: When you are not working you are..?

Ahad: I am still working. Or sleeping!

WO: Mum or dad – your go to person in a time of crisis?

Ahad: My dad.

WO: One thing you were pleasantly surprised by on the sets of Yakeen Ka Safar?

Ahad: The team work and how well everybody gels in together.

WO: One gadget you are dying to own?

Ahad: I am a musician so there is this guitar I really want to have.

WO: Are you a saver or a spender?

Ahad: I save for some time and then go and spend it all together! So a bit of both I guess!

WO: You indulge in?

Ahad: Desserts.

WO: Eat out or cook at home?

Ahad: Home.

WO: One thing you love about following:

Kubra Khan

Ahad: She’s a beautiful human being

Sajal Ali

Ahad: One of the most charming girls I have ever met.

Mawra Hocane

Ahad: That she’s incredibly driven.

Realisation #5: If Bano was able to talk, this is what she would say to me.

Entangled between a mess of crumbs on the floor, over-cooked rice on the stove, a shoe I could not find and the clock on the wall that said it’s time to go pick Minha up, I saw Bano sitting on the floor, with a clump of those crumbs stuck to her hands and a few in her mouth. There was a devilish smile on her lips, a cheeky twinkle in her eye. The mountain of frustration that was making me hyperventilate melted as her saw her cute little face shine even brighter in the light that peered through the window. Her pair of teeth sparkled as she grinned. In the quiet of the apartment that was currently inhabited by just her an I, here’s what I heard her say:

“Hi, my name is Bano and I am not a grown up. I like to sit in in different corners of my home and scream rather than play peacefully in the nice play pen my parents have bought for me. I'd rather eat the kachra on the floor or the crumbs my sister drops while she has her meal than the yummy food my mama makes for me. I like to be very noisy in public and demand milk just when my mama desperately needs to go to the bathroom. You know…that’s just how I am. I'd rather bang my head in the wall or fall flat on my face than sit securely in my high chair and play with blocks. I like to have more food on my bib than in my tummy when it's eating time. I like to wake my mama up several times in the night just because I want a hug from her.  I am 14 months old…but that’s just how I like my nights to be. If my mama decides to undergo the brave process of travelling with me to Pakistan, I give her such a hard time that she swears she will never repeat the heinous act again. Recently, I have developed an aversion to showering and an affinity for making a mess of my hair as soon as my mama makes a little ‘fawara’ pony on the top of my head. I like it messy, you know. I don’t like the stroller anymore. I like being wild and free…yes…even when I am on the roads. But mama, I am just a baby. Please let me be me. Before you and I know it, it will be time for me to go to school. Soon enough I will have to deal with the pressure of studying, maybe fitting in or sometimes not being good at things too. I will have to deal with the issues of life, with heart break maybe, with losing friends. I will pass sometimes, at times fail. You know the drill mama. I will have to go to university, perhaps live away from you, find a job and one day become a mama just like yourself. Juggling between my kids and my home and work, I will be so busy that you will wait for me to call. If we end up in different cities or countries, you will have to wait for months before you get to see me. Ask nano. And dadi. They know. So mama, enjoy me. For I will be a grown up soon and then you will have ample time to sleep or just be with baba. I know how you like to just be with baba. Then you can have your leisurely coffees in cafes and watch your favourite shows in peace. I will not be there to annoy you on your trips or scream for you in the background as you try to clean the house, frazzled and pressed for time. There will, for sure come a time mama, when you will have all the time but you will not have me. So, for now, let me be and don't let me wear you down. For I will not be this tiny person for very long.”

As I stood there, watching my little girl crawl towards me, hold my pants and stand up with their support, I said to myself that a few months ago, she wasn’t even able to sit. Today, she’s standing up. Tomorrow she, with her sister, is going to run far away, making her own life. I will be left with nothing but an empty nest. With perhaps a few albums that will take me down my memory lane. A home that’s tidy, a to-do-list very short. Just like Minha grew up in the blink of an eye, she will too. I stood there, realizing that the chores can wait. There will always be chores…but will me baby be a baby forever? No, she won’t. And as I realized that, the tense muscles in my body eased. The mess became less visible, the dust seemed unimportant. I bent down, picked up my little nut, and we kissed and hugged till it was time to go pick my elder chatty parrot.

Photo ke peechay kya hai, photo ke peechay?

Dear peeps of my Insta family, I want to thank you all or loving all my photos from Greece and Croatia. Here are some answers to the FAQs and comments.

