Living in Peshawar has many drawbacks, for instance there is no traffic system. Most of the people you meet are Pathans ( Please note that I am not a Pathan Basher, but there are only so much Pathans-are- gay jokes to keep things interesting). Bomb blasts get less news coverage than Saima’s wedding. Rockets can start raining from the skies anytime — and oh did I mention fathers here have an uncanny knack for making life even more miserable than it usually is! ( Its not Impossible! :p )
I get up late these days, around 11 usually (Semester Break). The rest of the day i spend running errands for my mom, getting things fixed, tending to the Lawn; That kinda stuff. Around 8, like every self respecting member of the male species, I get in my car and go for a drive around the city with my friends. We usually end up drinking Qehwa at Kissa Khwaani bazaar and returning home around 10. We talk on current affairs(read “the most recent bomb blast”), exchange news, make fun of our class fellows , laugh and generally look extremely stupid and high on something straight from the pineapple express. ( Hilarious movie, do watch if u haven’t already). So basically those two hours are the highlights of our day. Something that we really look forward to, or at least I do!
Today, when I came back. Mom told me to call dad, he wanted to talk. Now years of carefully observing my dad has taught me one thing; these talks rarely end up beneficially for me! true to form, when I called. He first quoted a kidnap incident in the area we live in, than mentioned the rocket aatishbaazi show last night and after thoroughly harassing me, he came to the point. I will not be going on my Qehwa trips anymore. It would be a bit drama queen-ish if i say that it felt like some one threw me in a never ending spiral of hellfire 
— but hey, it stung! I tried to reason with dad but he was in a bad mood, so i let it drop. But that certainly won’t be the end of it. I’ll be damned if i let some sad-jahil-homo-suicide bomber or rocket thrower stop my only two hours of complete freedom. I know my dad, if he is in a good enough mood he usually goes along with whatever i do. Persuading mom would be difficult, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it was her idea all along but what the hell. I’ll Play the “only son” card, at moments of extreme need, it usually does the trick! 
Wish me luck! 
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It must be fun staying in a place where there are no traffic lights. I had visited Kathmandu long time back, there were no traffic lights in that city then and I loved it. In Delhi the most irritating part while driving used to be the traffic lights, things have really improved over the last few years and the main road ( we call it ring road) connecting the whole of Delhi is virtually free from traffic lights.
Pathans are very good looking at least this is what I know about them. The impression I get from different sources is that they are not many women visible on the streets of Peshawar. Is it true ? What kind of food is available in Peshawar? The Peshawari naan we get here in Delhi is very good.
Now Now we are not barbarians! we do have traffic lights at 2 or 3 places in a city of almost 4 million people!
Driving in Peshawar is like playing rugby. You have to fight for every inch and people like hitting you from behind! 
And yes Pathans are a very good looking people, straightforward and honest but hot headed. Women these days go freely wherever they want, but most are traditionally dressed i.e they either wear a veil or a very big chaddar . otherwise it is quite common these days to see a female dressed in a kurta and jeans.
And as far as food is concerned, Peshawar is heaven for meat lovers. Chapli Kabab, Salt Tikka, Karahi Gosht, seekh kabab, Shinwari Gosht (Mutton cooked with onions and salt in fat). The food is a bit on the heavier side but the taste and quality are undisputed. And at home we cook the same stuff thats cooked all over the sub continent!
Good luck!
thanks
and welcome to the blog!
Oh well! Your post beautifully sums up the current situation and yes, I’d also advise you to be careful. I don’t care about “rocket atishbazi” or bomb blasts… the most worrying thing is kidnapping
Moms and dads are always protective and Pesh sucks and it’s borrrrrrrrring
God help us!
Iam grateful for your concern Ayesha, But what avenues of release do we have left in Peshawar these days? Slowly and gradually, everything is being taken away from us. And it is really frustrating. we have to draw a line somewhere. K BASS, we wont back down anymore! and well i’ve drawn that line.
but of course i wont throw all caution to the wing, and will keep in mind what you said!