PRIVILEGE

Disclaimer: This story has no intention to demean any country, society, or religion. Reader's discretion is advised.

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NEW YORK, 23rd June 2018

Julie sat on the pitch-black sofa cautiously to avoid causing wrinkles on it. Hearing the heavy tread of shoes she turns to see Catherine entering the room. Catherine in a white crisp shirt and black pant uniform sat on the sofa. She kept her service cap on the table which modestly displayed the badge of Commissioned Corps. Extending out her hand to Julie she spoke,

"Hey! Catherine here, nice to meet you ".

"Julie from the 'Newsday', nice to meet you too ".

"Sorry I'm a bit late, you'll have coffee? "

"No, actually I've one more personal interview lined up so I'm running quite short on time. "

"Oh ! Sorry to keep you waiting, we shall begin then ."

"It's fine, So I'm going to ask you questions about your profession, current programs, challenges, and your background. Do you have any problem answering any of those? "

"No, you may proceed I'm all set. "

"Ok! first and foremost Congratulations on becoming the Lieutenant Commander. "

"Thank you so much ."

"And currently what are the programs you are working in? "

"At present, I'm in the Family Health Officer department running a lot of health programs for the underprivileged community ."

"We are hoping to see it's impact in the community soon, tell us about your family background? "

"I was raised in New York only. My mother's a surgeon and father is a military officer. They have been very strict with my education from childhood. I had an ardent interest in medicine and my mother taught me all of it from then to now. "

Julie flashed a toothy grin as she proceeded with her questionnaire. The interview was going quite slick as Julie popped a wrapping up question at last,

"So Catherine you come from a well - off educated family and now you have become an inspiration for women out there. What do you want to say to all the women including those who face inequalities or challenges due to their background or society? "

Catherine gave a confident smile,

"I think I've in person never experienced any sort of inequality and with time inequality has ceased to exist ."

Julie gave a startled look as Catherine fails to interpret her question correctly, she explains,

"Stating that we were talking about all women collectively who come from different conservative societies, mostly where inequality has persisted till now too. "

"Today when modernization is at the zenith, countries are flourishing, the economy is thriving, I see no inequality out there. Maybe people still use it as a tool to conceal benefits. Now we are all the same, we have to just work hard. "

Julie wanted to mention how some people have to do some supplementary hard work for the same destination as others. But she concluded the meeting as she had a brief time on hand. As Julie sat on the car outside, she reminisced her struggle to reach till here, being from a conservative Mormon family. She ponders how unknowingly people are inconsiderate and ignorant towards others and Catherine was not the first she had met.

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Saudi Arabia, 24th June 2018

Shahida tiptoed in her brother's room at three in the morning. Within a couple of minutes, they were sitting in a small red car parked on an isolated road. It was too early for the sunlight.

Shahida clutched the steering wheel as a smile crept on her face. Her elder brother, Saqib was sneakingly teaching her driving from 6 months. She still feels the same magic now, as when she touched this wheel for the first time. She calls it the enchanting ride as at this ride, this hour, she was authoritative enough to ride a car. She seldom contemplates how it will feel to drive on a highway, on the city lanes.

Saqib won't ever take the risk of taking her to the city and perhaps they only have time till Abba wakes up. Saqib often tells her about cities that women don't necessarily have mahram (guardian) there at the time, they work there, they go to colleges. I ask him whether they drive and he shakes his head in no, but I feel it's better than marrying at puberty. Oppression makes you compare between worse and worst.

One morning in the scorching heat, I heard voices of Saqib and Abba arguing. I eavesdropped to listen, my abaya hanging on my slender body and niqab concealing the face. Hearing their conversation about my marriage I emerged from the curtain.

As soon as Abba saw me his nostrils flared with anger,

"You don't dare to speak a word now, your brother has spoken for you and spoiled you enough ."

With spoiled, I thought he meant loved. I couldn't gather courage as my voice quivered out of my mouth. Saqib like always became my vocals speaking,

"She's too young, let's wait till 17 "

I could hear the pleading and helplessness in his voice. Abba threw the cup which was on his hand, it shattered, we both shivered. The silence after the shatter was deafening.

"Girls in our villages get married at 13 but just because of you she's still here. She is getting married and that is final . Anyways what could she do with more time? "

Saqib and I were speechless as Abba stomped his foot out of the room. My eyes were filled with tears as I wished at that moment niqab could cover our eyes too. Saqib and I both sat on the floor crying. He tells me I am an excellent student as he had homeschooled me enough to read and write. He tells me maybe I can still drive after marriage, maybe I can see the city, we both knew it was a naked lie told to make me feel better.

That night I couldn't get sleep, thinking about the answers, the arguments I can give to why I needed more time to stay at my own home. A fear came choking down my throat, maybe I will never drive again, maybe i will never see the highway or the city. Maybe it would remain a dream that Saqib had shown.

At 3 am I was driving the same small red car, with a map but without Saqib. I drove to the highway, to the city. I ignored the creeping ramifications arising at the back of my head. I saw humongous skyscrapers that could crush me. I saw huge trucks passing by me as I shiver when they cross. My heart froze as I saw a cop in front of the lane asking me to stop. I pressed the brake but I saw the rearview mirror as a group of women were marching towards me with a banner in their hand reading,

"24th June, Women to drive movement successful ."

I had never heard of this movement.

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24th JUNE 2018, New York

Somewhere in the 'Newsday' headlines flashed,

"Historic day in Saudi Arabia as women get legal authority to drive ."

Another small column in the front page reads,

"Young Shahida, the face of women to drive movement, photos went viral, this whole incident seems to mock Catherine's ignorant remarks on inequality reported yesterday ."

Both of the newspaper pieces were written by the same reporter, Julie Smith.

Julie sipped her coffee as she reads her article and thinks,

"What may be a basic necessity to you, can be a privilege for another. "

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