I often thought that the lyrics from the OST of Baaghi were really close to my heart. Not being able to understand the reason, I chose to delve into the serial that became the top trending drama and in the story of Qandeel herself. I, however, do not intend to write a review of the serial, I instead strive to relate Qandeel’s story to that of mine and perhaps of every other woman in my society.

Today when there is an ongoing race and struggle for the attainment of self-satisfaction, there is unrest followed by competition, biases and tantrums. Your skills may be enough to get you where you want to go but the struggle includes much more than just that. Qanwal, the protagonist of Baaghi gave an apt representation of a struggling girl with dreams that caused her to become rebellious, only to be strangled to death consequently.

The family you are born into determines the life you are going to spend. Trained to suppress the women, men with their fanatical views tend to validate the oppression against them by blaming them either of questionable characters or else of having limited intellect; the former being the most easy target.

“Hamein kia pata tu kahan se paise le ke ati hai? Humne kabhi tujhse poocha?” “How do we know where did you get all the money from? “Did we ever ask you anything about it?”

Fozia’s brother demands from her. Flabbergasted and disgusted by her brother’s accusations, she breaks down – her entire struggle down the drain. Having the audacity to challenge his sister, the only bread-earner of the family, he accuses her of being a girl whose character was in question, and her death seemed the last resort.

How hard it is for a woman in this society to earn for herself? With so much going on in her life already, the society never leaves any stone un-turned to walk all over her. Fozia’s life depicted the same and her death was no less than a dilemma that left the world questioning the entire existence of womanhood in the prevalent times.

Thousands of women are killed in the name of honour each year, leaving behind several unanswered questions. How many more rebellions and how many “baaghi” will be killed? Because killing one would result in the birth of many others. Are we not trying to bury the voices that could otherwise be influential enough to reform the society? Why is it always a woman who is subjected to atrocities in the name of honour and fanaticism by the misogynists?

Suppressed and silenced, they lay

Oh yes, you conquered!

But what to be done?

Of the questions they left

Oh yes, you conquered!

But do you see not?

The storm that is on its way

Flee you coward!

For the voices are drawing nearer

To ruin your being

Flee you coward

For the questions are yet to be answered…