The diary game: On the Eve of Eid: A Day Filled with Faith and Preparation

It was a day before Eid, which was anticipated on 20th of March, and for that, a lot of things needed to be done. For the pre-dawn meal, I got up very early in the morning without even hesitating, and even though I had not slept for many hours, I was still able to wake up just because of the enthusiasm and curiosity that Ramadan was going to end. We needed to bid it farewell in a proper manner by religiously sticking to it and following its tenets. After finishing the pre-dawn meal, I went for the morning prayer at the nearby mosque. Upon finishing the prayer, I returned home and went straight to bed to get some more sleep.

It was around 9 AM when I woke up again, and now it was time to do some household chores by helping my mother in the kitchen and bringing in some items to be used on Eid, like meat and other essentials. It was raining, and this rain was quite a blessing as it had come after a long time. We had many apprehensions that our apple trees might dry up without precipitation, but thanks to the Almighty, we were blessed with some rainfall at this time of the year, especially when most of the winter season had passed dry.

After finishing the household chores, I needed to water the plants that were kept under the roof for aesthetic purposes, and to my displeasure, I found that one plant had started showing symptoms of disease. I checked it on the internet to understand how to regenerate the plant and give it a new life, and I followed the method suggested there.

As I was fasting, I had nothing to eat throughout the day, and meanwhile, I offered my afternoon prayer. It was a day full of activities, as I had to go to the market a couple of times to bring vegetables, meat, chicken, and other Eid-related items. In the evening, when it was time to break the fast, I arranged everything—prepared beverages commonly used in Ramadan, cut fruits, and set them on plates to serve everyone.

When it was time to break the fast, I went for Maghrib prayer, and only after returning did I have dinner with my family. We were waiting for the crescent moon to be sighted by the authorities, who would then announce whether Ramadan would end or continue for another day. After waiting and hearing the announcement, we were happy to learn that one more day of Ramadan remained and Eid would be on 21st of March.

Later, we went to offer the special Taraweeh prayers at the nearby mosque, which are offered only during Ramadan. It took us more than an hour to complete the prayers, after which I returned home. I had a cup of tea that refreshed me, and before going to sleep, I read a few chapters of Indian polity, as I have a habit of reading and cannot sleep without it. It was quite late when I finally went to bed, hoping to wake up early the next morning.