Bits and Pieces: The happiest 18 days of my life

Every year I visit my home in Pakistan around december, this year however, I visited a couple of month earlier and experienced the happiest time of my life. It was my brothers wedding. This post is about this time back home and how special it was.

A few months before my 12th birthday I went to a boarding school and a year after that, when I came home for my first long vacation, my brother left for another boarding school. As it turned out, we had our long vacations in different seasons. He had them in winter and I in summer. There were years when we just saw each other twice a year, at the Eids. With cell phones not common and boarding school restrictions we didn't even get to talk much and it was like each of us was a single child of the same parents for so long. Then he joined the military and I left Pakistan for higher studies, which continue till now, only to return once a year. Whenever I visit Pakistan, I only get to meet him for a few days. This time, however, it was special. He was getting married. The person dearest to me on the planet was getting married.

Islamabad Airport (BBIA)

So I reach Islamabad. Unfortunately, he's still on duty for another few days. We had moved to a new house since the last time I visited. Islamabad was as beautiful as before. No matter how bad things get, the heart still loves to be back. I don't know if the place is so amazing, or the people make is so beautiful or just the sense of belonging, but its awesome.

Islamabad - the beautiful

I went to see my grandfather before the wedding, who could not travel and come to attend the wedding ceremony. Old age makes you miss out on so many things that you would so much like to be part of. On my way I see the hatred towards the West on the roads. The wave of protests in response to the anti-Islam videos had left a mark on the streets.

A US flag painted on the road

A few weeks before the Eid coupled with weddings season, security situation in my village turned slightly ugly and we like others prepared for our safety.

One of the several guns used to protect ourselves

The wedding was after Eid. Here is a view of the mosque on our way for the prayer followed by a photo where the Imam sahab is seen giving khutba post Eid prayer.

Preparations for a weddings are a lengthy and hectic process in Pakistan so there was much work to be done. For me it was a pleasure as there ins't anything I love more than the person getting married. Having spent so much time travelling someone joked about me having spent more time of my holidays on the road than at home. Here are a few images of what I found while travelling.