Honouring a woman who believed in freedom for all

Friends and family gather at T2F to celebrate Sabeen Mahmud’s birthday

Karachi

Last year, two months after Sabeen Mahmud was shot, The Second Floor (T2f) was trying to get back on its feet on her birthday with a Qawali night. A year forward, the space having shrugged all signs of uncertainty and silence was thronged by her devotees celebrating her day, on Monday.

With a board full of publications for Sabeen behind them, the attendees took turns to remember the resilient woman through their poems anecdotes. However, her heartbreaking demise was hard to forget even on her birthday for lives of many were changed that day.

Considering Sabeen’s love for Faiz Ahmed Faiz’ poetry many resorted to the great poet to tell about Sabeen.

Reminiscing of his introduction to Faiz’ work, one devotee shared how he was busy drinking his coffee one day when Sabeen seemed visibly upset about the youth’s ignorance towards Urdu poetry.

“She asked me if I had read Faiz and I said just a bit. She then handed me his collection and I asked her to guide me through when she said ‘It’s Faiz, just start from anywhere’.”

As he began to go through the book from the middle, he came across ‘Kuch Ishq Kiya, Kuch Kaam Kiya’ which he recited in Sabeen’s honour.

Another attendee, Nirdosh, sang Faiz’s ever popular poem ‘Aaj Bazaar Main’ which turned the mood of the event quite sombre as all those who followed recited their own poems mourning the loss of Sabeen.

Asad Alvi read out his poem about how poets complain about autumn being gloomy and glum, but given that Sabeen was shot in the celebrated season of spring did not matter, for the pain and darkness was exactly as that of autumn. One of the attendees dedicated his piece to Sabeen’s mother, Mehnaz Mahmood to tell her that she need not grieve her daughter’s death for she was immortal.

But at this point, Mahnaz told everyone to share funny stories about Sabeen instead of the grim ones and Sabeen’s old friend Mohsin Sayeed was called on to do so.

Speaking about her being an impassioned lover, Mohsin recalled how they would argue for he was a cynic because Sabeen heartily believed in love. “She was in love with the idea of being in love.”

Sayeed also recollected the time when Sabeen got a moped and rode him and Marvi on the streets of the city as the cool breeze caressed their faces.

Referring to the earlier poem of Faiz about love and work, Sayeed lauded Sabeen for being someone who not only did both simultaneously but did them exceedingly well.

The gathering, scented with Motia flower ended with Alvi reciting his grandmother’s poem about liberation and how T2F played a huge role in paving way for freedom.