ALKHOBAR, 15 November 2004 — This Eid is very special for 85-year-old Indian mother Sughra and her 66-year-old Pakistani daughter Razia. They met for the first time after 21 years and are celebrating Eid together after 45 years!

“I am grateful to be in Saudi Arabia which made it possible for us to meet.” said Razia emotionally. “I felt like I got a new life when I laid eyes on my daughter after 21 years,” Sughra said. Both women are visiting their respective sons, who work in Khobar.

“When my mother saw me she said, ‘Oh you have grown old, your beautiful eyes have sunken in’. She forgot that I was now 66 years old. She also scolded me for eating too much paan and for not wearing longer sleeves. I enjoyed this maternal spate after so many years.” Razia told Arab News.

Sughra said she was quite impressed with her daughter Razia for raising ten children on her own, “Her language has changed, become more Pakistani. Her clothes and her lifestyle too reflect Pakistan.”

Razia was married off to her Pakistani cousin after she passed her matriculation exam in 1958. She moved from Maharashtra to Karachi. In time she had ten children and was unable to visit her mother earlier because of visa problems between India and Pakistan. Also, because she could not afford it. “My husband worked for Karachi Development Authority (KDA),” she said.

Sughra is very patriotic about India and taking after her mom, Razia is a die-hard Pakistani. Both mother and daughter argue about that. “I don’t believe that Pakistan should have been created. Today we would have lived in better harmony.” says Sughra. Razia is very happy that Pakistan was made. “We should have better relations between the two countries. A lot is said in newspapers about how easy it is to get a visa, but in reality it’s quite difficult,” she said.

Both mother and daughter have already exchanged their Eid presents. Sughra bought gold earrings and clothes for her daughter and also bought her some bangles.

Razia bought her mother some fancy Pakistani sarees, shawls and kurtas but her mother accepted only the kurtas as she only wears cotton now.

“Besides, I think Indian sarees are better.” Sughra whispered to me.

Both mother and daughter leave Saudi Arabia for their respective countries after Eid. “If I had known I would practically lose my daughter, I would never have married her off in Pakistan.” Sughra said, “Separation from my family, my brothers and sisters was a pain that made me cry for years. Imagine, I left my sister at age one, and saw her again at age 21. For everyone’s sake, I hope the Indo-Pakistan relations improve. We love each other, why can’t the politicians?” Razia added emotionally.

Both mother and daughter are cricket fans and watched the Indo-Pak match on Saturday and no prize for guessing who was rooting for whom.