If there is anything we Pakistanis know how to do well, it is to organise big fat weddings. November marks the beginning of the infamous ‘wedding season’ in this part of the world. And the weddings are all about glitz, glamour and extravagance, to say the least.

As marriage is considered an important phase in an adult’s life, it is no surprise that several events are held as a run-up to one’s big day.

However, 2020 has been a unique year. It brought with it the concept of the ‘new normal’. It forced us to learn alternative methods of working, living, enjoying ourselves and, basically, existing. Social distancing and quarantine have been the most used words this year (though, not the most practiced routines). The virus paralysed the entire planet, shut down businesses, distanced loved ones, and life as we know it ceased to exist. Not just that, more than a million lost their lives and many more are to this day fighting the long-term effects of Covid-19.

Nothing could diminish our obsessive interest in all things shaadi (wedding), not even the pandemic. Every time I refresh my Instagram feed, there are at least two wedding updates to be found. The wedding season (currently on) is in full swing, and for once it seems like life may just have not changed at all. If someone had been in hibernation for the past 10 months and suddenly woke up to this situation they would notice virtually no difference.

It is common to see people going to weddings without first getting themselves tested (for Covid, of course) or following any SOPs. 

There has been an average of five to six functions held for one wedding with a long guest list. Even a ‘small’ wedding affair comprises at least a few hundred guests, cramped together in not-so-big a space. You can see people dancing, singing, hugging and mingling together. Masks are an extremely rare sight and if by some miracle you do spot one, it is still not worn properly.

It is common to see people going to weddings without first getting themselves tested (for Covid, of course) or following any SOPs. The pandemic is a joke for them. Looking at members of major political parties of the country doing the same also really does not help the matter much. Why these weddings could not have been postponed will be one of the many mysteries 2020 left behind.

No prizes for guessing that it is the city’s elite that are engaged in such lavish (wedding) affairs, as they are the only ones who can afford extravagance. It’s actually the same for the educated elite also. They have no right to criticise the aam awam who don’t wear masks in a public place.

It’s a shame that these privileged few are being so reckless. The virus does not discriminate. No matter how much wealth one may have, the odds of fighting the virus are nearly the same. There is no expensive treatment that anyone could fly to the West for. It is literally a global crisis.

The writer is a communications manager at a private company. She can be reached at saniyanasir3@gmail.com