Word Meaning
बे-हिजाबियाँ
be-hijābiyāñ
Meaning
acts of unveiling, immodesties, shamelessness, or exposure without restraint
Detailed Meaning
This plural noun refers to multiple acts of being unveiled, exposed, or lacking bashfulness and concealment. In the cited couplet by Ghalib, it describes the beloved's careless abandonment of modesty in the garden, which is so excessive that the speaker feels vicarious shame even from the exposed scent of flowers. Poetically, it evokes a provocative manifestation of beauty unveiled to the world.
Etymology
Compound formed from Persian prefix 'be-' (without) and Arabic 'hijāb' (veil, curtain, modesty) followed by the Persian abstract suffix '-ī' and Urdu plural ending '-āñ'.
Usage
In classical ghazal poetry, it is frequently employed to highlight the beloved's tantalizing or bold disclosure of beauty contrasting with the lover's overwhelmed modesty.
Examples
उसकी बे-हिजाबियाँ देख कर सब दंग रह गए।
महफ़िल में ऐसी बे-हिजाबियाँ पहले कभी न देखी थीं।