The First "Roza" (fasting)

It was Ramadan and I was going to keep my first “roza” along with my cousins. We were all excited. I had kept “half rozas” in the previous year, but that wasn’t the same as fasting a full day. I had woken up with my parents for “suhoor,” the pre-dawn meal, but my fast lasted only a few hours.

So when my mother came to wake me up for suhoor I got out of bed right away. At the dinner table, I saw my cousins, we were all a little sleepy but happy. The dinner table was already laid out with parathas, kheema, shami kebab, yogurt, and eggs. I didn’t feel like eating anything but my mother and aunt kept telling us to finish all the food on our plates. We were told how important it was to drink a lot of water.

The grown-ups finished their meal early so they could have a cup of chai or a “paan” before the time for suhoor ended. After Fajr prayers instead of going to sleep, we played in the backyard because by now we were wide awake.

I wasn’t hungry or thirsty during the morning. I remember thinking fasting wasn’t that difficult after all, but by the afternoon I felt tired. My parents noticed I wasn’t that energetic anymore and called me to come and rest or try and sleep for a little while.

The hardest part of the day for me was the wait before “Iftar,” the breaking of the fast. I looked forward to our “roza rakhai,” the celebration for children who keep their first roza. Family and friends would be arriving soon for Iftar, with gifts and garlands of flowers for us.

We changed into new clothes and waited for the guests. My mother and aunt were busy setting up the table with dates, samosas, dahi baray, bhajiye, fruit, and fresh lemonade. As soon as we heard the Maghrib azan we went to the iftar table. My uncle told us to break our fast with a date before eating anything else.

Now I see my grandchildren keeping their first roza. Not much has changed since I fasted for the first time. I see my children around the suhoor table making sure their children are eating well at suhoor and drinking enough water. We have healthier food options because we are all conscious of our diets now. And we use our cell phones to keep a track of suhoor and iftar time.