English & Urdu Text : Khalid IqbalPresentation : Shoaib Sobani

If one has to visualize the traits of a typical Memon, it starts with aglaringly shaven face, golden metallic framed spectacles, alwayschewing something, a golden ring in the finger, neatly groomed well oiledshining hair and a lingua with a typical inflection.

Our personality Mohammed Ashraf displayed all these feature when hecame to Dow from Adamjee College. Ashraf was always very immaculatelydressed, mostly in a half-sleeved shirt, a classy trouser and drenched in alavish Eau de Cologne. Quresh Kothari and Shakeel Willbe wereclose associates besides the batch mates Amir, Khalid Rashid andArshad Saeed et al. To all of them Ashraf loved to remain bonded.

Ashraf was born with a golden spoon and enjoyed an ostentatiouslifestyle. He was endowed with all amenities what a person candaydream in a tender age and quite unlike the alleged communitypractice was a prolific and habitual spender. His house in Nazimabad was arendezvous of the elite where premium quality Indian films were shown onVCR to friends and acquaintances. In the seventh decade of the twentiethcentury such showing was a dreadful crime with a lawful intervention rightfor the police. Not only those private shows were arranged in broaddaylight but the guests were served with sumptuous snacks and drinkswith unadulterated altruism. Ashraf loved extracurricular activitiesincluding wide-ranging travel and tourism in student days.

It was probably in the early final year that he got married and started hisfamily, as there was a demand to follow the family traditions andsimultaneously no compulsion to earn a living. He was never an academicperson but managed to pass the examinations with effortlessness.

Graduation followed a house job in medicine, surgery and a sequentialmigration to England. Though he was a regular visitor to themotherland, but not many people knew about his whereabouts for somany years. Ashraf did his MRCP and settled as a Primary care provider inthe environs of Manchester, UK. His son Nihad is a dental surgeon and onedaughter Nida is happily married while the second is busy with high schooleducation.

Ashraf never used the suffix of “Vaid’ in the student days, but now this isan integral part of his identification. His facial features, body language andgesticulation have not changed over this period. A little grace andrefinement has a value-added effect on the personality.

PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 04TH AUGUST 2012

Ashraf by name ashraaf by natureOne of the two good-looking vertically challengedNo the other one was not me, it was Tariq!Ashraf it was great to catch up with you at London event of 79. please keep in touchVery best wishesMunir

I am having difficulty placing Ashraf,But if I think who he is a smart well groomed memon who was very friendlyand generous in the cafetaria!Congratulations Ashraf and it was great reading about your familyColin saldanha