Those who return to Dhaka for Eid
Crossing off every day of the Ramadan calendar draws the joy of Eid nearer. And what makes the festival even more exciting is being finally able to return home to our loved ones to celebrate this joyous occasion.
As most people head outside Dhaka in overbooked trains and buses, navigating their way through deadly traffic, there are also people taking the opposite route and coming to Dhaka to celebrate Eid -- a city they call home.
Although most people living away from their families usually end up making a home away from home and creating bonds as strong as the familial ones, there is quite nothing like being able to return home -- to the comfort of our bedroom, to the delicious taste of home-cooked food, and to finally be able to shop for oneself and loved ones.
Students and job holders living outside Dhaka get their fair share of independence to live as they will and create a lifestyle as they wish, but this independence comes at a cost, that of missing family members back home.
And this yearning can hit at any point in time. Nostalgia can hit you in a packed room joyously laughing with friends, or even on tiresome work days when you return home to an empty house and iftar table with barely any energy left to cook food.
"After spending a year and a half outside the comfort of my house, I realised what I took for basic necessities are actually things that made me privileged. Being able to go home to the relish of iftar prepared by mum and having it with the family is a privilege, and we realise it too late," remarked Najmus Sakeeb, employee at a private company.
Even for Tusher, a student at Chittagong University, who enjoys his best life with friends on his campus, nothing hits like going home. "Before, I wouldn't be so excited about Eid, but since I've moved out for studying, this is one occasion I look most forward to. I can't wait to go back home and receive that influx of extra care and pampering from my family!" he exclaimed.
And for people living abroad, it's a different story altogether! "Although the streets here are wider and safer, my heart yearns to walk on the lanes we played in during Eid. I save up all my leaves for Eid so that I can fly back home and not miss out on the fun. Now, more than ever, I finally relate to the song 'Shopno Jabe Bari'," remarked Eliza, who moved to Australia five years ago.
But not everyone can fly back home; returning to Dhaka is a struggle on its own. If bus and train tickets are not bought early, people often resort to anything available at the last minute, from uncomfortably hanging inside buses to sitting openly above a train! Although tickets mostly sell out when we look for them, you magically seem to find them available on-spot at half the price if you just go to the bus station!
The joy of coming back to Dhaka for Eid is unmatched by any other. We rarely get to taste this feeling of euphoria, and returning home for Eid is one of those occasions. And what better time to enjoy the empty streets of Dhaka?
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