In my native place , Shahjahanpur , Muslim Khaandaans are into paan culture big time
Even now , although colas have replaced sherbats and biscuits have replaced home made snacks , paan and chaai have no alternatives
Paandaan , khaasdaan and giloris have been around for as far back as I can remember
In Tata residential colonies too , where we used to stay , I remember these things were part of our home
When my father went to Iran on a TCS project , we used to visit him there in our summer holidays
And Mummy being a paan addict would carry all the ingredients and a good fat bundle of fresh green paans hoping them to last through the holidays
Sometimes her supply would run out and then she would make use of any damn edible leaf !!!
My father , though not an addict , enjoyed one proper gilori after lunch
As I am writing , so many images from an era gone by are popping up longingly in front of my eyes ...
My naani making the giloris for my nanaa's guests , placing them in a silver tray and sending them to my Nana's sitting area downstairs
My sister's mother-in-law cutting the betelnut in fine and tiny bits with amazing precision , and kabaab khaaeiN naa khaaeiN , for us paan is a must eat at her place
Paan koi bhi haq samajh kar maaNg leta tha , be it anyone , I remember this line "Bibi paan khilaao naa" often at my Daadi's place
As far as I can remember Paan was a must in every Muslim household in Shahjahanpur
Giving a paandaan and khaasdaan to the daughter when she got married was as important as gifting the sewing machine 😊😊😊
But my parents didn't give me paandaan
My in-laws and husband were no paan fans
So no one missed a paandaan ever
A little over a decade after my marriage , Hatchya Begum was shifting to Kanpur from Allahabad
She gifted me her paandaan ( that you see in the pics ) adding a heart touching line :
" Hamaarey zamaaney meiN betiyoN ko jahez meiN paandaan diya jataa tha ... Tum ko nahi mila tha ... To ye tum rakh lo "
Heart warming and goose bumpy memories stroll along as you take your life's journey ... bringing sometimes a smile ... sometimes a tear 💝
Some reason ... Honestly no reason ... I gifted Hatchya Begum's Paandaan to my Mom , who had been using my Daadi's paandaan till then ... !!!!!!
And now after my parents passed away this paandaan has come back to me and is kept in my living room along with my Dada's paanoN ki dibiya ( a small box of brass in which my Dada used to carry his paans when he went to court )
Till my parents lived I could always have a paan any time I wanted
Khaair jahaaN bhi haiN 28th Feb ko khushi-khushi celebrate kariye ga
I miss paans a lot specially after a sumptuous dinner 😊
Happy Anniversary my dear - darling Parents
May your souls be blessed
💖💖💖
And may our children happily live the lives that we dream for them
😊😊😊
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