As soon as she left the hospital, she took a deep breath. The breath that had been trapped behind the mask all day seemed to have been released from her lungs now. The patients of the day, their relatives, injections, medicines, files — all were echoing in her mind like a crowd. The…
Category: Creative Writing
Creative writing not published in book form
Bey-tuki | On the Rocks
اسپتال سے نکلتے ہی اس نے ایک لمبی سانس بھری۔ ماسک کے پیچھے دن بھر قید رہی سانس جیسے اب جا کے اس کے پھینپھڑوں سے آزاد ہوئی ہو۔ دن بھر کے مریض، ان کے رشتے دار، انجیکشن، دوائیں، فائلیں — سب اس کے ذہن میں ہجوم کی طرح گونج رہے تھے۔ سڑک پر شام…
Bey-tuki | ऑन द रॉक्स
अस्पताल से निकलते ही उसने एक लंबी साँस भरी। मास्क के पीछे दिन भर क़ैद रही साँस जैसे अब जाकर उसके फेफड़ों से आज़ाद हुई हो। दिन भर के मरीज़, उनके रिश्तेदार, इंजेक्शन, दवाएँ, फाइलें — सब उसके ज़ेहन में हुजूम की तरह गूंज रहे थे। सड़क पर शाम के मामूल की अफ़रातफ़री…
Random Rambling | Phlegm Machine
Meet the Phlegm Machine At least twice a year, I turn into what I can only describe as a phlegm machine. Once when the winter is just beginning, and again when it is packing its bags. Like clockwork, my body decides to audition for a one-person orchestra, complete with blocked sinuses, scratchy throat,…
Random Rambling | 20 Years
(Un)happy work anniversary 20 years ago, on a pleasant monsoon morning, I joined my first job. It was a Friday. I wore a new salwar kameez that mum had stitched for this very event-white kurta with lavender and cyan flowers paired with solid cyan salwar and dupatta. My heart raced so hard as…
Booṛha aur Laṛka | Hafsa Naaz
Booṛha aur Laṛka Ek gaon mein baar-baar baarish hua karti thi. Ek laṛka chhatri lekar ja raha tha. Usne dekha ke ek booṛha baarish mein tha. Laṛkay ne booṛhay ko chhatri di aur bola, “Tum yahan baarish mein kya kar rahe ho?” Booṛhay ne jawab diya, “Meri jhonpri toot gayi hai.” Laṛka bola, “Tum mere…
बूढ़ा और लड़का | हफ्सा नाज़
बूढ़ा और लड़का एक गाँव में बार-बार बारिश हुआ करती थी। एक लड़का छतरी लेकर जा रहा था। उसने देखा कि एक बूढ़ा बारिश में था। लड़के ने बूढ़े को छतरी दी और बोला, “तुम यहाँ बारिश में क्या कर रहे हो?” बूढ़े ने जवाब दिया, “मेरी झोंपड़ी टूट गई है।” लड़का बोला, “तुम मेरे…
بوڑھا اور لڑکا | حفصہ ناز
بوڑھا اور لڑکا ایک گاؤں میں بار بار بارش ہوا کرتی تھی۔ ایک لڑکا چھتری لے کر جا رہا تھا۔ اس نے دیکھا کہ ایک بوڑھا بارش میں تھا۔ “لڑکے نے بوڑھے کو چھتری دی اور بولا “تم یہاں بارش میں کیا کر رہے ہو؟ “بوڑھے نے جواب دیا “میری جھونپڑی ٹوٹ گئی ہے ۔…
Random Rambling | That’s not how you do it, hon!
Yesterday morning, I decided to quit tea for good. And it was one of the best decision of my life. And I survived, almost fourteen hours since the sweeping declaration, almost thirty hours without tea. I was feeling quite proud of myself. But then, after dinner, my head started to spin, my eyes were…
Random Rambling | The Reluctant Traveller
The Lust of Wanderlust When I was little, I ached to travel around. I mean, I heard all these stories from my classmates and neighbourly of how their families would pack up every summer and venture to other neighboring cities for a summer break at their grandparents’ house like it was the most…