Deserted outside, bustling inside

It's Eid and Lahore has shut shop - empty roads, hardly anyone to ask for directions, and no foreign exchange. The Pakistan team hadn’t practised for the last two days; the Indians did so in a largely funereal atmosphere. Coming from a land where most occassions are heralded by loudness and bombast, it was a stark contrast. Having rarely stayed at home on holidays – either bursting crackers or joining the Ganpathy processions - it was a different feeling.

Indoors, though, is the place to be. The aroma of the biryani impinges on you the moment you enter and there is an unmistakable sense of something different – the spotless attires, the exaggerated 'Eid Mubarak', the overt embraces, the joyous chit-chatting ... The gulab jamoons tasted that much richer; the portions appeared that much bigger. And as if one hadn't been overwhelmed already, the hospitality was that much warmer.