As a Pakistani woman, when I walk through the tiny alleys of a public bazaar, or through air-conditioned malls, my attention is always focused on shiny jewellery.
I stop at the sounds of colourful bangles, even if I do not need them. The delicate hues remind me of my childhood and my excitement to purchase them on Eid. It also takes me back to when the world convinced me that it was ‘cool’ to be a tomboy, and my lack of femininity made me resilient and strong. However, as I grew up, I unlearned many concepts, which returned to me my love for jewellery, especially jhumkay.
Women have been told for years that their femininity is the reason why they are not taken seriously, that if, as a woman, you wear a lot of makeup and jewellery, you’re not smart. However, as we age, we realise that our strength comes from within, and we must embrace the joys of our womanhood, especially in ornaments such as jhumkay which are the best of both worlds — Western and Eastern.