Mulloo’s daughter Irum, she’s done her law from I think so Cant University (not Lahore Cantt but Cant UK). Anyways she’s come back very vocalist about women’s rights. So yesterday us girls we were at Mulloo’s where Irum was talking about someone called Mittu. Sounded like an Indian name, so I thought maybe it’s some socialite she’s met in London so I said, ‘Sweetie, who’s this Mittu? Someone I should be knowing?’ She looked quickly at the ceiling and then she said, ‘Aunty, I’m talking about MeToo and yes it is something you should know about.’ Then she gave me bore lecture on someone called Heavy Wine Spine and Holly Wood ki actresses and Donald Trump and Ayesha Gulalai who’d said Imran Khan had sent her inappropriate texts and Meesha Shafi who’s recused Ali Zafar of harassing her and how they were Mittu and she was Mittu and I was also Mittu until I didn’t know what was what and who was who.
When she finally chup karoed, Mulloo said, ‘Bhai I don’t know what’s been happening in America and all, but maybe these girls are only doing it for attention’. Bus. Irum, she tau exploded: ‘Attention? Are you out of your mind, Ami? Which woman, in a society like ours, would expose herself like this if she didn’t have cause?’ Then Baby, she piped up: ‘Baba, I tau say, apni izzat apnay haath. If you don’t want men making dirty moves on you, then just keep your proper distance’. Irum looked at Baby as if she was crack. ‘What is proper distance? Haven’t you been harassed by ‘Sirs’ in college? By ‘uncles’ in your friend’s houses? By maulvi sahabs in childhood? Day in day out by men in the bazaar? In parks, shops, offices, restaurants, even hospitals? Haven’t you been ogled, touched, groped, pinched, whistled at, stared at, commented on from the time you were seven to the time you were fifty? Honestly!’
Iss pay, we were all chup. Then Flopsy said in a small si voice: ‘Vaisay, I want to speak up: I think so it’s happened to me also’. Then Baby said, ‘me too’ and burst out crying.
When she finally chup karoed, Mulloo said, ‘Bhai I don’t know what’s been happening in America and all, but maybe these girls are only doing it for attention’. Bus. Irum, she tau exploded: ‘Attention? Are you out of your mind, Ami? Which woman, in a society like ours, would expose herself like this if she didn’t have cause?’ Then Baby, she piped up: ‘Baba, I tau say, apni izzat apnay haath. If you don’t want men making dirty moves on you, then just keep your proper distance’. Irum looked at Baby as if she was crack. ‘What is proper distance? Haven’t you been harassed by ‘Sirs’ in college? By ‘uncles’ in your friend’s houses? By maulvi sahabs in childhood? Day in day out by men in the bazaar? In parks, shops, offices, restaurants, even hospitals? Haven’t you been ogled, touched, groped, pinched, whistled at, stared at, commented on from the time you were seven to the time you were fifty? Honestly!’
Iss pay, we were all chup. Then Flopsy said in a small si voice: ‘Vaisay, I want to speak up: I think so it’s happened to me also’. Then Baby said, ‘me too’ and burst out crying.