Tale of Two Rebels

a very descriptive and analytical story. but who really is she though? that is the thing that still mesmerizing me? was she a long long friend? you keep the pace alive and love the interconnects of different elements in the story. from crying in front of rahat bakery to not driving past ravi all had a whimpsical and desirous aspect to it all. a good read all the way. keep up the good work.

Another page from the diary. You could do better, Sarah.

Re: # 8 Well ethics are less of morals and more of what is culturally acceptable. With passage of time in some sections of society, if a thing is done repeatedly, it becomes acceptable because more and more people are seen doing it.
Dating in urban upper middle class sections of society has become an acceptable thing. However what is still not acceptable is if the affair is openly physical. the parental pressure in 1990s often emanated from a mix of two things: log kia kahen gay and conservative religous values. i think the former held more weight.
Things have gradually changed. Now dating before marriage has relatively less opposition attached to it on an aggregate basis.

Aminah I was not a saint by any chance. I was just too scared.. and too loved by my parents to do any thing against the decorum.. I do have infractions on my part.. but nothing big.. My way to rebel was different and I think I achieved it.
Over the years I feel that Pakistan has become too religious and too self righteous.

Sarah, I can surely related to it and I do understand wot u r talkin about. Things haven't changed. Wot u called a sin will always remain a sin. Its quite distrubin to c grads from reputed unis come up to me nd casually ask for totally unacceptable favors. Girls do use their frnds to meet up their supposed luvs.. Its a totally messed up situation. Sometimes one does slip. Its commendable how u were able to stay clean nd come up strong wid ur morals and values. Thats how every person in Pakistan is required to be. =)

Re: # 8
Sarah, i think u shud visit lahore again....... coz i think ur perception shall change alot like mine did. Ur rite it was somewat of a sin to date in the 90s but who didn't? But its no more a sin, now its like.......'u dont hav a b/f or g/g?' How uncool is that.

so things change and they have in lahore as well.

parthaab, any kind of pre marital relationship in a traditional Pakistani society was a sin/I hope it still is a sin. It remains a sin for me atleast. I can not free myself from the traditional norms of a parochial society which is responsible for my ethical behavior.
Our desires some times are more governed by the norms of the culture. I bet 90% men who dated women in Pakistan of late 90's assumed that they were easily available sluts..
Hence my own idea of a slut and an honorable woman is framed by my cultural identity rather than my secular education.
But then it’s a personal stance!!! Nothing else
Roro we meet the same people.. There is nothing new about them.Thanks for reading:)

haha Sarah we have got another Got5 here.
this is a cool story, i can relate to a lot of characters in ur stories.

Re: # 5

Sarah,

You say you are not a man hater, and in the same breath, you go on to say 'lets accept that south asian society is patriachal'!

There is a mix up in your thinking there. Clearly, only a man hater would write this : I confess that I was the scared little girl. Men meant sin; especially Pakistani men were bigger sin.

Unfortunately, there is so much androphobia around us, that we simply refuse to see it even with our eyes open!

WHERE DOES BEING A WOMAN END AND BECOMING A FEMINIST BEGIN? OR WHERE DOES FEMINISM END AND ANDROPHOBIA/MISADNRY BEGIN?

WAKE UP MALES! SPEAK UP!

Parthab, I am not a menhater..not at all. Lets accept that south asian society is patriarchal, and the story is just a glance on the class structure. Nikhat,despite of all the privileges I think, this story reflects the dilemma of upper middle class. They have stories of bygone days. Crumbling walls of old homes, and new money taking over the old value system. It is a slow demise.
BJ I am awful in editing. I am trained in writing scientific language, my brain fights when I indulge in my writing pleasures.
Thanks a lot for reading:)
Verve... I am sure there are many who can relate to my days in Lahore.. Thanks again for reading.

I enjoyed reading it.
Somehow it resonated with the words of Quratulain Sahiba’s mentioned in her autobiographies and tragic culmination of her ‘Comrade heroines’ in many of her stories. Although problems of the women belonging to aristocratic class are alien to many like us ‘Middle classye’ but pain is universal.
I feel women of Elite class suffer at both ends. They can’t leave it and just can’t adopt it as it is.



Nikhat Riaz

I liked it -- in spite of the typos. Every life considered mundane has little stories of great interest and every life considered illustrious has dark patches one would rather not remember. Such is life.

Good luck to you.

Misandry : Hatred of males.

This article is a classic example, though we are so used to seeing misandry all around us, that we hardly 'see' it! It is far different from FEMINISM, though it is usually confused with feminism.

While there are areas where feminism is useful - since many females feel they need help, since society is biased against their gender - it has been completely replaced in todays age, by Misandry, going by the name of feminism.

WAKE UP MALES! SPEAK UP!

It was a nice read although emotionally this story didn't stir me the way your previous stories did, one reason could be that there was nothing in that tale for me to identify with :-S

Keep writing! I'd like to see more of your work! :-)