Is it not a pleasure to read a purpose driven short story which helps you explore those dark alleys of society which have yet to see the light of “not being taboo”? Heena Jadav opens up a world in just a few pages, a world where a girl faces a monster in no other form but that of a fatherly figure of a priest, and finds a savior in a very unlikely place.
In several short stories one usually fears that the dots may not connect, it may not unfold coherently; while reading the “Invasion”, I felt it might be so with this as well. But Heena has proven herself to be masterful at the art of going inside the mind of a girl and unfolding those dilemmas which few can understand. As I finished the story, I found myself chuckling at the way she carried the plot AND LOVED the way she brought forward the issue that people try not to talk about.
You go into the mind of a girl named Gauri who belongs to a religiously devoted yet unprivileged family of Managua city. She then faces the worst imaginable fate any child can face and yet so many children in the society do; she overcomes it in an awe-inspiring way but sadly very few actually do.
I’ll not give away the plot of the story as it will take away its taste. It’s a short story; one which you can grab, read in a few minutes, and feel a little bit wiser afterwards. Amazing work Heena, THANK YOU for bringing this story to us.
Heena, I’ll have to say specializes in going inside the craved, love-struck minds of young girls; she really can write an instruction- manual for boys. 😛
Author: Heena Jadav Sunil is the author of first ever English Fantasy Romance novel, namely “Equinox”, by any Pakistani author. Being a pioneer in this field, she has also written some short stories and is working on the sequel of Equinox.
Book Cover of “Equinox”
Author : Heena Jadav Sunil
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“Through the sea, azure and dark,
To the land of hope and light;
I know how to find my way,
For I can see the lighthouse…”
– Syed Umr.
16.09.2014
In The Photo :
Ras Muari Lighthouse as seen from the top of Cape Mount; one of the southern-most tips of Pakistani mainland, near Mubarak Village. The beach visible in this photo is called Cape Mount Beach; known for it’s scenic sandy beauty. To capture the photograph, I trekked from Mubarak Village to the top of Cape Mount.
(Copyrights for this photo are reserved).
Photo : Ras Muari Lighthouse
by Syed Umr Iftikhar Ahmed.
The Way I Saw It:
I’d gone to Mubarak Village on a welfare work oriented visit with a team. We found the populace in extremely poor conditions; majority of whom were Baloch fisher-folk. We got an update on welfare activities being carried out; it did give me some hope and we are looking forward to contributing towards development as best as we can as well. This poem came as a result of that optimism which took over me after trekking for an hour to behold this beautiful view…..
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“Respect the souls for who they are,
Respect the minds for what they think;
For a soul’s flame can not be dimmed,
A buoyant mind can never sink.
A soul, honest at heart, extols
Given away pearls that eyes blink;
Regard, you can’t, the one trust you won’t,
For regard ends at your trust’s brink.
Sober trust lasts through drunken fits,
Such a trustful wine I shall drink;
Which eulogizes the fair names
That form the beads of Lover’s link;
For I pour my trust in Love’s flask
Whose music, in my chest, does clink.”
{~Umr~}
11.03.2014.
Poem by Syed Umr Iftikhar Ahmed.
Artwork by Sadaf Farasat;
Artwork Details : Click on the image to follow the link to the concerned website.
***Disclaimer; The blogger/poet does not own the artwork and has provided with the concerned link; the reason it is being shared so is because the poet felt he could see a glimpse of what he wrote through these images, hoping that others may enjoy the experience and also follow up with the artist if they are interested in knowing more details of the concerned artwork.***
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“Souls shackled to egos of their bodies
Rise not above mundane thoughts and desires.
Souls forever are yearning to be free;
A dark ember may blaze with cloistered fires.
As songbirds, flying free, are meant to be
A piping singer of heavenly choirs;
So are the souls bound to find blissful glee,
When they transcend to meet divine warblers.
When transcendental notes touch crescendos
A singing soul entwines with prized dancers’ ;
Fair dancers who sway ecstatically,
Habitué seeking Beloved’s answers.
Beloved dances empathically,
Flowing through souls of ardent admirers.
A beggar soul that over-reaches self
Shall be condemned to the fate of Lovers.”
{~Umr~}
26.02.2014
Poem by Syed Umr Iftikhar Ahmed;
Artwork by Artist Khusro Subzwari,
Artwork Details : Click Here!
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“As Your beatific fingers strum the strings,
They set tunes for the songs which my heart sings.
What a choir it would be to listen to,
Of my heart a drum, of Your eyes a flute;
Your presence, a fair sonata that rings
Through my soul, making it sprout the wings;
To carry it through angelic domains
To the place where Your grace, blissfully, rains;
Where each soul’s transcending fable begins
To unravel the mystical meanings
Of esoteric colours which unfold;
Radiant upon a canvas of gold.
Such ecstasy a sip of Your wine brings,
To a beggar worthier than the kings.”
{~Umr~}
23.01.2014
Poem by Syed Umr Iftikhar Ahmed,
Artwork by Sadaf’s Art Gallery;
Artwork details : Click Here!
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“Sing to me in Arabic
Or sing to me in Persian.
Sing to me in languages;
All beautiful and fair.
