I WRITE MY HEART OUT

Soft Ethics for a Loud World 1. If someone is saying “I’m sorry,” accept it with grace. Don’t argue who’s right. Sometimes peace is holier than proof. 2. If someone is standing before you, acknowledge them, especially if they are younger. Respect doesn’t need an audience, only a gesture. 3. If someone is saying they need advice, give it with sincerity, but don’t bind them to it. Guidance is not control. 4. If someone is saying they find joy in something, let your heart respond with a quiet prayer. Not every emotion needs a comment. 5. If someone says they got a job, say “Mubarak ho.” Please don’t ask how much they’re earning or who helped them. Their joy is not your inquiry. 6. If someone is saying it’s their birthday, celebrate. Don’t chase their age with questions. Let joy be unmeasured. 7. If someone is saying they are preparing for an exam, say a prayer, don’t wait to critique their result. 8. If someone is saying they’re happy, pray it lasts. Don’t dissect it with doubts. ...

I  stand alone, the world so tough, I’ve lost it all, but I’m still enough. I carry life’s weight on my shoulders each day, But I trust in Allah, to show me the way. Though things are hard and I feel the pain, I know Allah’s help will come again. I hope for the best, through each trial and test, With His love in my heart, I find my rest. I feel whole when people see The kindness and hope that live in me. They see the truth in my gentle soul, And it helps me feel strong, brave and whole. So here I stand, against life’s storms, With faith in Allah, my heart stays warm. I’ll keep moving forward, come what may, For His love is my strength, every day.

A weak man marries but doesn’t take responsibility for his wife. He has a child, yet abandons the mother to struggle alone. He can’t accept ‘no,’ so he turns to violence to get what he wants. He is married, but still holds feelings for another woman. He already has a child but insists he wants to start a new family with someone else. He grows a beard and pretends to be religious, yet he commits terrible acts. He opposes laws that protect children from early marriage, yet happily celebrates the West.  He speaks of honor and respect, but never actually shows them to others. He claims to follow his faith, but his actions prove he does not. He never learned what real love is, yet he insists he loves—but it’s only abuse and control, not love at all. Yes, not all men— but it’s always a man who does these things? 

  She was in fifth when life took her hand, Not to the playground, but to duty’s demand. While others ran home to a hug and a glass, She polished their shoes, made their shine last. Too short for the sink, she stood on a stool, Washing the dishes, obeying the rule. While laughter echoed from children at play, She stayed inside, working away. Toys were a dream, books were a race, Finished them fast—laundry to face. Summers and winters slipped through her hands, Pouring for others, yet wilting like sand. She learned too young—life isn’t fair, Choices weren’t hers, just burdens to bear. Giving is noble, but in time you see, Even the giver needs space to be free.

Life is a river with twists unknown, An endless journey, where seeds are sown. We trust the hands we thought would stay, But find they drift in their own way. They’re kind, they’re helpful, their hearts are pure, Yet our paths diverge, of that I’m sure. For no one’s nature can we reshape, Only guide them gently, give them escape. And those who love us, why would we change? To mold their essence feels so strange. If correction wounds, leaves scars inside, Why does the hurt feel so amplified? Of all the souls that crossed my path, I found no malice, no hidden wrath. Generous, caring, their spirits bright, Yet paying that price still feels so right. A cup kept full to always give, But the weight of it all, I still relive. The cost of importance, of being sincere, Has left its mark, so sharp, so clear. Perhaps the pain is worth the gain, To learn what’s wrong, to bear the strain. If no one seeks to harm my heart, Why does it tear my soul apart? We’re all so differen...

