The woman of my book, Zaynab, is the daughter of Fatima. It is not difficult to comprehend the kind of cradle Zaynab grew up in, which was rocked by the hands of Fatima; what Zaynab must have absorbed into her being and her veins, when the milk of Fatima nursed her; what Zaynab’s soul was imprinted with, when Fatima looked lovingly into her eyes; what Zaynab’s mind was affected with, when the voice of Fatima spoke to her, caressed her, taught her, lulled her to sleep, prayed for her. Zaynab - the daughter of such a mother, such a woman, such a wife, such a daughter, such an educator, and such an activist! Someone of our generation would think that it is incredibly hard and threatening to grow up in the shadow of such a mother. Well, for Zaynab it was different. She thought herself to be extremely fortunate that she grew up looking up to such high standards set for her by Fatima and that she successfully measured up to them, matched them in her own distinctive way and excelled herself in meeting the expectations her family, and especially her mother, had of her. What she has done has surpassed every other woman known to man, from before the dawn of civilization to this very day, and till the moment of time when nothing will be. Zaynab - the reflection of Fatima. Zaynab - the mirror image of Fatima. Zaynab - the woman with the soul of Fatima. The beauty of Fatima blooms in Zaynab. Or one can say, the essence of Fatima breathes in Zaynab.
An extract from ‘The Essential Woman’ by Anita Rai.
(via berangeaseman)
