Women Don’t Make a Fuss

I want to tell you how women in Kashmir stay alive.

- Tanzeel Tariq

They wake up, boil water, sweep the porch while the street still smells of night smoke. If danger pops in the distance they keep the broom moving, because the floor will not clean itself.

Survival is the smell of dough sticking to their fingers. It is counting out rice for six when only four are home, because the other two might walk in before the pot goes cold. It is keeping a smile ready at the door, the same way you keep a spare key under the flowerpot.