Stories shared.
Memories kept.

Gather around. We need to talk about the legends of the Soona Family. I’m talking about the original "Disruptors," the "Code Breakers," the women who looked at the family history books and said, "Move over, boys, we’re writing our own chapter."

I speak, of course, of the silent duo: Sumina and Sufina.

Now, if you know these two, you know they are separated by barely a year in age but separated by absolutely nothing in terms of competitive spirit. Back in the day, they were the 'Padippist'. They studied hard, they prayed hard, and they argued over textbooks hard.

Sumina, the elder, was the ambitious one. She wanted it all. She finished her higher secondary and decided to attempt the holy grail of every Indian parent’s dream: MBBS and Engineering. She gave it her best shot, but as they say, sometimes the universe says "Not yet." She didn't make the cut.

Did she cry? Maybe. Did she give up? Never. She enrolled in BSc Chemistry, but this was merely a strategic retreat. She was plotting her comeback. She had a second attempt at the Medical Entrance.

Meanwhile, Sufina, who inherited her father Samad’s brain for numbers, was busy being a math wizard. She threw her hat into the Engineering ring. So there they were: Sumina attempting both Medical and Engineering for the second time, and Sufina attempting Engineering. The tension in the house must have been thicker than their mother Aisha's pudding.

The results were spectacular:

Sufina: snagged a spot in Computer Science. (why not dominate the future of technology?)
Sumina: secured a seat in Electrical and Electronics. (if you can't fix a human heart as a doctor, you might as well fix an electric bulb)

Sumina and Sufina were the epitome of traditional elegance. They were always cladded in churidhars or skirts, the kind that made them look like they were heading to a religious function, not a college campus. They were the picture of demure, well-behaved daughters.

And then... the transformation happened.

One fine morning, in place of the churidhars emerged something the neighborhood had never seen before: Shirts, pants and shoes.
Yes, folks. The kind that said, "I have a lab session at 8 AM and I will not let a dupatta slow me down."

The neighborhood went into crisis mode.

Aunty #1: "Did you see? They are wearing pants now. PANTS!"

Aunty #2: "What next? Will they cut their hair?

But the sisters? They laced up their shoes, straightened their pants, and walked into history.

The sisters had a secret weapon: Kahar Kochappa.

Under his local guardianship, they navigated the treacherous waters of engineering college. They survived the labs, the exams, and the inevitable group projects. And in 1996, they crossed the finish line. They graduated.

But here is the funny part: They didn't realize they had just made history.

When they tossed their caps (or maybe just posed for a photo, because the 90s were chill), they didn’t know they had just become the First Women Engineers in the Soona Family.

That’s right. Before them, the family history books were dominated by male engineers. But a woman engineer? They broke the mold.

The Aftermath:

Like all good stories, the paths diverged.

Sufina, having conquered the world of Engineering, decided, "Okay, I’ve done that. I’m going to go live my life." She didn't pursue a career in the field afterwards, proving that she got the degree purely to flex on the patriarchy.

Sumina, on the other hand, took her show on the road. She packed her bags, followed her husband to the UAE, and joined SIBCA as a Junior Engineer dealing with low-voltage equipment. From Biology labs to Electrical circuits to the deserts of the Middle East, she truly did it all.

So, to Sumina and Sufina: You two didn't just get engineering degrees. You created a legacy. You paved the way for the rest of us to be nerds without shame.

And to the rest of the family: Next time you look at the Soona Family tree, make sure you draw little hard hats and gear icons next to their names. They earned it.

Here’s to the First Women Engineers of the family. May their codes never break, circuits never short and their legacy never fade.