Like many Muslims around the world, a typical Eid for Saad and I consists of morning prayers at the masjid, brunch at our parents' place (my mama’s speciality is halwa puri), followed by an afternoon of house-hopping to visit friends and family. However, when there’s a raging virus in the air, all of these indoor activities in confined spaces are health hazards. So what is one to do? The default option is to resort to Zoom. The creative option is to think outside of the screen. 

Ramadan 2020 is not going to be like any Ramadan in my memory. The global spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has ushered in the era of social distancing, which means places of worship are closed and large gatherings are forbidden. This Ramadan, nights of taraweeh in congregation at the mosque will be replaced with solitary prayers at home. Weekends when I would have dressed up in glamorous Pakistani shalwar kurtas like Princess Jasmine to attend iftar parties will instead be spent in mismatched pajamas cooking and cleaning like Cinderella (before she became royalty). And plans to stick to a strictly healthy diet are probably going out the window because deep fried food like samosas and egg rolls will be a much-needed comfort during this uncertain climate. 

It’s that special time of year again. The time of year when we Muslims empty our stomachs to feed our soul. The time of year when the devil is locked away and the gates of heaven are flung wide open. The time of year when the smell of deep fried desi goodness, like samosas and egg rolls, wafts through my clothes my condo around sunset everyday.