#Sobia writers

[scribblersobia]

You are to me what stars are for the night. You are to me what colors are for a painter. You are to me what rain is for the clouds. You are to me what tea is to biscuits. You are to me what waiting is for a lover. You are to me what words are for a writer. You are to me what a cool breeze is for birds. You are to me what flowers are for butterflies. You are to me what love is for a heartbroken. You are to me what the universe is for the soul.

@scribblersobia

[abrarkureshy]

Karachi Literature Festival Goes London! Either it was #KLFLondon hashtag on Twitter or a post on Oxford University Press’s Facebook page where they announced KLF’s launch in Royal Festival Hall of London’s Southbank Center as part of their annual Alchemy festival. Unfortunately though, we don’t get literary vibes from Pakistan much and KLF is an exception to that persona of our homeland. But this time, it wasn’t the case and did it make me feel proud, because I, along with many other literature & book-lovers attended Islamabad Literature Festival with full enthusiasm few weeks back.

Karachi Literature Festival was founded in 2010 by Ameena Syed and Asif Farruki, now Pakistan’s biggest literary event. It first branched out to Islamabad as ILF in 2013 and now has grown beyond Pakistan on International horizon. KLF London, produced by Oxford University Press, was organized in collaboration with the Southbank Centre, Bloomsbury Pakistan (a research collective from London), and Rukhsana Ahmed. Event brought Pakistani and International writers, authors and scholars under one roof. Event turned out to be very successful w.r.t. public participation. Event tickets were pre-sold and all sessions were jam-packed.

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Mohammed Hanif, an internationally acclaimed Pakistani-origin author and journalist formally inaugurated the event by his keynote address. Hanif talked gave unique insights into Pakistan’s history.  Guests and speakers were welcomed by Ameena Saiyid, KLF and ILF Founder & Director, Asif Farrukhi, KLF and ILF Founder, and Adrian Mellor, Managing Director, Asia Education, OUP. Pakistan’s High Commissioner to UK, Syed Ibn Abbas also addressed the participants.

Around 70 writers (Pakistani as well as International), scholars, critics, journalists, and artists participated, 20 sessions progressed simultaneously covering a broad range of themes, ideas, and subjects. Sessions were live streamed on Oxford University Press’ official Facebook page.

A separate strand for children which included an immersive theatre piece by Jungly Jadoogars; an animated film by the artist Fauzia Minallah; storytelling by the children’s author, Shahbano Bilgrami; and sing-along songs by the veteran Pakistani musician, Khaled Anam, were also a part of the festival.

Notable sessions from day 1 were ‘Transphobia and Misogyny’, a discussion on legislation around transgenders and women in Pakistan; ‘Reluctant Returners: Migrants, Refugees and Memories of the Homeland’ in which characters and fictions inspired by exile and displacement were explored. ‘Pakistani Renaissance? The Best in Cinema, Reportage, Theatre and Fashion’ with  Atiqa Odho, Faris Kermani, designer Maheen Khan, and journalist Cyril Almeida.

Taimur Rahman, Moni Mohsin, and H. M. Naqvi weighed up the challenge of portraying Pakistan’s gender and class divide in ‘Blaming the Elite: Class, Greed, and Gender in Contemporary Pakistan’. Educationists, entrepreneurs, and experts including Farid Panjwani, Ahmereen Reza, Mona Kasuri, and Ameena Saiyid were part of panel discussion titled ‘Madrassas and Montessoris: Are Private Schools Keeping Madrassas at Bay?’.

Shuja Nawaz, Maleeha Lodhi, Ishrat Husain, and Victoria Schofield analyzed geopolitical and internal challenges Pakistan is facing in ‘Against All Odds: The Price of Prosperity in Pakistan Today’ . In the session ‘Urdu ki Zid Mai: At Loggerheads: Urdu vs English vs Regional Languages’ Basir Kazmi, Ishrat Afreen, Harris Khalique and Asif Farrukhi discussed if Urdu in Pakistan is under threat from English or the regional languages.

The evening sessions comprised thought-provoking discourses on ‘Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: Diaspora Pakistanis Caught in Post Brexit Hate-Storm’, with Ziauddin Sardar, Farooq Bajwa, and Iftikhar Malik debating the challenges faced by Pakistani diaspora in Europe; ‘Karachi: City of Lights and Gangs’ with Laurent Gayer, Nichola Khan, Mohammed Hanif, Sobia Ahmad Kaker, Omar Shahid Hamid, and Kamran Asdar Ali talking about the battle for Karachi and its resilience despite political conflicts; and ‘Tweeting for Social Change: How Social Media is Influencing the Political Scene’ in which Huma Yusuf,  Umber Khairi, and Umair Javed discussed the impact of social media on Pakistan’s political scene.

