1-Once upon a time, there was this beautiful & lively girl in our small village called Qomikola.
Her name was Mehrnoush. Her childish laughter would fill the air with joy. She loved life, until the day she set herself on fire.
Her name was Mehrnoush. Her childish laughter would fill the air with joy. She loved life, until the day she set herself on fire.
2-Mehrnoush had captivating look. She was 3 years younger than me, but she got married to a man who lived in a nearby village. When Mehrnoush got married, girls of our village didn’t get a chance to see her before her departure.
3-Mehrnoush left. With her, her contagious love of life also left us. She would discreetly visit the village to see her family, but gone were the days when she’d mingle with other girls and crack jokes. It was as if she had been forced to grow up overnight in her childish body.
4-I kept seeing Mehrnoush every now & then. Each time I saw her, she looked more distraught & lacked more life than before. She looked miserable. What was happening to this once lively & cheery girl? No-one in our village dared to talk about her. After all, she was married
5-Whatever happened to Mehrnoush remained like a well-kept secret. Even now, no-one in our village knows what was happening to Mehrnoush during her marriage in her husband's house.
6-As Mehrnoush burned, us, the girls of the village were also burning with our longing for our beautiful friend. We were missing her, but were forced to remain tight-lipped and act as if her sudden departure was normal
7-We saw in Mehrnoush a reflection of our own life: A life where one doesn’t get the chance to talk about abuse and of family honour. A life where women are supposed to succumb to tribulations of life in the name of honour : “Don’t complain. Don’t tarnish your family’s honour”
8-If only Mehrnoush had the courage to talk about what was bothering her. If only she had the power to fight against the chains of “honour” holding her back. If only she had support of people around her. Perhaps, she would've told us why she burned herself in her husband’s house
9-I was the first woman in my village to get a divorce. I was subjected to a daily barrage of humiliation by people because divorce was seen as a heresy. Yet, I chose life instead of setting myself on fire. I wish my dear friend Mehrnoush had done the same. I miss her a lot
