Hijab for a day!
Delhi NCR is facing cold waves these days. People have loaded their bodies with warm jackets, socks, caps, etc. I use specs, so using a cap is not very comfortable. So, I prefer to use a stole (a long scarf) around my neck and head to keep myself warm. I do it every year in the winter, but this time it was so perfect that it looked like a hijab. The hijab is a way of wearing a head scarf and is mostly preferred by women practicing Islam. Image Credits: BBC News I am born into a Hindu family and rarely had exposure to family or friends from other religions. I went to this café-cum-bakery store in a posh urban area. The café seemed to be new, and a woman in her 40s seemed to be its owner or manager. I entered the café with two kids and that scarf around my head and neck. The owner’s stare at my scarf and the visual full-body scan of me reminded me that I was being perceived as a Muslim woman, about which I had forgotten. She kept an eye on me, and I kept becoming uncomfortable. It felt l...