A serenade to devotion
By Shanaz Ramzi
Those living on or off Zamzama Boulevard or in Phase V, Defence
Authority, Karachi,
will tell you ‘It’s that time of the year again!’ and there won’t be one
resident of these areas who will not know what the person is talking about.
Come end of August and one begins to wait with bated breath
for it to happen – all wondering ‘will he or won’t he’? And then a sigh of
relief – as one sees the now familiar banners all over the streets, unabashedly
declaring undying love and devotion for his beloved.
First time we spotted the ‘Love is…’ banners some ten years
ago, I remember most of us had laughed and had thought that it was a vulgar
display of one’s affections. They were colourful square banners with the ‘love
is…’ cartoon characters made on them, each banner saying something soppy – and
at least five different varieties of them. They were restricted not just to the
main boulevard and streets, but followed a set path, going all the way, down
the lanes, presumably right up to the doorway of the recipient of these
overpowering emotions.
The next year, when we saw the same banners displayed again,
we were surprised and even tickled that there had been no letting up in the
intensity of Casanova’s love – for most of us are sure that these could only be
the work of a man. Soon we forgot about them – only to be reminded of the
special day, the following year. We marveled at the perseverance of the man and
began to wonder at the relationship between the two – was he her husband,
father, boyfriend or were they just good friends?
After five years of this continued routine, we began to
derive a certain sense of comfort from the familiar sight of these banners
adorning the streets at the same time every year. If nothing else, it reflected
a certain steadfastness in this person’s affection. The next few years
reinforced this sense of security, particularly in the women of our area – love
can be there to stay after all!
In fact, if anything, his love seems to be growing every
year. Last year, for instance, our Casanova went a step further in his display
of everlasting adoration. He had cute booklets called Book of Love
especially printed and deposited in the mail boxes of some of the residents of
the area – probably of those residing in the immediate vicinity of his
beloved’s house.
And this year he has had special red envelopes printed,
revealing the birth date – at least one mystery has been solved! – August 29,
stating ‘On this special day…’ with a teddy bear printed on it in white. Inside
are two stickers displaying the same teddy-bear on them with the saying ‘I’ll
always be there for you’, and a booklet with cute bear pictures and comments –
such as ‘Even when we don’t see eye to eye, we’re always heart to heart’ and
‘Always on my mind, forever in my heart’!
It also has a poem entitled Secrets of my heart – which seems to
have been written by our mystery man, but the enigma of his identity is all the
more magnified after reading the poem. The banners are different too – instead
of the usual ‘love is…’ ones, they have a teddy bear made on them with same
saying on all of them ‘Everything that is important to me I find in you’.
Many are of the opinion that the object of this devoted love
is a child – that it is not possible for anyone, no matter how crazed, to
shower one so openly with affection in a conservative society such as ours.
Many cynics are of the opinion that he is a crackpot who has an extremely
flamboyant way expressing his feelings, while some feel that he has too much
money to squander and it is just a big joke. Maybe so, but one must grant the
man credit for his perseverance and commitment.
Having toyed with the idea of writing about these banners
for the past few years, the only reason for not getting down to doing it
earlier was the conviction that it was a passing whim of a deeply infatuated
soul. But time has proved otherwise. And these all too familiar banners seem to
be having a pleasing effect on many of the residents of the area. One can’t
help but feel that the joy of all those who have read these banners over the
years deserves to be shared with others too – particularly in this tenth year
of celebration.
I know one thing is for sure – the banners stay almost up
till my birthday and come pretty close to the street where I live – so I get a
kick out of them every year – probably as much as the actual recipient of these
favours!
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