Yearnings of a perfume seller who doesn’t know her age
Sunday, 10 February 2013
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| Photo by Homer Baloch |
ISLAMABAD: If you ever visit the Aabpara Sunday Bazaar, you will see a shy girl covered with a shawl, selling perfumes outside the bazaar. At the first glance, she gives a rough and tough look, but conversations with her have revealed a stark similarity with the yearnings of any other girl of her age.
Farzana is not even sure about how old she is. Age is not important in the background she has come from. However she is sure that she's not as old as she looks – thanks the hard times she has gone through.
Her biggest concern is how to earn enough in a day to support her family consisting of her old parents and a married brother. Her brother, Naimat, is attached with the same business of perfume selling but is much experienced as according to her, he is selling perfumes since she was an infant.
From the beginning of her day until the sunset, she earns almost 500 rupees from this business, which is though not enough to support them, but better enough than nothing. She says several times she tried to put her business inside the Sunday Bazaar area as that is more secure and prominent than the footpath but it costs Rs. 500 per day which almost her total earning. She says if she gets inside and pays the rent then what will be left back to be taken at home, where her poor father and old mother are expecting her to bring enough money that can get them proper food and medicine.
Going through the hardness of the day, Farzana rejoices her work, not caring about her health as she was found coughing all the time she was talking. The place where she has placed her stall has no proper shade or covering area to protect her from sunlight and cold but she has no other free place in view where she can be protected as well as earn.
Her eyes were brightened when she began telling about her life. She said she is living in a rural area of Islamabad along with her parents. Her brother is married and living somewhere else with his family, and is running the same business of perfumes in Rawalpindi. She said though her brother is contributing his earning with her family but that is not enough to overcome their expenses.
When asked about selling perfumes, instead of garments or jewelry like other women stall holders inside the market, she replied that the main reason is that she has seen her brother selling perfumes since she was born, and secondly her mother did the same business for many years but left when she turned old and is now seriously ill. She had to replace her mother to run the business and their life circle.
Farzana is satisfied with her work, but not with society as according to her working women are not welcome. She said everyday she faces different kind of people, some pretend to be nice but most of the men visit her stall not to buy perfumes but to tease her when they see a girl selling perfumes at the footpath. When she was asked about complaining to the police, she blamed the police for not being concerned about such issues, and she cannot even tell her family about is as they will ban her working and incase they did, it will be very hard for them to live as they do not have enough financial support. She said she has learned how to treat those misbehavers but still, it is very hard for a woman to work outside.
She said she has sold thousands of perfumes, but the fragrance of her life will come when she gets married and that, too, to an educated man, as she herself is illiterate, who will take her out of her misery and help her become successful.
Farzana is not even sure about how old she is. Age is not important in the background she has come from. However she is sure that she's not as old as she looks – thanks the hard times she has gone through.
Her biggest concern is how to earn enough in a day to support her family consisting of her old parents and a married brother. Her brother, Naimat, is attached with the same business of perfume selling but is much experienced as according to her, he is selling perfumes since she was an infant.
From the beginning of her day until the sunset, she earns almost 500 rupees from this business, which is though not enough to support them, but better enough than nothing. She says several times she tried to put her business inside the Sunday Bazaar area as that is more secure and prominent than the footpath but it costs Rs. 500 per day which almost her total earning. She says if she gets inside and pays the rent then what will be left back to be taken at home, where her poor father and old mother are expecting her to bring enough money that can get them proper food and medicine.
Going through the hardness of the day, Farzana rejoices her work, not caring about her health as she was found coughing all the time she was talking. The place where she has placed her stall has no proper shade or covering area to protect her from sunlight and cold but she has no other free place in view where she can be protected as well as earn.
Her eyes were brightened when she began telling about her life. She said she is living in a rural area of Islamabad along with her parents. Her brother is married and living somewhere else with his family, and is running the same business of perfumes in Rawalpindi. She said though her brother is contributing his earning with her family but that is not enough to overcome their expenses.
When asked about selling perfumes, instead of garments or jewelry like other women stall holders inside the market, she replied that the main reason is that she has seen her brother selling perfumes since she was born, and secondly her mother did the same business for many years but left when she turned old and is now seriously ill. She had to replace her mother to run the business and their life circle.
Farzana is satisfied with her work, but not with society as according to her working women are not welcome. She said everyday she faces different kind of people, some pretend to be nice but most of the men visit her stall not to buy perfumes but to tease her when they see a girl selling perfumes at the footpath. When she was asked about complaining to the police, she blamed the police for not being concerned about such issues, and she cannot even tell her family about is as they will ban her working and incase they did, it will be very hard for them to live as they do not have enough financial support. She said she has learned how to treat those misbehavers but still, it is very hard for a woman to work outside.
She said she has sold thousands of perfumes, but the fragrance of her life will come when she gets married and that, too, to an educated man, as she herself is illiterate, who will take her out of her misery and help her become successful.
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