Whispers of the Soul by Nadia Nizam

 "کیا انہوں نے میرے بارے میں برا کہا؟" فکر نہ کریں، وہی لوگ ہیں جو آپ کے نہ ہونے پر آپ کے بارے میں برا کہتے ہیں۔ وہ لوگ جو افواہوں اور بدزبانی پر پلتے ہیں، ان میں کوئی وفاداری نہیں ہوتی، وہ صرف موقع کے مطابق شکار بدلتے ہیں۔ آپ جانتے ہیں کہ اس سے بھی بدتر کیا ہے؟ بہت سے لوگ ان پر یقین کرنے کو ترجیح دیتے ہیں بجائے اس کے کہ سچائی کی تصدیق کریں۔ لیکن آخر میں، وقت سب کو ان کی جگہ پر رکھ دیتا ہے۔ جعلی لوگوں کے لیے، وہ تنہائی میں جیت گئے ہیں۔ وفادار لوگوں کے لیے، دوسروں کی زندگیوں کو زہر دینے سے بچنے کی سکون کے ساتھ۔ لہذا اگر آپ کو میرے بارے میں کوئی کہانی ملے، تو مجھ پر فیصلہ کرنے سے پہلے اپنے آپ سے پوچھیں: جب آپ پیچھے مڑیں گے تو وہ آپ کے بارے میں کیا کہیں گے؟ زندگی میں، تمام نام نہاد دوست واقعی دوست نہیں ہوتے۔ کچھ مسکراہٹوں اور مہربان الفاظ کے ساتھ قریب آتے ہیں، لیکن ضرورت کے لمحات میں، وہ بغیر کسی نشان کے غائب ہو جاتے ہیں۔ یہ جعلی دوست ہیں، جو صرف اس وقت موجود ہوتے ہیں جب ان کے لیے یہ آسان ہو۔ ایک سچا دوست نہ صرف آپ کی کامیابیوں کا جشن مناتا ہے، بلکہ آپ کی ناکامیوں میں بھی آپ کا ...

 This is a lesson every man must not only learn but also pass on to the younger generation: understand the difference between a stage and a choice. Life’s stages are non-negotiable—they happen to everyone. Teething, puberty, adolescence, and aging are stages you cannot escape. However, the decisions you make within those stages? That’s where your life can either be built or destroyed. Drinking, partying, and promiscuity are not stages; they are choices. And poor choices come with significant consequences—unplanned children, broken homes, STDs, addictions, and lost opportunities. Too many men sabotage their futures by convincing themselves, “It’s just a phase; everyone goes through it.” That’s a fallacy society promotes to justify recklessness. Don’t fall for it. Look around. You will find men who have made wise choices. Some married their high school sweethearts and built stable, loving homes. Others completely avoided alcohol and drugs, focusing on discipline, and now lead peacefu...

 " A house is built with bricks and beams, but a home is built with love and dreams."  Today, it marks the 18 years of our marriage. The most beautiful years of struggles, hardships, power and understanding. The beauty of our marriage started with zero bank balance, no future plans, no commitments, no luxury, a broken car, 2 dinner plates and 2 spoons, 2 cups. I still remember the financial and career worries day and night. But we faced everything together with lots of love, faith and prosperity. I don't recall a single moment when we fought over financial problems or low income life. I don't remember a single time when we told our family members that what we were going through. We faced every thing together with each other's support and backing.  A married couple is not bound with any blood relations or forced to do anything for each other. So if you get the right spouse in life who does everything for you more than expected then it makes a relationship more pow...

A Life of Service and Struggle:  "A True Hero Major General Mian Ghulam Jillani" Major General Mian Ghulam Jillani (March 1, 1913 – March 1, 2004) was a prominent figure in Pakistan's history, serving with distinction in the military and navigating a complex political landscape.  His life, marked by both significant contributions and considerable hardship, offers a compelling case study of a tumultuous era in South Asia.  Born into the influential Mian tribe of Baghicha Dheri, a Pashtun family in Sibi, Balochistan, his journey encompassed military service during World War II, key roles in the formation of Pakistan, and a politically turbulent career that ultimately led him to seek asylum in the United States. Personal Life and Family: Mian Ghulam Jillani was one of three sons born to Syed Mehmood Gul (son of Sawab Gul, son of Syed Abdul Wahab) and his first wife.  His full brothers were Mian Ghulam Rabbani (who served as Pakistan's ambassador to Iran, Japan, and Indi...

Syeda Qanita Begum :  A Pioneer in Pashto Literature Syeda Qanita Begum, born on April 21, 1908, in Sra Dherai (also known as Surkh Dheri or Baghicha Dheri in Mardan, Pakistan), is a significant figure in Pashto literature and cultural history. Coming from an educated Pathan "Mian" family, her father, Mian Waseeuddin, was a director in the Archaeological Department and earned recognition in Ziarat as "Baitano Mian Sahib". Her father was resident of a small village in mardan, Baghicha Dheri (then called Surkh Dheri) and served in the Archeological Survey of India, and was awarded the title of Khan Bahadur and Khan Sahib for his service under Sir Aurel Stein and Sir John Marshall in excavating and cataloging the Gandhara and Ashoka sites at Swat, Takht-e-Bahi, Sudher and Taxila, among others. He was a member of the Kakakhel Miangan,living in baghicha dheri, mardan, a clan of sunni Syeds, whose members can all trace their descent from ...

