Haw, hai, what’s happened to London? Every other day, there’s one attack or the other. First there was that West Minister incidence, then Manchester bomb. Okay, baba, it’s not London but I think so it’s nearby, like Gujranwala to us in Lahore. And then this attack on London Bridge.
I said to Janoo: ‘Do you think it’s safe to go this summers? I mean, what if we get runned over by a fundo in a car? Or stabbed while having dim sung in a restaurant?’ ‘Are you serious?’ he asked, his eyebrows shooting up to the ceiling. ‘Kyoon bhai, why can’t I be serious? Only NGO types in hand loom and gray pony tails can be serious?’ ‘Because you live in this terror racked country where more than 50,000 have been killed over the last twenty years.’
‘Hmm,’ I said, ‘but it seems different when it’s London or Paris.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because they’re holiday destinations. It’s where we go to shop and relax and enjoy. And get away from bums’. ‘Yes, but to the people who live there, they’re not holiday destinations.’
‘Theek hai, vaisay. People are living there also. I mean, look at Mouse she’s been there for almost three months now and Abinta and Zaheer tau have been there for years and Muddassar and Saira and Fifi vaghera. So I think so it will be quite safe for me also. Because you know I never go anywhere near West Minister. And London Bridge tau I haven’t seen since I was six and then also I only saw it in my Mother Goose ki nursery rhyme book. London Bridge, I remember, was on backside of Humpty Dumpty. So, really, all I have to do is stick around my usual Knightsbridge and Oxford Street and everything will be fine inshallah. Only problem is that one of the stabbers in London turned out to be of Pakistani subtraction. I hope so goras don’t go and cancel our visas now. Honestly, least that attacker could have done was to think of all of us waiting in the cue outside the Isloo High Commission. So selfish vaisay… ’
I said to Janoo: ‘Do you think it’s safe to go this summers? I mean, what if we get runned over by a fundo in a car? Or stabbed while having dim sung in a restaurant?’ ‘Are you serious?’ he asked, his eyebrows shooting up to the ceiling. ‘Kyoon bhai, why can’t I be serious? Only NGO types in hand loom and gray pony tails can be serious?’ ‘Because you live in this terror racked country where more than 50,000 have been killed over the last twenty years.’
‘Hmm,’ I said, ‘but it seems different when it’s London or Paris.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because they’re holiday destinations. It’s where we go to shop and relax and enjoy. And get away from bums’. ‘Yes, but to the people who live there, they’re not holiday destinations.’
‘Theek hai, vaisay. People are living there also. I mean, look at Mouse she’s been there for almost three months now and Abinta and Zaheer tau have been there for years and Muddassar and Saira and Fifi vaghera. So I think so it will be quite safe for me also. Because you know I never go anywhere near West Minister. And London Bridge tau I haven’t seen since I was six and then also I only saw it in my Mother Goose ki nursery rhyme book. London Bridge, I remember, was on backside of Humpty Dumpty. So, really, all I have to do is stick around my usual Knightsbridge and Oxford Street and everything will be fine inshallah. Only problem is that one of the stabbers in London turned out to be of Pakistani subtraction. I hope so goras don’t go and cancel our visas now. Honestly, least that attacker could have done was to think of all of us waiting in the cue outside the Isloo High Commission. So selfish vaisay… ’