The remarkable Delhi instant.

[Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi]

The little girl could hardly be ten. The Delhi Walla saw her in a bazaar in Jamia Nagar. Her head was covered with a black scarf. She was with her family. They were looking longingly at a roadside stall. It stocked veils for women. The stall owner picked up a small black hijab with a decorative rose on the side and placed it on the little girl’s head. She blushed. A woman helped adjust the hijab on the little head. The girl looked excited. There were murmurs of praise. The hijab was a perfect fit. And then the stall owner took one end of the hijab and wrapped it around the girl’s face. Only an eye was visible. The rest of the little girl’s looks were lost. It was a sad moment.

The making of a woman

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