Invisible Silver

Father's Little Princess

Date: June 1997

Location: Karachi

Running as fast as he could, pushing whoever that comes in his path. His worn-out flip flops were at their breaking point, but he ignored their protest. Leaping into the air with his hand reaching out ready to grab the little string that was hanging of the kite when suddenly he was pushed, causing him to tumble down to the ground.

Noor watched as the poor boys flip flops snapped in half and his elbow started to bleed, but the boy looked up at the person who pushed him and started to laugh. Noor instantly knew they were best friends, after all, she once had a friend who she used to joke with and mess around with.

Sighing Noor got up from the small window and walked towards the kitchen. Noor laughed at the irony the house resembled her life where there was no escape other than the small window which to Noor was education. But, Noor had watched as the window shrank over the years cutting off her escape route.

“Mum can I go outside, I need to sell the knitted shower gloves,” Noor asked the Women with a hopeful voice. The Women looked at Noor with a worried face, all she could think about was her husbands face.

“Oh Noor you know you can’t, your father would have your head and mine. Absolutely not”. The Women turned back to washing whilst shaking her head side to side, fear was something always present in her heart.

But Noor was a clever girl she knew what to say to get her mother to agree to let her go outside.

“I promise I will bring you washing powder,” Noor said with a knowing smile.

Upon hearing those two words the Women turned to Noor.

“Noor, what am I going to do with you, okay go but be back quickly”

Isn’t life strange one moment you are up in the clouds with all the respect you could ever ask for and the next your happy to receive 1kg of washing powder. should one settle for the lesser in life because they have no choice? or is it that one does have a choice but for some reason, they like to lock themselves in the cage that they made. tying themselves with the ropes of every possible excuse they could find to the point they cut their own wings.

Noor saw that happening to her mother, why could her mother not just leave. Noor understood the first steps will always be hard but is it not better to go through those hardships than to live a life of being a life servent rather than a life partner.

With those thoughts swirling in her mind Noor stopped at every shop to see if they will buy her knitted shower gloves. The men would take one look at her and would give her a smile that made Noor feel like she was selling herself rather than the gloves. Noor wanted to live a free life where there was no fear, but doesn’t every human that is born wants to be free, where their laughter comes from their heart where their eyes sparkle putting the stars to shame.

Noor was yet to understand that the bag of burdens that everyone carries is sometimes what makes us human. It is something that makes us understand and connect with some stranger we met at the park. Where you laugh and cry remembering the life you lived. Where you pat yourself on the back telling yourself that you did great.

Noor walked towards an empty street and sat there wiping her tears as the call to prayer could be heard. She looked up to the sky wondering when she will laugh from her heart? when will her eyes shine like the stars?

As Noor looked up she could see her mother Frantically looking around with tears in her eyes. Noor stood up and ran towards her.

“Mother what’s wrong are you okay,” Noor said as she hugged the Woman.

The women crumbled into relief upon seeing Noor

“Noor, I told you to come back home quickly, your father will be home any moment now”

The Woman grabbed Noor hand without another word and started to run towards the house. Noor looked done at her mother’s feet as she was limping and she saw her mother’s toe bleeding. Noor could not stop her tears from falling, this was her mother, Noor’s mother. She wanted to protect someone more than herself, that was Noor.

The Woman had gotten ready for bed when her husband had called her and told her that the father of the boys asking for her daughter’s hand in marriage had come to see him and asked again. But he had refused, the Woman looked shocked to find this out.

Not able to contain her happiness the Woman ran straight to her daughter’s room to tell them this news. Upon hearing this the older sister laughed and said that Noor should be thankful towards her as she was the one who told their father that he should reject the proposal. But Noor knew that was not the case.

That night Noor danced with the stars as they hummed for her the song of freedom.

Until next bye :)