The pages of the calendar turned, and December appeared in no time. The air was chilly, and an air of excitement permeated the atmosphere. A new tradition of hot cocoa, coffee and soups embraced the entire country. Sweaters, sweatshirts, coats and jackets replaced summer clothes.

After enduring three tiring weeks, students finally received a 10-day winter holiday. The news of the holidays brought joy to the faces of young students who had been busy with exams, temporarily forgetting their worries about the results.

Similarly, my family planned our usual trip to Lahore. As my dad was away from the city due to work, he booked the tickets online. My brother and I eagerly counted down the days until December 21st.

On the day of departure, an unusual silence filled the house as my mum packed our luggage. After several hours, it was time to leave. The sun-kissed trees whispered gently as a soft breeze brushed by. Winter in Karachi was always different. The average temperature ranges from 28° to 13°. However, the average temperature in Lahore ranged from 21° to 9°, which was a disappointment for someone like me.

Finally, we arrived at the station. After finding a suitable place to sit, my mum handed us some samosas. If you ever visit Karachi, never forget to try the delectable treats from some famous bakeries which are exceptionally good.

After another 15 minutes, my aunt and uncle joined us with their children. Soon, the voice of a lady reverberated throughout the station, announcing the arrival of the Karakoram Express. It took another ten minutes until we were comfortably seated. If I remember correctly, we were in compartment E, although now my memory fails me. My relatives were in a different compartment, possibly compartment C?

After enduring an uneventful game of UNO, I munched on some chips. At this moment, I realised the compartment was infested with cockroaches. I despise cockroaches, and when I say I hate them, I mean it from the depths of my heart. I’ve never had pleasant experiences with them back home, so this encounter was entirely new. When I informed my dad, he swiftly crushed one crawling on the window with a roll of tissue paper.

But wait! Cockroaches? Seriously? I wasn’t expecting a business class train to have cockroach-infested compartments. From then on, my dad and uncle engaged in a heated conversation about the poor condition of the railway ministry. Honestly, I found it quite interesting. Well, studying transport and telecommunications does come in handy sometimes.

I never imagined having to sleep amidst a bunch of cockroaches. That’s probably why I remained awake the whole night. My brother, who was sleeping on the upper berth, had slept for a while but woke up too. He kept nudging me with his leg, whispering in a low voice that cockroaches were near my feet (while my parents were sound asleep).

When a cockroach crawled right next to me, I leaped out and climbed down to the berth where my dad was sleeping. He occupied the middle berth. As I settled there, my brother deliberately made a noise to wake him up. Startled, my dad gestured for me to go back to my berth, but I didn’t want to be around the cockroaches again. Soon, my dad woke up for Fajr prayers and I thanked the Almighty.

As we continued our journey, the initial gloominess gave way to a brighter experience when we arrived in Lahore. The vibrant energy of the city, our visits to the historical Fortress, the bustling Emporium Mall, and then going to the beautiful Islamabad contributed to turning my holidays into a delightful adventure. Islamabad, despite its smaller size, holds a special place in my heart due to its captivating scenic beauty. The serene landscapes and well-planned architecture provided a refreshing feel. The holiday turned out to be a perfect blend of exploration, excitement and appreciation for the diverse attractions each city had to offer.

Experiencing the natural environment was refreshing, yet I began to miss my polluted birthplace, Karachi. The 10 days went by really fast, and suddenly it was time to pack up and head back to Karachi. It felt like we had just started our trip and now we were getting ready to leave.

As we packed our things, memories of the fun times we had in Lahore and Islamabad made us a bit nostalgic. It was a short and sweet journey, but lacked the enthusiasm of the trip to Lahore. However, once back in Karachi, it took a great deal of courage to accept the reopening of schools and the start of a new term.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 23rd, 2023