Shaheer Ahmed
In 1995, a young 17-year boy from Narowal said that he is going to Billo de ghar, he also asked the whole country kinnay kinnay jana ae, Billo de ghar. That young boy was none other than Abrar ul Haq, The king of bhangra. Abrar even told everyone to get in a queue and get their tickets to Billo’s place. An air of excitement was created in minds of every Pakistani man. Everyone went into a trance and started dreaming about Billo. The scale of curiousness and excitement was on the highest level. Abrar did everything, he even told everyone that they had to get in a queue, and what not! Lekin Kahan ka ticket? Unhoon ne tou uskay ghar ka pata he humien nahi bataya. But he didn’t tell me who is Billo and where does she live?
People made their way to get the ticket on gadha gaarri, some came on foot and God knows what efforts people made to get a ticket to Billo de ghar. People danced on the roads in the excitement of meeting Billo. Few demolished their crops while jumping in their fields in the elation of seeing a glimpse of Billo, men fought and dragged each other to be the first ones to get the ticket to Billo de ghar. God knows what important things people left just to go to Billo’s place. Seeing and meeting Billo became the top priority of every Pakistani man. But the mystery remains the same, Billo kaun hai? Billo kahan rehti hai? Billo kaisi hogi?
People going to Billo de ghar were seen as clueless and directionless. It is not a matter of one day, a week, a month, or a year. Kids who listened to this song in the ’90s have kids today, but they still don’t know who is Billo? The people who were in their 20s when Abrar first lit the Billo flame are almost grandparents today. But they still don’t know where does Billo lives? 6 governments changed in Pakistan. Dictatorship, PPP, PML(N). PML(Q) and now PTI is in government but the mystery of Billo remains the same.
Who is Billo? Where does she live? How does she look? How can one meet her? These were the questions created in minds of the Pakistani nation by Abrar ul Haq in 1995. 27 years past, we came to the 21st century from the 20th century but no one found answers to these questions. Finally, Abrar was supposed to recreate the Billo song in Coke Studio 2 years back. The curious nation thought this time Abrar will answer all these questions as he is the creator of this song and this mystery.
Abrar sets himself in front of the mic, the stage is set, people have their eyes and ears set very carefully on Abrar. The song starts and it goes for 6 minutes and 17 seconds. After the track finishes, guess what, everyone’s faces are full of disappointment because Abrar didn’t tell this time as well answers for these questions.
27 years passed. The curiosity of people is the same as it was in 1995. In Pakistan, people are wishing, hoping, and praying. That one-day loans on Pakistan will be returned, Pakistan will progress, petrol prices will come down and Pakistanis will find out about Billo.
We at Neemopani are looking to find Billo and resolve the mysteries linked to Billo. Neemopani requests everyone to inform us if anyone of you has any clue about Billo.
As they say, never lose hope, we should not lose hope as well. A day will come in our life when we will know everything about BILLO.
