Zahra speaks

The current situation has rendered a lot of lessons for everyone. Everyone has understood something or the other. Some people haven't learned anything and I feel it's fine, not everyone is bound to be learning something in this time of isolation. Earlier, the saints, gurus, or the yogis would go into isolation to practice meditation, to achieve a greater connection with the Higher source. Perhaps they did find something, perhaps they found they looked for. The definition may be different but we all are finding something, some questions need to be answered, consciously or unconsciously, we want something which is not materialistic, it is purely spiritual. What is it? You have to find out, only if you have the will to do so.  I will not be going into any deeper conversation about what the meaning of life is or what I am finding. I have observed something so simple yet astounding in this period of isolation. Even before the quarantine started I was in quarantine for a month. I los

My super self,  It's a reminder that everything will be alright. You have been through many trying times but see, they passed. This time is very strange, the world is struggling. The lockdown and quarantine have introduced the world to the dimension you experienced a long time ago, it's not something new and it's not something that will stay either. That's the thing about time, the good and bad, it passes and makes you stronger. I am not saying 'hang in there'  for the sake of saying, I mean it.  Life has not been easy, but what's a ride without bumps (especially when you live in Lahore). Just remember that some things were a dream a few years ago but you achieved it, lived it. That's a miracle and if that can happen, anything can. You tested your abilities and to some extent, prove many people wrong. The journey has not ended, it's ongoing but you have accomplished things that you should be proud of. When life was not happy-go-lucky, you avoided the

God created every face with much detailing. Have you ever noticed that every person has a different kind of shine in his or her eyes? The voices are so diverse, any two people rarely have the same voice. You see many faces every day, have you ever tried to examine the minute features on each face? It is rather impossible to contemplate the work of Almighty, His art, His creation, us. If we are physically different from each other, it is only logical to say, our souls are also different from each other. At birth, we are blessed with flesh and blood, this body, and a soul. Nobody is born without a soul and when the soul leaves the body, physical death occurs. Not everyone is as healthy as others and sometimes some people are much more physically fit as compared to others. The health, if not fully but, depends on how you treat your body. For example, if you are having an infection, you take medicines to help your body combat the disease. Similarly, our soul also nourishes or distorts

Happy Women's Day to all the wonderful warriors who fight their battles daily with a lot of grace and pride. It is impossible to comprehend the strength of a woman. She goes through a lot of stages in her life, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother. One common thing in all phases of her life is the strength with which she continues to strive. It is not easy to be a woman. Not everyone has the power to face the circumstances with so much patience. A woman can teach you to be resilient despite the circumstances. I draw inspiration from many women in this world who have taught me to stay firm in the face of hardships. The most important woman whom I adore you more than anyone else is Bibi Fatima (AS), the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). From a very young age, I started listening to the stories of strength. How strongly she had to face the events in her life and brought up the most incredible children in the world. Despite everything, she worked hard throughout her

Mere Pass Tum Ho was one of the most popular drama serials in 2019. It was much hyped and publicized due to a complex storyline. However, I don't feel there is any real "wow factor" in the storyline. I feel the story was pretty ordinary but with the great acting and some hard-hitting dialogues, this drama serial reached another height of popularity among the Pakistani audience. To be completely honest, I haven't been watching the show regularly. I haven't even watched one whole episode of this show but many people among my family and friends were keen followers of the show and thanks to them, I kept getting the updates about the story progress. They were enthusiastic about the show just like most of the Pakistani viewers. I saw a few viral clips from the show and liked the performances of the main actors, the dialogues were very impactful and hit many cords among the audience. From 'do takay ki aurat' to "aurat fitratan bewafa nahi hoti..',

Time is funny. Sometimes it goes by the pace of a turtle and sometimes a year seems like a moment passed by. It passes in a blink of an eye but one thing is for sure that every year teaches us something new. It's not what happened in the year. It's not about the achievements and failures or the highs and lows. It is about your transformation and what you learned out of it. Every year a new chapter initiates in your life. You begin the new year with a new version of yourself, the evolved version. For me, this year has been good and I learned a lot in this particular year. I'd call this year, the year of “the stranger”, my book. My first book got published from two platforms. As a writer, it was the biggest thing that could happen. The feeling of your book being out there for the people to read is an incredible feeling. A real sense of achievement. It felt very different but not for a moment I was apprehensive. I have seen people getting nervous about these things but for s

I have always been patriotic and very vocal about my opinions. As much as I love this homeland, I am deeply concerned and affected by the recent turn of events and their aftermath. I am not the person who judges people for their opinions and I have repeatedly talked about the difference in opinion being alright but recently, some people wrote comments on social media that moved me or should I put it this way, they shook me. I have never lost faith in my country. Even the thought of leaving this country used to haunt me but the first time in my life, the words that my fellow countrymen wrote broke my heart and I felt disappointed to be a part of such a society. People were spewing venom, literally. There is no discrimination in being compassionate towards people who are suffering, you just need to be human but unfortunately, the latest case of Dua Mangi made it very clear that people from our country have almost lost humanity, let alone being sympathetic. When such cases against w