Sunday Story- All for Women, Women for All

Mahira could barely sleep at night—the next morning was going to be one of the biggest and most important days in her life and she couldn’t help but eagerly wait for the Sun to rise. She was excited insomuch that she woke up fifteen minutes before the alarm went off! She practically jumped out of her bed and dashed to the washroom to get ready; she couldn’t be late—today was the fifth anniversary of Librewry, a haven for outcast women of the society that Mahira birthed and nurtured with her blood and sweat.

An open-minded, outspoken, and compassionate woman, Mahira couldn’t stand the injustice that “certain” women of the community around her—prostitutes, acid attack victims, rape survivors, and the like—especially those who were economically backward, were subjected to on a daily basis ever since she started making sense of the world around her. She’d always wanted to do something to somehow ameliorate their condition and help them regain their worth and respect. 

When she was in the final year of her undergraduate programme, Mahira’s desire to alleviate the situation of those outcast women was at its peak. All she could think of was to somehow come up with a solution to the problem at hand. Then, one fine day, she found it—always wanting to open a quintessential yet sui generis reading space for fellow readers and thinkers, Mahira decided to open a library-cum-cafe. Other than serving as a place of retreat for readers, the place served another, more significant purpose—it provided independence to all those singled-out women.

When devising Librewry’s hiring policy, Mahira made it a point to recruit those women that were shunned. A lot of her well-wishers advised her against it for the fear of herself being shunned for such an act, but Mahira didn’t move an inch; she knew what she had to do.

In its nascency, Librewry faced seemingly insurmountable hurdles; while the idea of the space appealed to the hoi polloi, the staff did not. The mere thought of interacting with those women in public repulsed them. There were a select few who were pro-Librewry’s policy, but were afraid to “come out”. But this did not budge Mahira; notwithstanding the hesitancy and disgust, Mahira kept pushing, believing that one day the tables would turn—and they did, one at a time.

Almost a year into its underwhelming opening, Librewry was accidentally discovered by a journalist of a prominent YouTube news channel. Enthralled by Mahira’s initiative, the journalist decided to cover the story. And it worked like magic. Librewry started gaining the much-needed recognition country-wide with people from far-off cities travelling all the way just to visit and experience it once.

As months passed by, Librewry started gaining traction. Newspeople from across the country came to cover Librewry’s success and Mahira’s story. Celebrities and social welfare organisations supported and promoted Librewry across the digital world. Most importantly, the hoi polloi finally started accepting the outcast and considering them a part of the society. And that, among everything else, is what gave Mahira happiness the most. 

The clock showed a quarter to eight when Mahira picked up her belongings to go celebrate her “child’s” fifth birthday. As she headed out, a concoction of emotions washed over her. Though she had achieved her initial goal, she realised that it was only the beginning, for the rest of the country awaited her.

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