In the enchanted realm that thrived within Lalarukh’s imagination, her life unfolded to the beloved saga of Little Red Riding Hood. Her journey was akin to Little Red Riding Hood, as she created her own fable where each person donned a role mirroring characters from the beloved tale. In Lalarukh’s world, Chachi, with her wily smirk, inhabited the guise of the cunning wolf. Her laughter … Continue reading Beyond Red’s Hood, From Lalarukh’s Eyes
I envision the universe as a dice, as a game, a mere chance. Six sides, six outcomes, until the dice tilts and balances on its edge. What now? That edge, my friends, is the distinguishing line between realism and idealism. Idealism and Realism, technically speaking, are two terms that lie on opposite ends of a spectrum due to their contradictory implications. Idealism is derived from … Continue reading On the Line Between Realism and Idealism
Growing up in a post-colonial independent nation where English has become the medium of education in most schools has led to a common occurrence in our rapidly advancing, tech-savvy generation: the imposteristic feeling of an estrangement and lack of connection with our mother tongue, Urdu. This article comes from a place of both personal experience and a general look on how we as the youth … Continue reading Why is It Hard to Talk About ‘Feelings’ in Urdu?
Have you ever been scrolling listlessly through your Instagram feed and suddenly encountered Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Obama playing minecraft with each other? Or a horribly realistic video of Mr. Beast’s face on a toddler’s body? That’s Artificial Intelligence, more commonly abbreviated to AI. I cannot remember AI in 2022. All of sudden, in 2023, AI became something everyone had access to, a lesson … Continue reading The Dualistic Emergence of AI
I’m sure many of you have had that one Desi aunty tell you how so many ‘goray’ are now adopting certain ways of life that resemble those of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions—or the ones that Islam has already taught us. (Spoiler Alert: she’s right.) There have been countless other Western and religious philosophies that have claimed to be the key to a … Continue reading On the Wise Habits of The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
As the unfettered reign of the caretaker government comes to an end (much to the dismay of the power-deprived individuals who make up the dynamics of Pakistan’s political backdrop), there are quite a few things that I — as an inevitable observer and a frustrated nationalist — have to say. Before we leave our houses on the morning of February 8, 2024, we must remember … Continue reading Elections and Outlaws: The Scandalous Mise-en-scèneof Pakistan’s Politics
If I had it my way, I’d slam my fist down on the table, yell “FICTION!” and call it a day. But alas, the world isn’t that simple. Some people—*side-eyeing my dad*—have it ingrained in their souls that in a real world, among real people, tackling real problems, fiction has no place. That is one way to think of it, but before we rush to conclusions—or dismiss either … Continue reading Non-fiction vs Fiction: The Pull of Reality vs The Power of Imagination
In a world where comic book pages spring to life, capes billow in the wind, and superheroes perform gravity-defying feats, we find ourselves drifting into the realm of daydreams. We can’t help but wonder what it would be like to don the iconic Iron Man suit or swing through the cityscape with the grace of Spider-Man. But let’s face it, while we may not possess … Continue reading Superhero Science: Blending the Fantastic with the Feasible
Mahmoud Darwish, the luminary of Palestinian poetry. Born amid the tumult of Galilee in 1941, beyond mere themes, his poetry was an impassioned heartbeat for Palestine, a symphony of compassion and love that flowed like a river, embracing the collective soul of his people. The years of exile, cradled in the arms of Beirut and Paris, only heightened the universality of his words. They transcended … Continue reading Mahmoud Darwish: Love and Loss Through Verse
Recently, I stumbled upon a magnificently ornate book on Mughal Architecture titled “Lahore: History and Architecture of Mughal Monuments” by Anjum Rehmani. A deep delve into the influences and achievements throughout the Mughal period, starting from pre-Mughal history, the book explored new aspects of Lahore that I had yet to see around me. In comparison to the almost fantastical seeming portraits of beauty and splendor … Continue reading Neither the City of Gardens nor the City of Love: Lahore
