Zahra speaks

Some days are incredibly special in your life. They change the way you look at everything and for me, it was 4th April 2011. It was the day when I got into a major spinal surgery aiming to decompress my spine from a giant cell tumor on the C7-T1 level. I remember vividly lying down in my hospital bed the night before my surgery. Touch screen phones with not very common and we had one of those phones where you navigate the screen through the keypad. I searched about my surgery, the procedure, the side effects, and basically, what can go wrong. It was numbing and after a point, I was terrified. That night, I couldn't sleep. The uncertainty had captured my existence. Nothing seemed to help, therefore, I started praying. The only thought in my mind was, what if I die tomorrow? I started seeking forgiveness and looking back at my journey. Who I was and what had happened? It was overwhelming and sleep was nowhere to be found.  One of the most interesting things that happened the night be

  “Fiction is the truth inside the lie. - Stephen King” What if I tell you that there is nothing like absolute fiction? Every story and character that you adore is not just a fraction of somebody's imagination, but an introspection of reality. Many brilliant authors have spoken about the integrity of fiction and when I started writing, I experienced it. With every story, the writer illustrates a bit of their life that was hidden from everyone. Fiction modifies reality into an entertaining, intriguing,  experience for the audience, and at the same time, brings out the true colors of the world. Every writer seeks inspiration from real life. The experiences, people we meet, our friends, our surroundings become a source of inspiration for different parts of our stories. Sometimes the inspiration is scattered throughout the story, not necessarily deriving the entire story from reality. In my case, I have also used bits of my life in my stories. It is a very cathartic experience. Everyth

Graduation is a great deal for everyone, and for me, it is even bigger. Recently, after a lot of effort and anxious nights, I graduated. I like saying this out loud I am a graduate now. At one point, it seemed to be a far-fetched dream and I was not sure whether I would be able to achieve it or not. Honestly, I never thought it would occur. It took courage, determination, patience, and faith to make this dream a reality, but now I can proudly say it was all worth it. In 2010, after my surgery, I was bedridden for almost a year. My body was badly affected by the after-effects of spinal compression, and some of those symptoms continue to affect me. However, I lost the grip of my right hand. There was no nervous control whatsoever and I could not hold a pen in my hand. It affected my perseverance to continue my education. Whenever I would make up my mind to restart my studies, the biggest roadblock was not being able to hold a pen. I did not know any other way to distill my learning excep

Change is inevitable. We have grown up listening to the philosophy of change being the only permanence, but nobody told us that it is the most difficult thing to cope with. Despite the brilliance of change and how it transforms our life, the transition phase is strenuous. My life has seen many changes, from physical to spiritual, however, recently, I went through an emotional change. In November of 2021, my sister got married. I consider her marriage to be one of the most important events of my life. It was huge. Everything we used to talk about as children were turning into a reality. There is no doubt that my sister made the most beautiful bride, and I was so happy to catch a glimpse of her forever bliss. However, I had no idea that her marriage would set loose an emotional turmoil for me. Do you know how sisters are? They fight and make up all the time. But, they are always there for each other. Through every thick and thin, my sisters have been a concrete wall that never allowed an

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is a day to acknowledge the role of a small yet significant chunk of society. Disabilities do not define an individual, they are a small part of it. It is an excellent opportunity to reflect upon the issues that the PWDs of Pakistan face, and how can you contribute to improving the quality of their lives. Inclusion   Inclusion is the prime subject of concern. Society needs to acknowledge PWD's and allow them an equal chance to grow. It is only possible once you start doing it. Start from the roots. If you have a PWD in your surrounding, try to make them feel that they are not aliens. Let go of the awkward stares. Just because a person is in a wheelchair, it doesn't mean you can constantly look at them, and try to make sense of their existence. Let them be. Acceptance is normalizing PWDs among the crowd. It seems small, but trust me, it's a meaningful juncture.  Representation It is crucial to understand that the needs of a PWD

 'Squid game' is gaining popularity among the masses swiftly. The Korean show has succeeded to amass viewers' attention after its release on Netflix on 17th September 2021. I binged the show after coming across tons of memes, posts, and articles online. The buzz was at its peak, and I succumbed to it. Well, here's my say. It is a depressing, violent, and gut-wrenching show that makes you sick. I feel it shouldn't be on Netflix. Here's why: The plot of the show is based on a game that involves more than two hundred people. They are meticulously selected due to their financial instability, or overdue debts. There is a whole mystery behind who runs the game and why they do so. All the participants are carried to an island, away from the city, to play a bloody game for whopping prize money. It's not as simple as that. To make it even more twisted, they summon the participants to play children's games with fatal twists. The progression in the games is based o

 Reading is a fruitful habit that helps you in many pursuits of life. It is the most preferable and productive activity which helped me a lot in many ways. I could have never realized my passion for stories if it wasn't for The Wizard of Oz; The first book that I ever read. It was a long journey but somehow that book remains special. I read it when I was around eleven years old. It was my routine to write a diary before going to sleep so, I would write the important events of the day and then, immerse myself in the fictional world of the book. Honestly, I don't even remember the story clearly, but I do remember enjoying it thoroughly. It changed my perspective and instilled the passion to write. The truth is I haven't read many books, but when I turned fourteen, one of my cousins gifted me 'The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho'. When I read that book, I felt something incredible. The books were not just the pages anymore, I sensed life in them. There was an immensely spect