Split, Croatia

Our history with photography

Faizaan and I started developing love for photography in 2011 when we bought our first camera and started experimenting with it at home, with Minha and on our trips. It is something that one develops skill for slowly and we still have a LONG LONG way to go. No editing software or camera can just do it FOR YOU. You have to take out time to acquire the skill and hone it. Everything that I have learnt about it is through Faizaan, at least 90% of it. The rest of the 10% has been learnt by andherey mein teer chalaaing and it somehow working. Faizaan learnt what he knows through YouTube tutorials, photography magazines, some experimentation and then finally a 3 month diploma at Indus Valley in Karachi. Between 2013 and 2016 we took our hobby one step higher by starting professional wedding photography and making a little name for ourselves in Lahore. Whatever we earned, we spent it on building on our equipment, which included a variety of lenses, lights, stands, diffusers, cameras, remote shutter releasers etc. While we were still gaining clientele and shuhrat, Switzerland happened, and we moved. And with that our time as wedding photographers ended.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

What it entails

Photography is an art as well as a passion. When we moved, we didn’t own a car to help us carry our equipment around AND Bano was also added to the equation with her stroller and winter gear. So, we started doing or photos with our mobile phones and ditched the equipment we owned. Over the past year we realized that this hobby has less to do with lenses and cameras and more with what your eye can catch and understand. This serves our ourpose of making memories well and being on the cover of Nation Geographic is anyway not an aim.

A lot goes behind this hobby – understanding how to compose a frame, lighting, how to use the tools while post processing, using your phone or your camera, the lenses and diffusers properly and so on. Buying an expensive camera or editing software does not guarantee good pictures, just like having all the ingredients in your kitchen does not guarantee good biryani. Yaani, aik button dabaein aur aik shahkaar nikal kea aye, aisa nahin hota. You need lot of patience too - such as waiting for hours for the sun to be in a certain position, clicking the camera several times with the same muse to get the preferred result; waiting for the passerby to exit your frame; waking up early to catch the golden hours OR the time when everyone else is sleeping; waiting for the birds to fly for more drama in a sea or mosque photo etc. Most definitely, it’s not a hobby meant for the impatient.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

What it means to us

Our pictures are a means of translating our memories into something that will last forever. We are not aiming to make money out of this so most of the time we are happy with just using our phones for most of the work. Thanks to better technology, phones offer cameras good enough to take family photos to make mementos or to even take shots for my blog.

We enjoy taking pictures and then expressing our feelings, experiences and interpretations of situations  through their colours and compositions. Faizaan and I may be taking photos at the same place or of the same thing but our end results differ, because we, as people, differ in our thinking and what we take away from life. It is also something we like doing together and bonding over it. It’s perhaps the one thing we look forward to doing together when the girls go off to college Inshallah.

Budapest, Hungary

Where you can start from

For your pictures to attract appreciation, you do not have to be travelling to different countries. You can start at home, and even stay at home, i.e. Pakistan, to create masterpieces. We have done great pictures at our (not so great) apartment in Karachi and at the neighborhood park….or Kund Malir Beach and Hingol Natonal Park in Balochistan, in Bahalwalpur, around the Old City of Lahore, and in the Saddar area of Karachi. We have yet to explore the North, but you could take your camera there! Affordable, accessible and very beautiful. Don’t wait to travel abroad to start taking pictures. Start now. Start at home.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

What should your take away NOT be from my pictures

This one’s for all the girls who message me saying they wished their husbands were interested in taking nice pictures of them. By no means does this passion of ours create any #couplegoals or #husbandgoals. This is just something we have found for ourselves to do together. This doesn’t have to be the thing YOU do together with your husband or hound him to take your pictures if he doesn’t like photography. You can do something else together which you both enjoy. The point is to spend time together doing something that you bond over. Look for what that thing can be for you. It could be playing a sport, or reading the same book and then talking about it, going to the gym together or even cooking. And if you prefer, sitting on your couch and watching movies together. Adding chai and nimco to that is also an option. Taking good pictures together is not the beginning and end of this world, especially if one partner is tanging on the sooli while the other is trying to be Mona Lisa. Social media se pressure kam lein aur entertainment zyada.

Santorini, Greece

Samajh aaein saari baatein?

Aa gaein?

Good. And good bye.

Some information:

Our camera – NIKON D650

Lens used on this trip: 50mm

My phone since the last 6 weeks: Huawei Mate 10 Lite

Editing software and the app we use: Lightroom and Snapseed.