“If you
don’t like wearing it, why do you?” I could tell that this was one of Sophie’s
serious questions.
“I wear
it because I got in the habit of it. It’s a compromise. My grandmother wears
the paranja. I didn’t want to. It makes my family feel more comfortable; it
makes life easier for those around me. I wear it because, in Tashkent anyway, I
don’t get unwanted attention. I wear it because I feel safe. It’s like home,
only wrapped around my head.”
