Member-only story
QANDEEL BALOCH
The Cost of Boldness
Celebrating women who dare to be themselves in a world that tries to silence them
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It was a quiet Saturday evening when my sister, and I settled on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, ready to dive into a about Qandeel Baloch, Pakistan’s controversial social media sensation.
The screen flickered with images of Qandeel — her vibrant selfies, her sultry dance videos, her unapologetic defiance of societal norms.
As we watched, I noticed my sister’s eyes widened, then narrowed with a mix of awe and frustration. Halfway through the first episode, she paused the show and turned to me.
“Why couldn’t they just let her live?” she asked, her voice trembling. “She was just being herself — bold, free, unafraid. Why does that make people so angry?”
I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. “It’s not just her,” I said. “It’s every woman who dares to be different. If you’re bold, especially in our South Asian culture, you’re automatically ‘bad.’ People think you’ve got no character, no shame.”
My sister leaned back, her arms crossed. “It’s so unfair. I mean, look at men — they can be loud, flashy, whatever, and everyone…
