SOULspace

Fatimah Banu, was my classmate in college. Sheathed in black, her slow, pensive gait matched her frail and reed thin physique. One of the many Muslim girls in my class, her ‘gang’ of friends, were all from similar background, conservative, studious and burkah clad. At that time I belonged to the most ‘happening’ group in class. We were a bunch of smart young under graduates, ready to do anything, bold, and outspoken, we considered ourselves the best! At times I could sense Fatimah hanging around us, at the fringes of our circle, smiling quietly at our comments, observing us, unobtrusive, and diffident. Just before the exams one day, she came to borrow my notes, and in the same quiet manner, disclosed her difficulty. She had studied in Tamil medium, and here she was drowning in an English quagmire. Only now in college was she faced with the tremendous task of learning in English. Awestruck, I could not fathom the depth of her difficulties nor fail to appreciate her courage, a...