Burqas, share taxis and women  
on the way to Kashmir
 

Coming back from Srinagar to Palahgam, Kashmir, I sat in a share taxi waiting for it to fill up so we could get on our way. Finally 3 muslim women piled in beside me and we were off. These jeeps are constructed to hold 10 people plus the driver so with 4 in the second seat it was tight. On my one side was the cold hard door and window, on the other the soft body of a woman in a burqa covered head to toe with this black costume. Mystery, mystery. Could almost have been an old order Mennonite! The woman next to her also donned a burqa and the third was dressed in a more normal Indian manner. I had never been quite so close to a burqa , and this was a tight fit! My seat mate didn't seem to want to pull away from me either, but then again it would have been rather difficult to do so. Thus the mystery began as did my imagination! I began having fun with myself. When we went around corners, the 'mysterious burqa' next to me leaned heavily into my body with no attempt to hold back. Not that I was complaining. Actually I delighted in the warm soft feminine body pressing aginst mine. This all increased the curiousity and mystery. What and who is under this black thing? What does she (I assume!) look like? All this is much more mysterious than a naked body whicyh might or might not be lovely but without the same kind of mystery. This lovely fantasy continued for some time and wasn't at all hindered by the vehicle going around more corners. There are some advantages to hairpin turn mountain roads! I began to anticipate the joy of cornering!! and cheered on the maniacal driver!

Suddenly at one point the second woman with the burqa flipped up the part covering her face and began talking to the driver. One mystery was now revealed - and deleted! Or some of it anyway! Here was a bare face and head. The mystery gone. And what was revealed?

An elderly woman! In a moment of hilarious humor, I thought "Cover that face! Put the burqa back over it quickly! Give me my mystery back! The fantasy is infinitely better and you have no right ot take it away!" I laughed - quietly to myself, of course. As I looked at her face, I noticed a softness and kindness, and a jolly laughing sense of humor. Her eyes has much life. It was impossible not to like her. Then she pulled out a small bag of a mixture of nuts and a kind of nutty sweet and passed some to the 2 women and myself as well. Such a kind gesture and her way of also communicating acceptance of me. When that was finished I pulled out a little plastic bag of raisans and 2 kinds of nuts and shared them with the 3 women. (Note that I was not the first to express generosity!! Hummmm...). There were smiles all around! And the face mask never went back down the rest of the trip!

At one point, the road was blocked with sheep being driven by gypsies. I pulled out my camera, zoomed it in through the front windshield and took a pic. The women were watching with great interest, pointed to the digital picture and talking among themselves. I showed the photo to them and then many others of shepherds as well as the scenery around Palahgam. It all further facilitated the connection.

However, much of the mystery disappeared! But the woman next to me while speaking and gesturing with me, never flipped up her face mask! So all was not lost. We ended our journey at Palahgam, said our goodbys and I left with at least some mystery and fantasy intact! I mean, what would I do if all the 'naked' truth were revealed? Then I would have to live with the stark reality of 'What Is!" Of course, that could just open the door to a deeper spiritual, existential reality. It might even move one along the path to 'the awakening!' Yes to nakedness in all its many forms! The elimination of masks and costumes! My God, what a revolution! And the advent of world peace! All because of two Muslim women in burqas!

On second thought, maybe I'd rather have mystery and fantasy! Forget world peace!

Copyright © 2005 N. Wayne Yoder. All rights reserved.