(DISCLAIMER: i do not intend to hurt any religious sentiments.)
This incident took place when i recently went to Juhu beach with my sister. We were enjoying the hot and chilly pav bhaji when we heard a sharp chirpy voice behind us, 'Were u taking our picture?'
I turned around and saw a girl, I would say in her early twenties, dressed in a black anarkali, approaching a foreigner couple.
'I am sorry?' said the foreigner lady. The girl asked again, 'Were you taking our picture?' and pointed out towards a direction to our right. I turned to right and saw a muslim family sitting in front of a shop- grandparents, two brothers and their wives, cute little children and one empty chair- perhaps that girl's. Muslim families always fascinate me. The first thing that fascinates me is the embroidery on the black burkhas donned by the females- each embroidery is so beautiful and unique that its difficult to get my eyes off them. Then that grace and unity that seems to flow around the family like an invisible whorl of air. And last but not the least, the indivisuality that each member of the family holds up.
Well the reason why the foreigners would ever do so was obvious. They were fascinated by this other nation's customs. A quite natural feeling if you ask me.
'No no, we didn't,' said the lady. 'Kindly don't ,' the girl warned and went back to resume her place. This was naturally followed by glares from both the opponents- the muslim family and the foreigner couple; me and my sister stuck in middle.
I couldnt get that girl's statement out of my head. The bravery, the straightforwardness and the fearlessness. And mind you, she came from a traditional family. A family where woman were supposed to wear black burkhas and stay hidden. A nation and religion where the women wore naqab to hide their faces and also closed their mouths in the process. In one of my favourite movies, Sex And The City 2, out four girls visit Abu Dhabi and come across the naqab and the burkha. Here, our sexpert Carrie Bradshaw points out that this custom seems to her as a preventive measure taken by the men. As if they didn't want the women to have a voice, and thus, never stand up for themselves.
AND YET, here she was. A young muslim girl, with not only a voice, but a strong one. Not only standing up for herself but her entire family. Not only questioning, but also warning.
And mind you, she wore black too.