Visiting Musazai Shareef after 30 years

Visiting to my native town Musazai Shareef after 30 years

My dad is very found of traveling, when we were young, we used to travel across the country twice a year by road, in the summer and winter vacations.

We are 5 siblings in total, 4 sisters and one brother. I'm the eldest and brother is 13 years younger to me, in between there are 3 sisters.

Those were great days 🫠

Every year we used to visit our village too.

But after my marriage I never visited in 20 years, even after my divorce didn't get time to go there, but always wanted to, so last year December got an invitation from my father's cousin for his Son's wedding.

I made up my mind that I will definitely go. One of my aunts from Karachi was also planning, so we both made a plan together.

She flew from Karachi to Islamabad, rested for a day and then we traveled together by bus to Dera Ismail Khan.

Mussazai is a small town and a union council of Dera Ismail Khan in KPK.

It is located 65 km southwest of Dera Ismail Khan near Daraban.

Famous crops are barley, dates and lentils.

Musazai is named after most powerful of Miankhel tribes.

It is famous for Naqshbandiya Ahmadiya Saeediya monastery, which was founded by Khawaja Dost Mohammed Kandhari.

A part from Miankhel other tribes also lives there, like
-Kheshgi
-Akhundzadah
-Durrani Achakzai
-Faqir Sheikhs and
-Machhankhel Sheikh

We are from Machhankhel Sheikh tribe.

We need to dress modestly.

Because of so many guests came from different sides of country, house helps were busy making rotis (flat bread) day and night
100 parathas for breakfast, 100 rotis for lunch and more then 100 in the evening.

My great great grandfather, came from Afghanistan and settled his business in Iran and Pakistan, but my great grandfather decided to get settled in Musazai.

My family has a very versatile history, soon will share.

So come to the best part, we got a ticket of Daewoo bus service, our bus timing was 9 am, so we reached around 8:30 am at the bus terminal.

It was a 4 hours journey (including stops) from Islamabad.

So around 1pm we reached to Dera Ismail Khan, from there we have to travel more about 40 to 45 minutes to Musazai.

One of my father's cousins was waiting for us there to take us in her car.

One thing I need to share, although my whole life is spent in big cities but I love my roots, so I was very happy/excited.

Feeling butterflies in stomach, childhood memories flooting in mind, in this complete journey and stay.

I almost met everyone and visited all my relatives houses.

Weddings here is very different from cities. We reached a day ahead of the wedding.

It's a custom that family women personally go to each house in the town to invite them for the wedding (no wedding cards).

So we all women got ready and started visiting by walk knocking at each and every house. It took us a whole day. We returned in the evening tired but enjoyed a lot 😍
(Women who participated in this activity, then grooms' mother gift them too).

So I got a beautiful hand embroidered kameez shalwar suit.

It's a must to call a dhol (musical instrument) playing group they play dhol and sing songs for the wholetimw for 3 days of the wedding.

We Pathans love dancing on any happy occasion.

Oh I forgot to tell you that men are not allowed in womens' section 😔.

So there is a complete separatr men area in every house in the town, where women are not allowed 😏.

In old times my dad told me even groom was not allowed to go to bride's room till house is filled with guests 🙆.

Apart from all this, I had a great time, so much dance, had local foods, chitchat with everyone.

I wanted to spend some more time but it was not possible because of work.

So on the 5th day with heavy hearts we again travelled back to Dera Ismail Khan, and took a bus to Islamabad.

I will take my boys there one day InshaAllah to show them my native town 💕.