I had this friend of mine who never steps out of her house without burka.Since she was not allowed to wear burka in college inspite of her requests she comes to college like a mummy neatly wrapped with only little face exposed. She can be seen only with full sleeved salwars, hands covered by gloves,head covered by scarf and feet by socks. In the very brief lunch break of 30 minutes within which we have numerous other tasks to do like submitting assignments she always find time to do namaaz.

Now don't imagine a cruel father,meek mother and a pack of cruel uncles torturing her to be so.Her father is in a very good job laughing at schools without co education. Her mom is regarded as well read and can talk for hours together about empowerment,freedom and all those impressive stuff. Her sisters' attire representing the latest fashion in town.Her mom always lament to us about her failure in bringing up my friend as a liberal and contemporary woman inspite of providing good education and environment. Now there in the same college was a faculty who was equally good in practising his religion. He daily goes to temple,quotes from vedas and gita,knows auspicious time and days and gracious enough to do special prayer for his students placement too. Now after quite some years I received a call from this dear friend of mine few months back. to inform me how she and my sir are a happy family of three now. My friend,My sir and their little bundle of joy! I was invited 'coz she has no liberal and modern family now to adore her baby as she has become an outcast.The mother who is well read,boasting about the independence she gives to her kids cant accept my friend getting into nuptial bond with someone from other religion. Neither I am gonna talk about the power of love nor her family's reaction as both are obvious.

This incident just made me think once again how deceitful the words are. How artful the language is in giving a false picture and inhibits our attempt to understand.It makes me to question what does the word orthodox,conservative and liberal,modern outlook really mean. We used to describe my friend as very orthodox and her family as very modern.Is dressing,style of living,books we read is what all these words are about?Does the description still holds good? Is sticking to a particular style of living just for the need of acceptance is orthodox? Is reading stuff from impressive personalities,appreciating it and talking for hours about it and practising it as long as you are sure its not going to affect the conceptions you hold hidden deep in your heart is liberal? May be both can be called as acting as we do certain stuff since we think that is how our role should be in front of the audience.

Then what does these words really mean? I don't know. I think following something after making an effort to understand it, accepting it the way it is,falling in love with it and making it a part of life regardless of others opinion about it is what orthodox means. Isn't it should be the same way for the so called modern outlook. You do something because you really believe in it and accept it. The more I think the more I am convinced language is the biggest folly man plays on himself and his fellow beings. If there is one thing I want to tell to each and every one in this world it is, "Never hesitate to ask anyone is that what you really mean"