Magical moments

I thought I would put off blogging about the incredible event that took place in my life for a few days once I have figured out how I want to describe the event. But if there is anything I have learnt from the entire process of planning the event, it is that what you plan does not always happen, no matter how sure you are that it will work out. Following are some small examples about what I’m trying to say; Example 1. I had wanted to wear RED to my book launch for the last month or so. Searched high and low for the “perfect” red outfit. I ended up wearing blue. Example 2; the event was supposed to take place in a cozy confined area of my college as decided months before. Eventually, the event was spread all over the grounds. Last (but not least) example 3; I wrote a wonderful minute long speech. Went on stage and forgot all of it. I ended up saying something completely different.
All these carefully planned out things went completely awry! The funny thing is, all of it worked. My blue outfit complimented my RED surroundings. The vast spaciousness gave people room to breathe on a particularly hot evening and my extempore speech (no matter how terrible I thought it was) was received wonderfully by those who heard it.
Hence, this blog is not planned. I’ll just ramble on like I did in my speech and describe last night to you to the best of my abilities.
Many people do not know this but the highlight of my evening was a very crucial thing said by a very ordinary reporter. He, while interviewing me for his channel, asked me how it felt being a “trend setter”. He asked how I felt knowing that in the future people will follow the example I have set and that I have managed to create a completely new form of innovative books, an area previously unchartered by any Pakistani creative…how did I feel about that. My answer ofcourse is irrelevant in this story. It took me a good minute to snap out of the wonderful daze his words had put me in. He called me a ‘trend setter’. How wonderful was that?
But all this interview talk happened much later. There was a Book Talk that kicked the evening off. My publisher spoke first. What I loved about her speech was that she barely looked at the audience. She spoke directly to me as I sat in the front row. She smiled, genuinely happy for what we had accomplished together while she praised my concept and me. I honestly felt like I was the only person she spoke to while the 400 people behind me simply did not exist. Why did this act move me? I do not know. Maybe because with so many people doing things just for show and tell, here was a woman who genuinely believed in the spirit of my work.
One of the Creative Professionals in my book spoke next. Four things he said I shall never forget. 1. He told 400 people how when I was ten years old I stole a tye and dye shirt of his, which at that point came up to my knees and wore it for MONTHS. :P (the elegance I tried to achieve by wearing fancy clothes and heels just went out the window with that lil anecdote lol). 2. He said that I was different than most students who approached him to help them with their thesis projects. He said he had never enjoyed being asked questions more than he did with me because my questions were “so utterly strange”. At that point I think I had burst out laughing (god help how I looked on TV :P). and 3. He openly admitted how he hated being called a “creative” and that it made him feel like a tetra pack (mik carton) lol. From then on everytime he wanted to use the term “creative’s” he said tetra pack instead. :P and finally 4. He said when he first saw the cover image…which was a hand holding a cactus, he had never before seen such an apt cover for a book. That all ‘tetra packs’ were cacti indeed because they can grow anywhere and live under the harshest conditions…and continue to survive.
Finally, my turn came. Dazed by H.Z’s speech I forgot everything I meant to say. I even forgot to look at my sheet of paper that had my entire speech nicely typed out on it. Not to mention I stood tip toe just so I could reach the mike. (there goes the remaining elegance out that window). Whatever I said though, like I mentioned earlier, seemed to work and I had several (both biased and unbiased) people come to me and tell me it was great ☺
Now that you know how the evening went, I’ll move on to the reactions I have been dying to write about. This is getting to be a long post, but hey, this needs to be documented. To appreciate what I am about to tell you I need to dive a lil into history. I never talk so much about my professional life with my friends from grade school. Mainly because they are all either bankers or doctors. Nobody chose the creative field so whenever we meet up (which is very often) and they ask “so what are you working on these days” both of us are satisfied with my standard answer which is always, “oh…stuff.” It’s been this way for a while. God forbid if I elaborate, usually they start making fun of me. ( yes yes laugh at the artist) ;) So when I invited all of them to the book launch I didn’t quite know how to explain what kind of a book was being launched. I just said “come and see”. They came and saw… and I think… were stumped :P
So kAy did not lead such a chill and “faarigh” life afterall ;) it was a great feeling knowing that never again (possibly) will what I do be looked down upon (even as a joke!) ☺
Which brings me to my college friends. The ones who saw this book in it thesis state last, most of whom I have possibly seen only once or twice since we graduated nearly 3 years ago. To my utter surprise, nearly all of the ones I had invited showed up (3 couldn’t come but 10 did ☺). I was incredibly touched that despite not being in the best of touch with them, they came to support me. It made me ecstatic.
Aside from being a nearly perfect night, the thing that left it incomplete was the fact that my grandparents missed the event. I will not wallow over the situation here. I have sufficiently expressed my anger in other places. My grandfather however told me not to be upset about it. He told me today that he had skipped his nap just because he was hooked on reading my book from cover to cover, and that he was so proud of having another ‘author’ in the family (even though I did not really write the book since its in first person entirely).

I have so much more to write about… but in another post on another day.
Right now, all I can say is thank you Allah Mian, I never forget for a moment that You are behind all these blessings.

Cheers all!