I recently came across the short film “Ab Buss,” directed by Mohsin Talat, and was enthralled by the powerful message it delivers and felt the need to share it with others. It is about the intense fear, panic, and anxiety a young woman feels when faced with the challenge of traveling alone at night. Based on the Lahore Motorway gang rape case, the thriller strategically addresses the topics of sexual assault, rape, and the prevailing victim-blaming narrative regarding the incident. This film is heartbreaking to watch as it accurately encapsulates the extreme measures women have to take to feel safe and protected in this country. It infuriates me that despite taking extreme precautionary actions to protect oneself, the system still finds a way to blame the victim and reduce this more significant issue to what the woman was wearing or how provocatively she was acting. In the film, the lead character, played by Sanam Saaed, arms herself with a taser and a gun while wearing military clothing to disguise herself and avert attention. This act made me realise how bound we are as women in our shared anxiety, alertness, and reluctancy to ever let our guard down. Unfortunately, this is the sad and harsh reality that women find themselves in this country, and it is time for a change. Ab buss.