Symbol of Modesty

After doing something good for someone, it is very rare that you acknowledge its benefits in your life; at least until I noticed, since a similar thing was experienced by me. Once I asked a friend to do something that showed its importance after months and we were shocked to gain such an experience. Maybe it would not leave any impact on someone, but it was a lifetime thing for us.

Illustrating the incident as per her words:

Due to the lack of time, the college van did not pass my area on the route to school as we were taking midterm exams and my van driver wanted to pick the evening shift right in an hour. Anyway for my convenience he arranged another van for me that would drop me at my doorstep, but since my friends traveled in the other van I refused to go in that van and opted to be dropped at a place that is about 10-15 minutes away from my house. Today was the last exam and as usual my van driver left me at the particular spot.

There is a Government Boys’ School on my way home from there. Unlike other days, today there was a crowd of school boys along the way and on roadsides. Among the crowd there were some rogue, vicious boys on their bikes’ leaving no chance to stare, hoot or pass any possible comment over any girl passing by. I paused for seconds and overlooked the situation and started reciting Naad-e-Ali. My speed of walking decreased to this level that an aunt with her daughter aged between 15-16 wearing a not-so-good dress overcame me and moved forward, when they passed from the same place the boys started hooting, whistling and laughing over that girl.

I stopped for a minute and thought about whether to pass from the place; during this passage of time I gained some courage and confidence, made myself believe that I am covered with my Hijab and they would do nothing to me with the recitation of Naad-e-Ali. I started walking, passing by the same place; I was able to see the dirt in those boys’ eyes, but suddenly they stopped laughing, hooting or whistling and the traffic on the road increased which muffled the noise of even their usual gossip. When the traffic abated I was walking with such speed that before I realized I had overcome that aunt and her daughter. And suddenly I felt a twitch in my cheeks just when my lips curled up into a smile and was more shocked when I did listen to the aunt’s discussion behind me.

She: “How many times have I told you to at least cover yourself while moving on roads or streets” 

Daughter: “But Mom, these types of boys are everywhere”

She: “But they only make fun of those who allow them to do so, did not you see? They did nothing when that girl passed by”

I had no words to describe what veneration means to any girl and what I gained in those moments is just indescribable. Thanks to Allah and my Hijab (my symbol of modesty) that saved me in public.