Many years ago, I vaguely remember watching on Doordarshan a TV programme in which the sleuth, alerted by some noises inside a house, rings the doorbell pretending to be a postman. When the lady of the house appears, he slips a hand-written note to her in which he asks her if everything is fine. She takes a look at the paper and replies that all is okay, in writing. That’s enough for a discerning detective to smell a case there. As the investigator finds out later, the woman and her daughter were actually hostages in their own house whom he rescues.

Actor Zaira Wasim’s Instagram post announcing her retirement is much like the lady’s hand-written “okay” in the detective serial. It serves a purpose different than intended and raises more questions than answers. In her choosing to run a long and winding explanation to justify her decision lies the clue that needs deeper investigation.

Why did she take the trouble of penning the long post, when she always had the option to quit quietly by not taking up any new projects? Why the long-drawn-out explanations? Who is that note meant for— herself, her fans, or her trolls?

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