Death

I agree with the interactor who observed that this was a good counterpart to `Parveen`. This was generally well done. The distant, case study tone is effective in drawing the reader in through its detached-ness. Given the main character`s ambivalent emotions and the protagonist`s violence at the end, it would have been easily overmuch to dramatize and romanticize this case- and unfortunately, I suspect there will be those idiots who will think that the main character ``deserved`` the assault. The tone that the writer uses immediately nullifies that kind of romanticization.
Fara,
I hope to read more from you. This is strong work. I also like how the main character is developed thruout the text. We`ve finally gotten a many dimensioned female fictive character at Chowk!

Farah Mushtaq,

thank you for sending this writing to CHOWK.

As a male of the species, sometimes I am not proud.

As a father of three daughters, I`m downright angry after reading this.

But I am also glad that CHOWK is serving its unique purpose here.


Ras

Thankyou for your reviews on the article. However, i thought id offer an explaination for a few of your concerns.

the article reading like a newspaper cliping:- emm the girl being discussed in this article is a very dear friend of mine. when she was narrating her story to me, it was void of any emotions or frivolities of literature. and i personally thought that was the best of reflecting on what she`s going through. Use of words, in my opinion, would have distracted the reader from a hard core reality and the way it happened.

As for possibilities of recuperation for rape victims, you are right `tainted`, there definitely are concepts of therapy. But that is sadly JUST what they are in our society. She HAS come out to be a strong individual in her own right, conserving as much of herself that she could. I was very much of the same view as urself and `SaraJ` but after listening to her i thought otherwise...

wow.After a long time i have read something original and insightful.but i agree with saraj as well. there are so many concepts like therapy for rape victimz. Why ostracize them? Or why not show them as stronger human beings rather than defeated ones who live parallel lives?

Farah-
Great/Horrific topic to write about. I commend your efforts to pick such a subject but is it necessary that her life has to be over? Why say that she killed herself a long time ago?? As brutal as rape is, can there be no solace found for the victims? Can they not go further in their lives to achieve a version of normalacy?? I know that as taboo as rape is in every culture, it`s probably a hundred times harder for our culture but I would like to think that our world is capable of nurturing and healing victims of rape. Probably over-optimistic but a possibility nonetheless right?

sara

Farah,

A good rejoinder to Mohammed Amjed`s ``Parveen``. Timely too - don`t know if your timing was a coincidence. I read both stories with interest.

It is important that the woman`s perspective is also understood. I don`t know if you realized it when you wrote it, but your sentence ``That was when probably he realized she was of no use to him anymore`` speaks volumes. It was all about ``using``. It usually is. Afterall, women are from Venus, while ... Obviously, never the twain shall meet. Alas.

Best wishes,
E

Farah Ji,

This piece reads like a newspaper report. The affect is dull and the matter-of-fact style fails to grab the reader. Where is the literary value in this news clipping?

The ending was a bit abrupt but otherwise a good read.