Over the past few days, life has been busy. A few days ago, I went with family to see Shoaib Mansur’s new feature film Bol, and I spent time at Koel to meet with the young founders of a grassroots group, D.U.C.K, who initiate social service projects around the city.
Today, a friend and I make a trek to Khujoor Bazaar, located in old Karachi. At the main entrance of the open bazaar are carts piled high with dates (the bazaar is named after dates, for which the space is renowned). According to one of the men selling the dates, the ones in the market right now are mostly from Iran and Iraq. In a few weeks, he informs me, there will more dates from different parts of Pakistan.
Further into the bazaar are shops filled with stainless steel plates, cups, trays etc., stores with cloth, costume jewelry, and others with spices. Visiting Khujoor bazaar is one of my rituals in Karachi. Today, the bazaar sounds are drowned by the sound of electric generators. There hasn’t been electricity for a few hours and no one can predict when the load-shedding will end and when the next one will begin, informs a shopkeeper.