THE COURAGE TO READ ,THE STRENGTH TO RISE

I'm certain that I never smiled over an Instagram post of a celebrity or any other activist, but last night, my mother's Instagram feed's first post was by Malala Yousafzai. Later, my gaze ended up on her other Instagram posts, and I smiled over many of them. I think she inspired me a lot to raise my voice against the patriarchy existing in my family. The book "I Am Malala" brought some changes in me; it was the first memoir I had read in my life, and it paved the way for my reading habit.

"The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage were born."--- Malala Yousafzai.

My primary school is the reason behind my whole academic performance. It was the place that gave birth to the bookworm in me.I never used  my academic library until I was 11, during my 6th standard. I would often visit the library with my friend just for a walk during intervals, as it was a bit far from my class. I had learned about Malala Yousafzai as a social activist and her speech. Accidentally, a book caught my glance at my library - "I Am Malala". Although I haven't completed it, I still remember her words about her father. He supported his daughter with his full heart, and the great thing is he was willing to break societal norms and fundamentalist religious views.

I'm not sure why, but those few pages struck my mind a lot. 

Last night, I don't know why I smiled over her happy face, but I firmly believe that she is not just a survivor of such an attack, but through her rebounding, she proved that nothing can defeat a woman's determination, even if they made her step close to death. Now I know why I smiled over her post. Even her description of the Taliban attack terrified the readers, but she overcame it only because of her determination. On this World Book Day, I take off my hat to Malala Yousafzai for "I Am Malala".