I'm rich, I'm privileged, I'm informed - am I safe?

I guess you could call me one of the 1%.

No one ever disputes that Pakistan is an extremely polarised society, but I think we often forget how polarised it is, because we all live in, well, bubbles.

These bubbles are made up of all the assumptions we hold dear, from the mundane “I am a good husband and brother” all the way to the abstract “My world view is the correct world view”.

Most of the time, I live happily in my bubble, bouncing off other people and life events with the comforting certainty a bubble brings. But then sometimes, very rarely, but sometimes – bubbles pop, or warp to the point where you can see Life (capital L) - and the bubbles that other people are bouncing around in become visible too.

When my bubble bursts, I find myself in a sea of discomforting privilege. I suddenly realise that in certain power dynamics such as master-servant, the reality is more like master-slave. I realise what I call my meager wealth is almost obscene wealth for many. I realise that my job as a journalist has given me a false sense of security by distancing me from the things I see and hear.

I also realise that my sense of invulnerability is a façade here in Pakistan.

This is my attempt to capture that moment.



ALL ILLUSTRATIONS BY: JAHANZAIB HAQUE

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