Let’s See If You Find Yours Here!

Mahwish Khan

INDI A

SINGAPORE

M A L AY S I A

Copyright © Mahwish Khan 2022 All Rights Reserved. ISBN 979-8-88733-368-7 This book has been published with all efforts taken to make the material error-free after the consent of the author. However, the author and the publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. While every effort has been made to avoid any mistake or omission, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that neither the author nor the publishers or printers would be liable in any manner to any person by reason of any mistake or omission in this publication or for any action taken or omitted to be taken or advice rendered or accepted on the basis of this work. For any defect in printing or binding the publishers will be liable only to replace the defective copy by another copy of this work then available.

For the one who is always there, Huma.

In her memory, It might have been a beautiful stay, Her garden full of flowers The sky- all clear and shedding rays. The lanes she walked, The smiles she caught and passed Every song she hummed, Every moment that she marked, All were there to stay, except her. She walked in and walked out soon The lives she touched, Memories she left as memorial Are still lingering in hearts of people Still messing with their minds. The more they want her to be around The more her absence makes it hard To kill this slowly moving time. And yet, None tries to forget her, None want to abandon her feel

What’s Your Story?

Her laughter, her songs, her smile Everything that reminds about her Is kept very dearly in memories. In her memory, It might have been a beautiful stay, But for us, she was the best gift.

4

Preface

This book is a collection of stories, poems and verses in the form of quotes written for all the people who have been in love. This thus covers people of all age and time, as love has been in everyone’s life in one form or the other. Capturing the moments from years which were of learning, failing, knowing, exploring and growing, this book is a presentation of all those experiences, emotions and visuals that I and for a fact, we all have had in our lives. It is a book with mixed emotions which defines life just like my first book “Remote Summons”. Many unsaid emotions, unheard stories are being compiled here for all to read, feel and relate to at least any one of all the pieces. The boundaries that are invisible are being tried to push a little further by me to make the area of imagination wider. This book is about lives that go like a story, progresses like a poem and ends with a concluding verse. This book is all about us. You, me and everyone. 5

Acknowledgements

This book is special as it covers many aspects of unpredictable life and has been influenced and carved by people who love me and care about me. My parents, brother and sister, who supported me and encouraged me to chase my passion. My grandparents for their blessings. My teachers for their constant guidance and selfless contribution in my growth. My friends, who made me capable of believing in myself and doing what I wish to pursue. Mohd Afzal Khan, Naushad Fatima, Danish and Azima. And everyone. This book is only because of you all.

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“What’s your story?!” Let’s see if you find yours here! ByMAHWISH KHAN

Contents

1. Shaaz

13

2. Change is Inevitable!

17

3. In the Name of Darkness

20

4. Overcome Darkness…

23

5. Idea of Love

26

6. If You Write a Love Story!

29

7. Those Twittering Eyes

33

8. I’ll Write About You

40

9. Sunshine, You and Me!

42

10. Hope

45

11. Best Friends Forever

48

12. Hiraeth

51

13. The First-last Chapter

54

14. Isn’t It Weird?

57

15. Not a Failure

60

16. Someday You’ll Realise

64

17. Fairy Tales Exist?

67

18. Imperfect Love

71

19. Call Disconnected!

74 11

Contents

20. Someone is Seeing You!

78

21. From Virtual Story to Real Story!

81

22. Love Letter

87

23. Rampyari

91

24. I Will

97

25. Goodbyes are Meant To Be!

100

26. Goodbye is the Hardest

105

27. Who Did You Live For?

108

28. Life is What?

110

29. Opposite

114

30. You Will Live in Me

116

31. End Note!

119

12

Shaaz

Everything about you, Makes me feel overwhelmed. The way you look at me, The way you look away. Just be the way you want to be, Your presence is all I need. If you’re with me, I’m complete. But is it really like that? Do we really want no change in the person we fell in love with? Is it possible that we don’t expect them to be any different from the person they were before or they are today? Love is not just about liking someone to an extent of overlooking everything. Love has deeper meaning. I agree with Shaaz. He is someone I came across a few months back while working on a project. A project that was for the underprivileged. During that project I came across many facts about life and about ourselves and how easily we adopted and accepted the notions set by few intellectuals even when they were nowhere closer to our consideration and reality. When I met Shaaz, he was exactly like the other boys. Hardworking, enthusiastic, adventurous and full of life. But, sooner, my viewpoint changed. He was not like them. He didn’t believe in the notions of the world that didn’t match his outlook. For him painting was mere strokes, if it didn’t have any definite 13