The highlight of the festival was the ‘Satrangi Mushaira’, which was an open mic session for Pakistan’s regional language poets to recite their latest offerings. Another session ‘In Their Own Words: Writers and Poets from Pakistan’, moderated by Muneeza Shamsie, featured poetry and prose readings by writers of Pakistani origin including Imtiaz Dharker, Aamer Hussein, and Zaffar Kunial. In ‘Partition Stories’ Nimra Bucha, Vayu Naidu, Shayma Saiyid, Amrit Kaur Lohia, and Sarah Ansari presented a medley of readings, film clips, recitals, dance and poetry about the Partition of India.

The evening came to a close by a kathak dance performance by Shayma Saiyid and a music concert by Khumariyaan, a Peshawar-based music band known for their fusion brand of Pashtun folk music.

Sponsorship support to the KLF London was provided by Bestway, Arts Council England, Third World Quarterly magazine, Salt n Pepper restaurant, High Commission of Pakistan in London, South Asia Institute of the University of Texas at Austin, and The Pakistan Society.

KLF founded Pakistan’s biggest literary event. Now branched out o London. #KLFLondon #KLF #ILF Karachi Literature Festival Goes London! Either it was #KLFLondon hashtag on Twitter or a post on Oxford University Press's Facebook page where they announced KLF's launch in Royal Festival Hall of London's Southbank Center as part of their annual Alchemy festival.

[urdunovelz]

Dil Ka Darwaza by Hafiza Sobia Arif

Dil Ka Darwaza by Hafiza Sobia Arif

Dil Ka Darwaza by Hafiza Sobia Arif is an Urdu Romantic Short Novel, A story about egoistic Agha Jan who is annoyed with his son to get married against his wish..

Hafiza Sobia Arif is Novelist and Urdu stories writer with a beautiful words collection in her stories and religious touch for readers to get close to Islam, she has written many other novels also such as, Ahl e Dil, Naazuk Aabgeenay,…

[scribblersobia]

There must be something special about love, I believe when you are in love, the blue sky looks more bluey than blue, every season becomes your favorite season, the water in the rivers looks more sparkly, the stars look more shimmery, you see the moon smiling at you, you smell the soft fragrance of your love everywhere, you feel like walking on clouds, Oh! Lord, there must be something special about love, there must be something more than love in love, It must be beautiful, like butterflies dancing in every inch of the body, It must be more than beautiful, love must be more than warmth, intimacy, and endearment.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

What if we hadn't met? What would we have been like? We might not be like the way we are today, I don't know about you but, maybe I would have been the same as before, the girl who believed in friendships and love, that hopeless romantic with a soft heart, the girl who was like a butterfly, bubbly, cute, and full of colors, they say every person you meet in your life, change something in you, and you changed the way I look at love, I wish I would have never met you and never changed, I sometimes miss that girl I met before meeting you, because I miss her, her laughter, and her spark.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

It was tough to learn; the art of living a ''private life.'' The experiences that I have had with people have taught me that the outer world changes their behavior towards you according to your good or bad times. Everyone will want to be your friend when your life is going well, as everyone admires the rising sun. And they will be the same people who will leave you in your tough times. Only if you are lucky and blessed; you realize that you have a few gems in your life who stand by you through thick and thin, and trust me, you can never afford to lose them. The biggest lesson from my failures is that the ''private life is the best life.'' People love to destroy what they know, your relationships, goals, kids, money, and everything. They will put doubts in your mind. They will tell you how big and impossible your goals are, and they will love to see you defeated. It is not that everyone is jealous of you. Some people you will meet in your life; will have a big table full of delicious food, but they will feel bad to see you receiving even a good two meals a day. When you keep your life private, you kill those doubts, jealousy, sadness, judgments, and taunts. Nobody stays with you all your life; it is better to keep our lives to ourselves as privacy is fashionable.

P stands for PRIVATE AND PEACEFUL.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

Some days I want to sit and do nothing but write, write about love, stars, heartbreaks, and pain, I want to be lazy and, dream about the love my heart craves for, I want to write more about clouds and how they change their shape, and how rain looks like when it falls on my window pane, also how the earth smells different on a sunny day and a rainy day, and how do I adore the sky and oceans, some days I want to sit and do nothing but write, write my soul on paper, write about how beautiful she is, and how vulnerable she feels in this world, I, some days, want to do nothing but write, write, and write.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

With every rising morning sun, I hope I forgive myself, for loving those who did not deserve my love. With every setting twilight, I hope I heal from the guilt, the guilt of trusting people who were not worthy of it. With every changing cycle of the moon, I hope I get over this feeling, the feeling of feeling stupid to love and trust such people.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

What is the quintessence of life? So many faces around me, I see they pretend to smile, but their eyes can't lie, yes, we are sad, their eyes scream, dejected, depressed, regretful and broken-hearted. I ask you, God, what is the quintessence of life? When did life become full of sorrows? Wasn't it meant to be the most beautiful thing? Why doesn't life feels like love anymore? Where did things go wrong? Why, God?

