A Thousand Splendid Suns

It was a book bought in India. In India, book stalls are everywhere, and you can easily spot which are the books people are reading nowadays.

I bought it, A Thousand Splendid Suns, with the author who was unknown to me, Khaled Hosseini. All I know was it was a best-selling novel with touching plots. I believe every book is worth to read and there are things to be learnt from. So, without thinking much, the book became one of my collection.

Two months passed. Finally, I have finished reading it. It was not a very pleasant process in reading it, I frowned most of the time. Yet, it's totally worth it! Take a peep at the social life of Afghanistan, you would be amazed by the system which is so intolerating!

Laila, a smart and independent girl, borned in a open-minded family. Education and freedom of going out with friends were her fortune in the young age. However, the war has destroyed everything. Her family, friends, and life! The pregnant woman, with a savage and misogynist husband, the life is still has to be carried on, for the sake of the child.

I cannot imagine how to endure everything of the women living in that kind of circumstances, in the harsh reign of Taliban. They need to cover their faces and every parts of body in black, in burqa. They stumble, they cried at home, they scream in silence. Men are in-charged of everything. The virtues of women are no more than listen, follow and keep bearing. Bear with all the beatings, all the discrimination and unfairness. Women are treated as slaves.

In the novel, there are few chapters talking about the women taking decision. They tried to run away, they tried to protest, they tried to kill...Desperation, it is the drive for human beings to do something unexpected.

I don't know what I suppose to feel, should be glad I am a Malaysian? Should be glad I am not obliged to anyone? So am I supposed to be enjoying the freedom to do whatever I want?

To many, people like us are fortunate. Many are telling us we have unlimited opportunities, as long as we dare to dream. So what? I suddenly feel, eventhough, we are bound to too many things, too many things need to be considered.

Anyway, as nike says, just do it. Whatever you want, go!