What’s Your Story?

figure or visual. There was no meaning to the blue line intersecting the red one at the corner of the frame if it just appeared like two lines crossing each other’s way. Firstly, I thought he had no sense of art. He was polite to kids, elderly men and women and kind to those who came to ask for his help. So, I thought to ignore his disregard for modern art. And maybe because I was never too much into such art. But I never disregarded or questioned those who saw something in those red-blue lines, unlike him. I decided to put him really down on my list of attention, because our thoughts and ideas never matched. On one such day when we were exhausted, after a day-long hustle from visiting one area to another, distributing essentials, we decided to take a break alongside a beautiful lake. The view of the setting sun was mesmerising. The song ‘Iktara’ playing in my airdrops added to the moment. I was lost in my own world, ignoring the conversation happening around me. Just then, I heard a colleague of ours, Rohanpreet, asking Shaaz, “Why do you always deny most of the things? It is easier to get things done when you do them with the given way. You always opt for something new and push me into it along with you. Keep me out of it next time.” Shaaz laughed and nodded his head, approving Rohanpreet’s request. I looked at him. He smiled and I smiled back. For the first time. He has a charming smile, I thought. Maybe he thought the same. Next day he came to me asking for an extra kit of water bottles. “You have a pretty smile Shiza.” He said. He has a charming voice too. I smiled, forgetting the rule of saying Thank you on receiving a compliment. He went back. I felt so embarrassed to not respond in an appropriate manner. “You are stupid, Shiza.” I thought. I shifted my mind back to my work. It was sad to see that when many are diving in the pools of luxury, there are many deprived of even basic needs. We were working for the past one week, and still it appeared that we only reached ten percent of the people in need. I was sad. 14

Mahwish Khan

“If you’ll look at them with your gloomy face and helpless self, it will make them feel hopeless.” Someone said from my side. I turned to my right and there was he- Shaaz. His voice sounded different, very tired. “Are you fine?” I asked, for which he just looked at me and smiled. That was a sad smile. The one I NEVER SAW ON HIS FACE. “You should have some rest. You really seem tired. I know, it has been exhausting.” “No, I’m fine.” We stood there silently for a while. Looking at people, their life, their agony, their struggle. “You know what, I never really feel like I belong here. This world is not for me. I mean this entire earth.” He laughed. “And why is that so?” “Because I hate the facts of this world. They say some are good, some are better, some are bad, some are unacceptable, some irrelevant. I don’t get that. We all are like that, at different points of our life. We all are good, bad, better, even sometimes unacceptable and irrelevant. How can we call ourselves better than others? Look at my flaws. I am so useless most of the time, but for the world I’m better than the man right there. The man who works day and night to feed his family. He has to struggle every hour of his life to get one percent of what I have, because this world has treated him indifferently. And they say I’m better than him. Weird.” All I could say was “Yeah, this world is weird.” “Shiza, do you believe that we can love someone without expecting any change in them? I mean, we do expect some change in everything and everyone with time, right? Do you also believe that we should love someone just the way they are?” I looked at him, blank. As if he asked me to solve the problem of decline in GDP of the nation. He laughed looking at my reaction “Never mind.” 15

Beauty is always caught amid all the chaos and flaws. Everything that takes our breath away, has a tale. And there are many such tales to tell. Every story is special – full of love, sacrifices and lessons. This book is full of such tales, muses and unexpected twists and turns of life that sometimes make one win or let them know that no one fails but just gets stronger while moving through these trails. This book is about hope. Hope that every heart holds, That crosses miles, Fight against the burning woods And lastly drowns in the sea of reality. This hope is like a flicker, Sometimes overpowering, Sometimes too dim But never fading. Hope is so cruel, right? But what’s life without hope? Hope that ultimately dies But keeps us all this while alive!

Mahwish Khan is a content writer. She started writing at a very early age, taking the hobby from her grandfather (Nana). She published her first independent book, Remote Summons, last year after appearing in many anthologies for many years. This is her second individual copy of work that tells tales and verses of life, love and reality. Believing in the power of words, she is back with many new stories, poems and quotes to create one space for all the readers to escape together. Price 200