Sing till your heart is content,
Sing till your lips become parched;
Then I shall pour you a drink,
A sober drink which is strong;
Seemingly drunk we might be,
We are soberly in Love…..”
{~Umr~}
23.12.2013
Written by Syed Umr Iftikhar Ahmed.
Artwork by “Sadaf”
from “Sadafs art gallery“
For details about artwork; click here.
Concept:
This poem owes to the pen of two of the greatest of names in poetry and spirituality. It draws ink through their fountain and thus is attributed and dedicated entirely to them. I’m but a channel of thoughts through whom these words chose to flow; these words that were there and have been there, just so, waiting to be stumbled upon by a wanderer. These words which felt like a sip of water to a parched mouth when only hoarse whispers would come. The concept is impeccable; the short-comings of this poem are due to the imperfections of the hand through which they were channelled. I hope the readers find contentment in what has been written and forgive unworthy hands of mine. Let us sip of the wine then;
The narrator in this poem is not the poet but the Beloved; addressing the lover. Mostly, poet writes as the lover to the Beloved; but perfection and destiny of Love lies in thinning of the line between the Lover and the Beloved until it completely disappears. So Beloved’s thoughts may flow through the mind of the lover. This way of writing can be observed in many of the writings of “Hafez Shirazi” (Khwaja Hafiz Shams ud Din Muhammad of Shiraz). These days I have been reading some of his poetry; In Persian with Urdu translations and also the English ones. The concepts wash over me in three languages; though of Persian I know very little; of English just enough to think and speak, and of Urdu just enough to be a son to the mother-tongue; perhaps not one to be proud of.
First three couplets are about universality of Love and thus of Beloved. It doesn’t matter in which language one praises or sings; neither Love nor melody have any language, they are a language of their own and so it is with Beloved. All languages are fair to the ears of lovers, each a different shade of Beloved’s colours. The third couplet implies that no matter how much a lover sings and praises; it can never be enough; If oceans were to become ink and if lands were to embody a pen; then oceans would go dry but praise would not end; and so it goes, let the inks be refilled and perhaps even then it would never be enough.
The fourth couplet is when the lover becomes tired; very short of what lover desired to achieve, for oceans are yet left and only a few lines have been penned. But the Beloved is a lover too; the most ardent of lovers is the Beloved. Now Beloved decides to pour a drink to the lover so that lover’s thirst might be quenched and perhaps the lover shall have more zeal to love. The drink is mystical (Sufi-ismic wine). What follows through fourth and fifth couplets is from the ocean of none other than Mevlana Jalal ud Din ‘Rumi’. This concept has been inspired by one of my favourite couplets.
شرابِ شوق می نوشم، بہ گردِ یار می گردم
سخن مستانہ می گویم، ولے ہشیار می گردم
“I’ve drunk the wine of desire and am wandering around Beloved.
Though I may seem drunk; I am quite sober.” {~ Rumi ~}
The final couplet is just a variation of words; a different shade of the same colour. A different flower of the same plant.
I hope that my readers will enjoy the poem and understand the concepts behind it. Rarely do I feel like explaining my poems but this one has inspired me in a different way and I wanted to pour through words what feelings went through my mind, my soul, my body when I penned them down.
Warmest of Regards.
– Syed Umr Iftikhar Ahmed.
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“They considered me fey for choosing tears,
As ink, to write tales of melancholy;
Regardless of their spiteful flinty jeers,
With tears, I penned my sorrowful story.
A script, ghastly pale in hue, it appears;
Yet is filled with conviviality.
For sorrow, truly, is warm as it nears
A sincere heart brimming with empathy.
Vibrant colours spring forth from dreary ink;
An ink through which my thoughts flow candidly.
Out of pity, or in sorrow, eyes blink
Tears; hoping to quench fires of tragedy.
Silence plays a mournful, sonorous beat;
Humming songs sweeter than the sweetest tweet.”
{~Umr~}
01.12.2013 Written by Syed Umr Iftikhar Ahmed.
Artwork Details: “Sorrow” by kxeron (DeviantArt); Image Source: Click Here!
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“My soul drank of Your wine
And I became the sacred sinner
I am today.
When I sinned against you,
again and then again,
You looked the other way
O Beloved.
My head did not bow five times a day;
But the moment it did,
You turned Your gaze
towards me
As though I’d never raised my head….”
{~Umr~}
09.07.2013
Image Source: DeviantArt Link.
This poem was written at the beginning of the Ramadhan Month. Many would know why…..
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“In oceans where arcane living beings thrive,
If you behold a mermaid in full grace,
Do not hold back when she asks you to dive,
For few are those who are lead to that place;
A place in her bosom that burns alive
With passionate compassion to embrace
Your egotistic soul which would contrive
A woeful tale which no sane mind would brace.
Yet she takes upon her a vow to strive
To maul your ego with a flowered mace
To make your poems eloquent and live,
To be your muse with beauteous face.
From wisdom of her words you might derive
An ink to water your eloquent vase.”
{~Umr~} – Syed Umr Iftikhar Ahmed.
03.08.2013
Artwork Courtesy : Khusro Subzwari Image Source : Please Click Here
