To Aisha,
Aisha embodies the true essence of feminism. She is a headstrong "feminist" who breaks the societal norms at every juncture of her life and comes out as an absolute empowered carefree individual. She gives "shelter" to her first Bombay friend when he leaves his parental house out of impulse and is quite literally the home too to Sid. Aisha does not even think twice about the reaction of, how having a guy under the same roof will be seen by society.
She dares to refuse her boss’s proposal of a jazz night and takes pride in being a Purani "Hindi film song." She isn't afraid to go for a walk with a stranger on the very night she comes to Bombay.
Aisha to me is relatable in so many dimensions,
the way how she paused herself, stared at her books, and hugs them to feel home in an unknown city. Aisha is a part of me when she is seen stealing her moment of joy, rawness, and simplicity with Sid while they talk of dreams and aspirants on her terrace.
She finds joy in little things of life, chai poha, books, and walks. She makes the rented apartment her own space with little knick-knacks here and there. Aisha is raw yet calm. She loves to explore places and while she does so every time, she carries a diary with her putting down all her feelings there.
She is an aspiring writer but isn't vocal about her feelings though, perhaps the reason why chooses to express her feelings as words to Sid. Her vulnerability lies behind her deep black kohl eyes and peace in the ways she says, " You, me, and two cups of chai is a party."
She has different dimensions to her, for instance, a guardian where she scolds her "roommate and companion" Sid of keeping her house messy and clumsy and prone to vulnerability in another when she confesses her love to him on the beach.
But to be true, she is that one confidant all of us are looking for. She is unfiltered, quite literally.
Love and happiness
Saloni