A Guest post by SONIA BALOCH for my blog
Based on true story
I remember there was a trend of donations on every Friday in our middle class families in mosques for beggar. Those days, I was watching a serial on one of famous channel which was based on child trafficking in which a very dark side of these streets beggars was shown creating lot of hatred feelings in viewers minds.
So, whenever, I saw a beggar specially a lady beggar, I feel hatred and anger but wait! I think that was what due to that serial? What my intuition was demanding; was actually something very real and empathetic about lady beggars.
One day while going for University when van stopped on signal, I saw a family wearing hijabs, including an average age lady and a teen age girl, may be her daughter, holding a poster on which it was written ” Help us, we are real beggars”. I was highly attracted to the caption but maybe it could be the trick to get attention. Any ways, that lady came near to my window and started staring at me.
I ignored innocence of her eyes and whispered to her ” Bibi pehli bhikaaran ho jic Kay pas koi chota bacha nahi Hy,Kher,mehnat Kar Kay kamati Kyu nahi ho”?. She didn’t answer me. Her silence was wondering me. Then Suddenly she returned to me and said to me “kici Din Meri jaga aa kr ruko yahan, Mehnat kesi hoti hay,pata chal jae ga beta” .
I ignored her blunt answer but all the day her sentence was pinching in my mind again and again. So, I decided to put myself in her shoes. Yes! I wanted to create empathy for her.
Next day I didn’t go to university, I wore one of my oldest dress but may b it was still good, I went to my hostel’s maid room; I asked her that either there was any washed dress of her? It was not first time she got surprised due to me. She knew it that I act weird sometime. After some arguments I got her dress and I covered my face with her dopatta which was a bit ripped. Shirt was a bit loosen to me but it was okay. I saw myself in mirror and I memorized that lady beggar. She was wearing the same that I was wearing today.
I went to same stop where she was standing yesterday. She was not here today. I took a long breath with my arrhythmic heart and started looking at vehicles.
One passed, then other. Then all stopped on the signal. I moved towards very first one. A man seemed above from 40 was on the driving seat. I took courage and looked at him the way that lady beggar had looked at me. I couldn’t say a word because his visual harassment shattered my soul at a glance. I couldn’t empathize with her anymore except that one moment when I felt myself visually harassed by that man. I stepped back and back, almost ran towards my hostel. I changed clothes and then I looked at mirror, I looked towards that beggar lady laughing in pain. She was right.
Can anyone imagine how difficult is it for woman to beg on roads and streets specially those who are deserving. How could they face these rascals daily who make them victim of harassment any celebrity is being harassed then it takes few days for “#Me too “campaign to spread all over the world. What about these women begging on the streets?
Writer’s contact: Sonia Baloch https://www.fiverr.com/soniabaloch1?up_rollout=true
Blog Owner: Ch Fakhar Gul https://www.fiverr.com/chfakhargul?up_rollout=true chfakhargul@gmail.com
FAKHAR BLOGS 