Yesterday at the party, a close senior friend advised me about inheritance, saying, "Dear, remember not to give your property or assets to your children during your lifetime. Even if you can’t take care of them, hold on to them until your death. Once you’re gone, they will automatically pass to your family, but not while you’re alive." On my way home, I reflected on the many women in Pakistan who have not followed this advice and ended up losing everything, leaving them dependent and with painful lives. I thought of a family friend who pressured her husband to sell his hard-earned lands to support their son in building a house. In the end, no one knows what happened to that house, and today my friend has not a single penny in her bank account to support herself; she relies entirely on her son for her needs. Her husband couldn’t even afford his medical expenses in the end.   Another woman I knew died shortly after her husband's passing because both of her sons took full co...

 زمانہ وہ ہی اچھا تھا آج کی دنیا داری سےایک آدمی سے کسی نے پوچھا کے آج کل اتنی غربت کیوں ھے؟ جواب ملا۔ میرے خیال میں آج اتنی غربت نہیں جتنا لوگوں نے شور مچا رکھا ھے۔۔آجکل ہم جس کو غربت بولتے ہیں وہ در اصل خواہشات کا پورا نہ ہونا ہے۔ ہم نے تو غربت کے وہ دن بھی دیکھے ہیں کہ اسکول میں تختی پر (گاچی) کے پیسے نہیں ہوتے تھے تو (مٹی) لگایا کرتے تھے۔۔(سلیٹ) پر سلیٹی کے پیسے نہیں ہوتے تھے (بجری کا کنکر) استمعال کرتے تھے۔ اسکول کے کپڑے جو لیتے تھے وہی عید پر بھی پہن لیتے تھے۔اگر کسی شادی بیاہ کے لیے کپڑے لیتے تھے تو اسکول کلر کے ہی لیتے تھے۔۔کپڑے اگر پھٹ جاتے تو سلائی کر کے بار بار پہنتے تھے۔آج تو اسکول کے بچوں کے دو یا تین یونیفارم ضرور ہوتے ہیں۔جوتا بھی اگر پھٹ جاتا بار بار سلائی کرواتے تھے۔۔اور جوتا سروس یا باٹا کا نہیں پلاسٹک کا ہوتا تھا۔ گھر میں اگر مہمان آجاتا تو پڑوس کے ہر گھر سے کسی سے گھی کسی سے مرچ کسی سے نمک مانگ کر لاتے تھے۔۔آج تو ماشاء اللہ ہر گھر میں ایک ایک ماہ کا سامان پڑا ہوتا ھے۔۔مہمان تو کیا پوری بارات کا سامان موجود ہوتا ھے۔  آج اگر کسی کی شادی پہ جانا ہو تو مہند...

 Gaslighting - a tactic in which a person, group or entity seeks to gain power and domination by making someone/a group question their reality. It’s a common technique of abusers, dictators, narcissists, and cult leaders and almost everyone is susceptible to it. It’s done slowly, so people never realize how much they're being brainwashed until it’s too late.  11 characteristics of gaslighting: 1. They tell blatant lies and even tho you know they’re blatant lies, it confuses you because they say it often and with a straight face. Are they telling the truth? Maybe they are? Am I wrong? This sets up a precedent where you begin to question your own reality and sets you down the path of self-betrayal. You become unsure, unsteady and off-kilter, (made crazy) which is their goal.  2. They deny they ever said something, even though you have proof. You know they said it but because they vehemently and confidently deny it, you start to question your memory. The more they do this, t...

While sharing my life experiences with my daughter, I’ve come to realize something important about trust. Once I see a person's true nature, it becomes difficult for me to trust them completely. I may stay in touch, but my belief in them will be diminished, and I will remain vigilant for their next move. There is a saying: you can change nurtured behavior, but not nature, because nature is innate—it's in a person’s blood. A loser will remain a loser, even when given great opportunities in life. A selfish person will always be self-oriented, focused on "I," "me," and "myself." Someone with bad intentions toward others will never find peace, as karma has a way of catching up with them. We must also be aware that some individuals, like snakes, may stay close to us, silently observing our lives and waiting for the right moment to strike. These can be friends or family—often, it’s those we trust and respect the most who can cause us harm.  These harmful...

 At the end of the day, what truly matters is the presence of those who stand by you during tough times. It's about having people around when you need support the most. It's the friends who encourage you with a reassuring "we've got this" when you face difficulties. It's the ones who can sense when you're not quite yourself. They are the ones who reach out when you've been unusually quiet. It's about the people with whom you can share comfortable silence instead of engaging in idle chit-chat. They’re the ones who can tell when you're not being truthful about how you feel, even when you insist you're okay. They are the ones who send you a message to let you know they’re thinking of you on your harder days. In essence, it’s about the people who care. It’s about those who pay attention. It’s about the ones who show up in the smallest yet most significant ways. Ultimately, it’s about the people who remain by your side through everything.