  If forever is a lie, Why are promises to be made? If things are destined, Why do we meet people? If bonds are to break, Why do we often love? If beauty will fade, Why be beautiful? If fragrances are to dull, Why does the aroma stay? If memories are to go, Why do we take pictures? If it can’t be yours, Why is forever beautiful? (It was raining.) ~Tk 

When someone opens their heart to you, they're entrusting you with a part of their soul. In that moment, they're giving you everything. Their trust, their fears, their story. If you find yourself unable to ease their burden or change their world, then let the greatest kindness you offer be silence. Let the story they shared die within you, a quiet remembrance that lives on even if you don't walk together. The deepest respect you can show is to carry their words to your final breath, honoring the bond you shared, even if time and distance may draw you apart. For some stories are not ours to tell. They are sacred, bound in the unspoken promise of trust. -TK

 Between Life and Loss:  My Cousin’s Battle with Schizophrenia His body blanched, swollen, his son recognized him by the shoes he wore. “Yes, this is my father”. They had been looking for him for some time. It was a new neighbourhood , unfamiliar territory. The wife wanted a better life, so they moved to this place from the village. He must have slipped and drowned. It couldn’t have been suicide. My cousin Sheikh Wali was more than just a corpse. One night he quizzed us-about a flower that was also a vegetable. We failed and he at the end answered, cauliflower. He came to live with us and helped us with our studies when it was exam time. He taught me how to write, drawing letters and numbers in black ink for me to fill them with the color of my choice. He had the most crystal-clear blue eyes, wide and big. His beard was reddish in tone. Tall, thin, handsome man with good hygiene, clean clothes, I still remember his scent. On my birthday in Class 5 he brought two cakes for my f...

 She sipped on hope, but the taste turned bitter, Left the cup half-full, her heart even emptier. Summer breeze made her leave her work to have a cup of coffee to compensate for all the cold cups. She had a few sips and left the mug when having a coffee was all her pleasure. The reason for looking outside the window is to calm the thunder inside the room.

 We come into this world all alone, And leave it behind, with no one to own. Families are meant to guide and care, To lift us up and always be there. But when support fades and love feels weak, The bonds we had start to feel bleak. Without a comforting touch or kind word, Family’s true meaning becomes unheard. Sitting each day with fake family smiles, At a table where warmth is just in style, It’s better to share a simple cup of coffee With a stranger who’s real, but not who were once a best friend  For in those moments of genuine exchange, You find more truth than in pretenses arranged. True connection beats the hollow cheer, When real bonds are what you truly hold dear.

It was so dark, so dark that I couldn’t see my sins. It was so blue that the oceans filled with tears. It was pure white, and only purity was expected from the world. Why couldn’t it be green, so all could prosper in positivity? I thought it was yellow until they left, leaving scars forever. I miss the pink in me, all my youthful energy. But the world sees me in black, shrouded in an aura of no return. It is dark, so dark that I can no longer see my sins.  ~TK

In the calm of the night, I find my peace, A world of my own where thoughts never cease. Half my life spent in the glow of the moon, Where struggles and sighs are a silent tune. In darkness, I ponder the past and the morrow, For the present is fleeting, often filled with sorrow. I watch loved ones sleep, in tranquility deep, And pray for their peace, a promise to keep. At night, I am true, to myself I confess, Living for me, free from daylight’s duress. In sunlight, I vanish, my essence concealed, Bright days bring a world where nothing feels real. Fake smiles and greetings, dusty desks in a row, Daytime’s a stage where insincerities show. I yearn for the night, where my true self can soar, For by day, I’m a stranger, lost in life’s chore. Nights teach me lessons, in silence so grand, As soon as dawn breaks, I’m lost in this land. The sun frightens me with its blinding light, Too many falsehoods, but at night, I find might. My sleep has been stolen, yet still I must fight, For the day ...

In a busy home where many generations lived together, we were born into a joint family system. Here, family values weren't just taught; they were the very air we breathed. From the moment we could walk, we learned the importance of family. Growing up with brothers, we often acted like them, sometimes forgetting how to be women, even though we were fragile and sensitive. As the only girls in such a household, the weight of responsibility settled on our shoulders early on. Our own choices were rarely prioritized; the family's needs always came first. Whether it was about our school or work, hanging out with friends, traveling, or even driving a car, every decision required the entire family's approval. Respecting family choices, even when it meant hiding our pain, was normal. Regardless of whether our relatives were on good terms with our parents, we had to respect and participate in family events to keep the peace. The values we grew up with meant we had to show respect to e...