The year was 1994. One fine morning at about 11 am we, the entire family, landed at Nampally Railway station from Tirupati. We wanted to catch train the next day for Aurangabad, which leaves from Secunderabad. So I decided to stay at a well-known hotel at Secunderabad which is my favourite since ages.
When we crossed Tank Bund and started passing through Rashtrapati Road (for me its King’s Avenue), I noticed that all the shops were closed. I was surprised. So asked the rikshaw driver, who was a young lad in his 20’s as to what is the matter. He replied ‘kal Eid hain’.
I was surprised, because I too am is a pucca Aurangabadi at heart and I knew that there was no Eid nearby. So asked him ‘kaisi Eid hazrat?’ He said ‘aaj roja hain aur kal Eid hain’. He was cool while answering.
I realised that there must be something. I started thinking. And then, I suddenly realised that the next day was ‘Mahashivratri’ and hence on that day there was fasting! To conform, I asked him ‘Miyaan, kal Mahashivratri ki Eid hain na?’ He replied, in his typical Hyderabadi accent, ‘ji hauw’!
That’s called Hyderabadi Tehjeeb! I was very fortunate that I grew up at Aurangabad in the same Tehjeeb. Aamen!
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