The old man was performing his ablution near an almost frozen tap at a Sufi Dargah near Tangmarg, Kashmir. He visited Kashmir for the first time to meet some friends in the city of Srinagar, one of them had recommended him this 300 years old shrine. He had read about Payamuddin Reshi, better known as… continue reading
The Immigration staff at Shah Jalal Airport noticed the distinguished looking old man had everything in order. His visa, his stay booking in Dhaka, his invitation letter from the large business conglomerate mentioning his topic of consultation ‘leading an uncomplicated life at workplace.’ This got him intrigued to ask a question involving the topic. Nasruddin… continue reading
Nasruddin opened his email on phone, the invitation read “Interfaith Dialogue Conclave.” The email also carried a Qatar Airways return e-ticket and a hotel booking voucher as attachments. Nasruddin sighed and smiled in amusement, his keynote speech was on Religious tolerance and the rejection of religious intolerance. Nasruddin boarded his flight from the stunning new… continue reading
Nasruddin was taking a stroll in the streets of Konya. A few hundred meters from the Mevlana Muzesi, he spotted a neat row of dead telephone booths. He picked up a receiver gingerly to his ear, a strain of nay (an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Middle Eastern music) filled his ear. Curious, a passer-by picked… continue reading
It was a smooth touchdown in Kuwait. After a brief wait, he boarded a flight to Delhi. Nasruddin was standing in the boarding queue, a burly man from the airport security team was having an intimate chat with a lissome ground staff. The security guy was from Swat valley, and the girl was from Chennai…. continue reading
A street cat approached him for some food. He bought a pack of biscuits from a nearby store and started feeding the cat. Cats are everywhere in the streets of Istanbul. The cat finished the entire packet of cream biscuit. He smiled remembering an incident a week back, when his wife had told her the… continue reading
The security staff at Konya airport looked at him in surprise, he has seen his caricature somewhere for sure. He couldn’t recollect. He checked the Turkish Airline boarding pass again, the elderly gentleman’s name read Nasredin Hodja. He stamped the pass & handed it over to him. The old man flashed his perfect white teeth… continue reading
I had met Farid Ayaz Saab in 2012, while gatecrashing in a private concert hosted by an MD of a large private sector bank in Lutyens, Mehrauli with a promise to the event managers that I was least bit interested in the free food & liquor, only wanted to listen to Farid saab live. He… continue reading
