Last minute indulgence before Eid

Rawalpindi women bought matching earrings and bangles, while young men chose the best footwear. Beauty parlours too had rush for that extra bit to brighten up before Eid. Cosmetic shops were jam-packed with women testing the best of make-up brands and the latest perfumes. Henna painting was also high on their list.
Nazia Hasan, the owner of a beauty parlour in Commercial Market Satellite Town said: “I sign up henna artists from makeshift kiosks to satisfy young girls on ‘Chand Raat’. I also employ temporarily some hair-cutting and facials experts, as more and more people queue up at my shop to look their finest on Eid day.”
Ashiq Hussain, the owner of a shop at Saddar selling fancy dresses said: “For us involved in garment business, the mantra is, however, different. We have slashed the prices of clothes to dispose of our Eid-special stock.”
“Because of my hectic timetable, I hardly got time to buy clothes for Eid. I purchased from a shopping outlet but I was not satisfied with the dress. Now, I would buy more clothes after breaking today’s fast,” said Ahsen Ali, a resident of Chaklala Scheme-III.
Shahid Hasan Najafi, a shop owner at Iqbal Road, Committee Chowk said: “The wafting smell of ‘ittar’ draws everybody. The Eid shoppers were keen on buying it. Without applying ‘ittar’ on new clothes, Eid cannot be complete, It is essential during ‘Eid Namaz’.”
“Such was the craze at shopping centres across the city from Saddar to Commercial Market, from Chungi No 22 to Tench Bhata and from Banni to Chungi Stop that men and women thronged bazaars from morning till late in the evening. ‘Chaand Raat’ offered an occasion for great joy, even if it was window shopping,” remarked Aaliya Imam.
“It’s a cheerful time giving us much reason to cheer about. The Eid shopping spree has buoyed up ‘Chaand Raat’ markets, injecting fresh enthusiasm into our business that has been enjoying a flourishing period during Ramazan days,” said Sughra Sadaf, running a boutique on Murree Road.
Turab Naqvi, a general order supplier said: “Much of the shopping restricted itself to garments, footwear, personal use products and jewellery. Whether in the bustling malls of Murree Road or areas like Adyala Road, Lal Kurti, PWD Housing Society, Chaklala Scheme-III, Defence, Bahria Town, Gulistan Road, Saidpur Road, Tench Bhatta, Raja Bazaar, there was an evident rush to make last-minute buys before the moon was sighted for Eid.”
Talibul Moula, another market supplier said: “Men made visited various markets of the city to buy Eid items like shalwar kameez, caps and prayer mats. Readymade dresses were the most sought-after items flying off the shelves. Tailoring shops were equally crowded with women taking last-minute delivery of the ordered costumes.”
Flaunting latest collections salespersons at Chen One, Lime Light, Minnie Minors, Khaadi, Ego, Elegance, Breakout, Warda, Bonanza, Nishat, Taana Baana, Hang Ten, Junaid Jamshed, Aljannat Shopping Mall, Pehchan Mall, the store owners said: “The rush was characteristic of most years, starting with a trickle and going up a few days before Eid to a climax on ‘Chaand Raat’, when most shoppers go into a buying splurge.”
But there is one last item that is in general left for ‘Chaand Raat’ and that is bangle buying. It becomes really impossible to step into the area around the bangle shops. Buying bangles the night before Eid is almost a custom with women and young girls as a last minute indulgence before Eid.