Peer-e-kamil

Chapter 1 (Part 5)

All four of them were in Heera Mandi, the red-light district of Lahore.They were between eighteen and nineteen years of age and their appearance gave away their upper class background; but out here neither age nor social background meant anything, because young boys often frequented the area and the elite were among the most regular customers.

The boys made their way through the narrow lanes of the bazaar. Three of them were lost in conversation but the fourth looked around with interest and a sense of mystery. It seemed that this was his first venture into this domain, and a later exchange with his friends confirmed this.

On both sides of the lane, in open doorways, stood women of every age, shape, size and complexion-fair and dark, beautiful and plain-all heavily made up and dressed in a revealing way. And men of all ages also passed through the lane. The boy observed everything very carefully.

"How often have you been here?" He addressed the boy to his right who laughed and repeated the words.

"How often? I don't remember now-I haven't kept count! I come here quite often," he said proudly.

"I don't find these women very attractive...nothing special about them," the boy shrugged his shoulders. "if one has to spend a night somewhere

at least the environment should be pleasant-this is such a filthy place,"he said looking distastefully at the potholes and the piles of garbage in the lane. "Besides, what's the point of coming here when you have girlfriends?"

"This place has its own charm and there's no comparison between these women and our girlfriends. Girlfriends can't dance like the women

here," the other boy said with a laugh. "And today one of Pakistan's top actresses is going to perform-just wait till you see her."

"But you had taken me to see her dance," the first boy interrupted.

"Oh that was nothing-just a ―mujra‖ at my brother's wedding. But here it's a different story."

"But that actress lives in a very posh locality; why would she want to come here?" His tone was somewhat suspicious.

"Ask her yourself today, if you want. I don't ask such questions."The other boys laughed at this remark, but the first one looked at him askance.

They finally reached their destination at the end of the lane. From a shop near the entrance, they bought garlands of motia which they wound round their wrists, and also on the wrist of the boy who was objecting to being there. Then they bought paan laced with tobacco and also offered one to him-he had probably never had paan before. They went up the stairs.

He looked around critically and a look of satisfaction crossed his face when he saw that the place was not only clean but well decorated too.

The floor was covered with white sheets and there were bolsters to recline on. Curtains fluttered softly on the doors and windows. Some people had already arrived but the performance had not yet started. A woman with a lovely but fake smile swiftly made her way to them. As she spoke to them, the first boy took in her appearance. She was middle-aged, plastered with make-up and sported masses of rose and motia garlands in her hair. She was dressed in a screaming red chiffon sari and her blouse seemed to have been made not to cover but to reveal her body. She led the boys to a corner of the room and seated them.

As soon as he sat down, the first boy immediately spat the paan out into a spittoon nearby. It was hard for him to talk with his mouth full of paan; besides he did not quite like its feel or flavor. The other three boys were speaking in low tones. He looked around at the other men in the room who reclined against the cushions with wads of notes and bottles of alcohol in front of them. Most of the older men were dressed in starched white clothes; it was the first time he had seen so many people dressed in white other than at Eid congregations. He himself was dressed casually in black jeans and a black T-shirt like his friends and the younger crowd.