Longings of Life

E id-ul-Adha concluded recently. Eid-ul-Adha has always been a period [not just a day] of rejoice and enjoyment for us since our childhood days. This Eid-ul-Adha was a specific instance for retrospection on various aspects of the occasion. I remember my school days when we used to live in Gaya. After waiting for months we got to feel the essence of Eid-ul-Adha approaching, when we got to see numerous vendors of male goats [ khassi ] daunting down the road in front of our house. We eyed each male goat with ravenousness, imagining how the animal might finally end up at our home and how we would have a festive time! We were not very lucky to have an animal ending up at our home frequently, though. However, when one did eventually end up, it was seen as a massive opportunity and challenge for us children to ensure that we fed and cared for our khassi with all the zest and fervency. Eid-ul-Adha was a special occasion for us for one more reason; a time of reunion with our cousins who stayed