I often hear the language of the universe speak through synchronicities: coincidental events that remind me I’m headed in the right direction. 

The first or second time that I heard of Rooh Afza was in a short story by Wajahat Ali called “Ramadan Blues.” The story was about a seven year old boy who loved to eat and his struggles during his first Ramadan. This short story by Ali was in a book called Pow Wow : charting the fault lines in the American experience : short fiction from then to now / edited by Ishmael Reed, which I picked up from the library. I randomly opened the book to this story and was gifted with a treat. 

Months later I gravitated heavily toward the rose bushes in my backyard, visiting them for a daily whiff and feeling of upliftment, joy, and contentedness. Working with the roses even more closely, I decided to research “rose drinks” or something like that. Rooh Afza popped up on my screen and there was an aha moment, a synchronicity. 

Months after that on Instagram, I saw someone post about the drink Rooh Afza in it’s signature bottle. Taking note of this, I felt pleased inside, knowing that life was ushering me to look into this drink more closely. At the right time I was able to get in touch with Sham-e-Ali Nayeem—a poet and interdisciplinary artist based in the Philadelphia area—and talk with her about this drink. She gave me much insight into and pointers on the history of Rooh Afza. 

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To read the full story and interview check out 11:59 ZINE (almost midnight), Volume 2