Noshee

Last night I saw this woman in her late 30s named Noshee narrating her story on TV. She has an apartment in Gulshan, but she prefers to stay on the road. She looks more like a beggar. She just cannot stay in her apartment. Her siblings are all married. One of her brothers keeps in touch with her, but he lives in America. She has become like this ever since the death of her mother. Although she has nice clothes, but she prefers to stay in dirty rags & doesn’t even comb her hair. She says that she doesn’t have friends & her family should consider her dead.

Noshee’s mother died 4 years ago. For almost 6 months, she didn’t go anywhere, but after that she has been on the road. She even stays out at night. As I have been able to understand this is a reaction. She has suffered too much. Even right now she’s hurt, & she’s taking out on herself by leading this kind of life.

In our society, people attach too much significance to marriage & those who don’t get married for whatever reason, they aren’t being respected at all. As long as Noshee’s mother was alive, at least she used to live in her house. I just can’t use the word home anymore, cause things must have been bad right from the outset.

It would be very easy to call this woman crazy. But who is at fault? The society, the norms that are being followed religiously, her family, the people who don’t miss any opportunity of jeering at someone who won’t retaliate – who exactly is responsible?

Don’t be sad after reading the story of Noshee…just try not to create another such person. I know that usually girls don’t come out on the streets, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t hurt. This particular person must have faced restriction all her life & this is a reaction…a very weird reaction but nevertheless a reaction that shows how years of pain can drive one nuts.