The Namesake

Do you know what it’s like to have a unique name?

One of a kind?

Distinctive? Unusual? Rare? Nayab?

(Sanas, Hinas, Saras and aishas.... you don’t have to reply to that 😁😆😂)
*dodges flying chappals*😬😝

I was given this name by my mother. I wish I could say it came from a long and tedious search for a perfect name but it didn’t. It came to her because she was reading Khawateen Digest and the leading lady of the story was called Nayab with the nickname Nia.

So I was born, bearing the name Nayab with the nickname Nia. Copy paste all the way Mama Jaani! 💪🏻😄

Growing up, I didn’t find any Nayabs around me. We moved houses thrice and changed schools but there was never another girl with my name. Nayab means ‘unique’, ‘one of a kind’, ‘Precious’, and in my little world devoid of any namesakes I truly was

نایاب

The only two places I ever saw my name appear was
1) A famous Banaspati
2)Akhbaar-e-Jahan Magazine

You all know about the former I’m sure, so let me tell you about the latter (If you don’t know what Akhbar-e-Jahan is, you are too young to be reading this. Go watch Toy Reviews on YouTube or something).

Remember the page with ladies exhibiting the latest fashion of the good old 90s? The Nazuk, dainty, heroines and models? With Filmy poses and feminine smiles? (Ok Nazuk and dainty is a stretch .... they were nothing short of bazookas but for the sake of me trying to make a point ... bear with me 🙏🏻)
At least one of them was always named Nayab
or Gul-e-Nayab
or Dur-e-Nayab.
Or Gul-e-Dur-e-Darakhshan-e-Nayab
😒

You see in pre-Internet days our knowledge of the world and access to information was pretty limited. Anyway, life kept happening and as the years passed my desire to meet another Nayab took a backseat.

Which brings us to that fateful day in 2006. I was in 3rd year of university. It was a typical humid Karachi afternoon. I was sitting outside the cafeteria enjoying a snack when someone called my name.

“NAYAAAAAAB NAYAAAAAB”

I looked towards the unfamiliar face of a boy. Guessing him to be a freshman, I opened my mouth to reply when I realised he wasn’t exactly looking at Me.

No. He was facing the other way, his gaze fixed towards a group of his fellow freshies.

OMG! Was there finally another Nayab?!

Hopes and dreams spanning years, flashed in my mind. With a mixture of adrenaline and excitement I followed the boy’s line of sight, trying to locate the girl he was calling. But my view was blocked. A tall lanky guy towered over the group of girls.

NAAAYAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBB, I heard the boy call again.

‘What is it?’ a voice called back, making me choke on the half chewed samosa in my mouth.

The voice wasn’t Nazuk or dainty. It wasn’t filmy or heroine-esque.

Heck it wasn’t even FEMININE!

🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

Wait ... What?

WHAT!!!!!!

It can’t be!

Can it?

*Sigh*

Turns out it CAN 😩

This Nayab was nothing like I had expected. Not even close.

For starters she was a .....Ummm... HE!

A tall lanky He! 😒

Life since then was never the same. From being the Rare, the precious, the Unique Nayab, I became the Senior Nayab Vs The Junior Nayab, the Old Nayab Vs the Young Nayab, the Short Nayab Vs the Tall Nayab, the Fat Nayab Vs the Thin Nayab ..

The FE-MALE Nayab vs the MALE Nayab

😳😒😪

Ladies and gentlemen, after years of searching for a Namesake, I had found

A Nemesis 😒
.
.
Do you have a story attached to your name? Even Sanas, Hinas, Saras and aishas can answer! *dodges more flying chappals*