My mom says, God always answers, I paused, I introspected, I looked for my answer, and he answered in a way I never expected him to, but God will find his way to you, that's why I think I have been realizing a lot lately, Now I believe, Realizations are God's way of answering your questions, My God spoke to me, he said the essence of life is accepting yourself, accepting your flaws, heartbreaks, things that make you happy, and everything about your existence. Life is not giving up on yourself, It means you wake up every day and choose to love yourself. Life is when you realize every human being is wandering in the same loop, and you choose to free yourself from this loop of darkness and light. Life is love, and love is freedom, and freedom comes at a cost; you fight for it and continue to fight till you do not acquire it. Life is when you grow from one level of consciousness to another. This journey is not easy, but you choose to fight and grow to accomplish the true essence of life.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

When you are sad, you think the whole world is happy. And, when you are happy, you still think the whole world is happy.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

Just because we don't talk anymore, just because I know you have hurt me deeply, just because we are strangers again, just because I have accepted and moved on, just because you are a memory in my heart, just because our friendship was not for a lifetime, just because you were a painful chapter in the book of my life. I will never hate you, I can never hate you, just because we are not on the same page, you will never earn me as an enemy, I always wished good for you, and I will always wish good for you, I want you to grow, to be happy, and to laugh, I want you to have all you wish for, but we will never be on the same page again, because I can't see you the way I saw you, you are no more the same person I was friends with, you are no more my comfort zone, I can never be your friend again, neither I am your enemy, you are just a memory I am trying to erase.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

This letter is for all my girlfriends who are broken hearts and are tired of finding love.

My dear girlfriends,

I know you are broken and tired. And there are voids in your heart that someone gave you, whom you gave your whole heart. I know it hurts to wake up every morning with a feeling of betrayal. Every day passes with a heavy heart. The questions you are asking your heart are giving you more self-doubts. Where I went wrong? What was my mistake? Why did he break my heart? My dear, I know you are tired of finding a man with good intentions who will love you for who you are. But I want to tell you that loving someone who never respected your love was his weakness; you are beautiful because you know the art of love; you were not wrong, and vow to me that you will never feel less for yourself. Love is love, and when in love, people don't think about right or wrong. The one who used you to fill the voids in his life was wrong. Yes, women are emotional beings, and we trust people, and I believe that is our biggest weakness, and we make mistakes in recognizing someone's intentions for us. But I also feel that we learn from our mistakes, and there is a magical word called, ''healing'', healing is a long journey, and it takes time. My love, start picking up the pieces of your broken heart, and love yourself more; every failure in your life teaches you something that happy and good times can't. Heal yourself every day, show up every day, embrace every little change you feel within yourself, accept your past, and fight every day because you are the only person who can build yourself into the dream of poets. I know you can, my girl; start now, start with your broken heart, begin with that hunting feeling of betrayal, start now, seek help if you need it because you can't stay here like this for the rest of your life. And, last, I want to say that a terrible person is terrible because of their life experiences. And their character has nothing to do with their gender. Millions of men are heartbroken by the women they cared for and loved the most. So, it is not the gender but their souls. Even men suffer a lot. Broken hearts can again fall in love, friend. You don't find love; you attract love. Love yourself more than the stars love the dark sky, and I will pray that the universe may fill your heart with more adoration. Remember! An ugly soul can never understand the beauty of a loving heart.

@scribblersobia 

[scribblersobia]

I want that old-school love, walking hand in hand while it's drizzling, dancing to our favorite song in the rain in an abandoned place, writing love letters with a beautiful ink pen, going for long walks in the woods, talking with eyes, random kisses, doing small things that make your love happy, growing together with patience, sitting on the verandah and sipping coffee in the evening, listening to ''our'' favorite old songs, going for long drives, choosing each other every day, being each other's best friends from beginning to end, and even after this life, I want that old-school love, because I want to feel how it feels to be in love.

@scribblersobia​

[scribblersobia]

They met, their eyes met, one fell in love and, the other one pretended to be in love, as time passed, one fell in love deeper and deeper, the other one felt nothing and pretended, just pretended to be madly in love, the one with deep love, felt love more deeper than before, and momentarily, the pretender couldn't pretend anymore, things started to rust, the one with love was hurt the most and, the one who was never in love found new 'love' soon.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

People who laugh at others' vulnerabilities, weaknesses, fears, and failures. Make fun of people who are trying their best to reach their goals. Those people, those people are the worst kind of losers.

@scribblersobia

[scribblersobia]

Today, I want to thank God for saving me every time I was about to fall. I want to thank him for all that he has given me. The food on my table is because of him, the clean water I drink is because of him, the comfy home where I live with my family is because of him, and the peace I feel in my heart is because of him. I open my eyes every day because of you, God. I thank God for removing all the people who had bad intentions for me from my life. Thank you, God, for healing me. I have realized my mistakes. I know there were some lessons for me to learn. Lately, I have been seeing so many things through my soul. It has given me a whole new perspective to me. I beg you, God, please take me out of the regrets I have in my heart, heal my soul, and give me the strength to forgive those who have hurt my soul.

@scribblersobia