Trends change anywhere, according to the sense of feeling; sometimes within the cities, and sometimes even within the premises of educational institutions
JUST as spring cannot be far behind when winter comes, so one trend gives way to another. This is how nature works. It changes colour, shape, aroma and becomes transformed. It changes itself into something more useful, vital, available and appealing. Lahore is an ever-changing, ever-appealing fertile ground for a wide variety of emerging trends.
Let us admit that trends have no eyes and no ears. They change anywhere, according to the sense of feeling, sometimes within the thin boundaries of the cities and sometimes within educational premises.
I still recall what my uncle used to tell me about the kind of bonds that existed between gentlemen and the members of the fair sex in the good old times. The gentlemen prayed to move, and yet they were like the Northern Star. Perhaps they believed in miracles for the trend then advocated reservation, and it often led one to seek refuge in the ever-soothing myth of meetha phal which, in their case, turned out to be their better half.
Having thus acknowledged that Lahoris and trends are two sides of the same coin, I must say that young people have always been the lifeblood of these emerging trends — be it food, clothing, games, clubs, cars, mobile phones, friends, boyfriends or girlfriends.
A glimpse of college life showers visions of beautiful couples sitting snug on the stairs of colleges sharing jokes, preparing for exams or planning to go out to the latest cafe. Only, this time it is no Grecian tale, but a slice of Lahori life.
I visit colleges frequently, primarily for my own reasons, only to be welcomed by the beautiful shades of the giant trees that accommodate those who know the worth of bonds that we weave in our lives. And then as I turn left and right, everywhere I see young birds telling never-ending tales of their summers. They, like elves, spread an ever-reaching fragrance of connection everywhere. I go to another college, and to another, and the song is heard by emperor and clown alike.
Of one of the pairs devouring never-ending affections, I dared to ask the simplest question: “Are you friends?”
“Obviously!” replied the girl with a gaze that reflected my rudeness. “I came here about three months ago, and I was lucky to find him as a friend whom I could tell all that I have ever wanted to. He appreciates me and understands my problems. It will make my college experience all the more beautiful.”
I went to Asma and Ahmad and asked them the same question. They are a beautiful couple who had been talking to each other for the last nine months. “We live in a free country, democratic to be more precise. We are individuals. We have the right to have opinions, form choices, live our lives the way we like. Life is not about enduring but living gracefully and with lots of friends. Ahmad is one such friend who makes my day. He is very well-mannered and far-sighted. He understands me like my own kin.”
Only then did I realize that man is a social animal, and that I was getting old (I am in my late 20s). What is more, this need to form close associations is a new and conspicuous trend here in Lahore. Boys meet girls in colleges, they form friendships as easily as leaves come to a tree, they admire each other and never can you find such cordial atmosphere and such ease within the institutions as in Lahore. And just as a swallow does not make a summer, so there are swallows feeding themselves at many fast-food outlets.
What is still more surprising is the sense of responsibility felt by the students in making relationships. Uzma, 21, and a student of M.A. at a university believes that she and her friends know what it means to be friends. She requests all youngsters to differentiate between infatuation, acquaintance and friendship. “We must know that we have to be responsible citizens, capable of living our life. We need each other. Womankind is equal to Mankind. We need to share and to express our likes and dislikes. We need to get together. All one needs to know is to save oneself from perversion of values.”
Teachers feel that this trend has severed the teacher-student involvement, but one must not resist the cupidity of the young. A seasoned professor at a college in Lahore, with his grey moustache and fixed eyes, smiles and says, “I have seen 20 summers in this city, and have been teaching at various institutions. I go to other cities, too, but there is something peculiar about the students in Lahore. They have learned to respect the worth of forming respectable relationship at a very young age, though at the cost of teachers. Let me explain. Students have no fear of teachers that existed about 10 years ago. It does not mean that they don’t respect us. Rather, their respect is now unconditional. And one should see it as an evolution, a growth that promises responsibility and the will to accept challenges.”
So this time when you hang out in Lahore, don’t forget to listen to the birds that make the metropolis ever so sweet with unheard melodies.
You can muffle the drum; you can loosen the strings of a lyre. But who will command the skylark not to sing. — Kahlil Jibran.
Trends change anywhere, according to the sense of feeling; sometimes within the cities, and sometimes even within the premises of educational institutions 
