“The Taliban’s white flags marked the beginning of our dark days,” utters Tamana Paryani. The calendar showed January 19, 2022, and it was around 8 pm Kabul time. I had the phone in my hand when I received a message. I opened it in a hurry as the events of those days were unravelling fast, especially for Afghan women and I had to know what was happening and where quickly. I turned up the volume and heard the scream: “The Taliban are behind the door and they want to take me.” It was Tamana Paryani’s voice. For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond but then once I got myself together, I answere…