POETRY BY KA

 Red. The color of love, power, and defiance. As a little girl, I always dreamed of the day I’d wear it—bold and beautiful—on my baraat. A Pakistani bride, draped in crimson, with lips painted to match the moment. It was supposed to be a day of joy, a day where I felt like the most beautiful version of myself. But my red lipstick was a crime. I still remember the sharp voice of my mother-in-law cutting through the celebration. “Wipe it off,” she commanded, her eyes burning with disapproval. My heart sank. This was my dream, my day. But in her world, my choices didn’t matter. I was expected to obey. To shrink. To dull myself down into a shade she approved of. That day, I wiped away my red lips. But a part of me—the part that loved, that dreamed, that dared—never forgot. The Color of Control After marriage, I learned that my lipstick was only the beginning. My mother-in-law despised red, or maybe she despised what it represented—confidence, power, individuality. Every time I reached ...

The morning after her wedding, April 27, 2024 , she woke up with a pounding headache. The world around her felt different—not the warmth of her mother’s home, but a cold, suffocating space that was now called "hers." All she wanted was a hot cup of tea , a sip of comfort, a familiar taste to ease the storm inside her. She had grown up with tea as a ritual, a gentle embrace in a cup. But here, she was met with a stare sharp enough to cut through her soul. “Do it yourself. We are not here to serve you.” The words stung. She wasn’t asking for luxury, just warmth—something to hold, something to soothe. She turned to her husband, hoping for kindness. “I always have tea at my mother’s house,” she murmured, but he remained silent. The message was clear: she was alone in this. That night, after their Valima , they finally handed her half a cup of tea —not a sip more. The steam rose, delicate and mocking. Even this, even tea, would be rationed. The next morning, hunger gnawed at her,...

  Tum Kyun Mujh Se Juda Ho? Tum kyun mujh se juda ho, Kyun mujh se khafa ho? Main ne toh sirf sach kaha tha, Koi ghalti, koi qusoor nahi mera, Ye tum bhi khoob se jante ho. Bas apne haq ki baat ki thi, Zulm ko zulm kehna hi toh jurm tha, Aur tum ne iski aisi saza di, Ke raaste hi alag kar liye. Main toh har mod pe saath nibhana chahti thi, Mitti ki tarah bikhar kar bhi tumhara hona chahti thi, Magar tum, tum toh bas bahaane banaate rahe, Mujh se door jaane ke sabab dhoondhte rahe. Tum sab jaante the, tumhe sab pata tha, Magar phir bhi be-khabar bane rahe, Dil ki sada sunne ki fursat na thi tumhe, Mujhe khone ka ehsaas na tha tumhe. Maine tumhein azaad kar diya, Judaai ka sabr bhi kar liya, Magar dil ke kisi kone mein aaj bhi, Ek khaamosh dukh zinda hai, Ek adhoora sawal, jo tum se poochhne ka haq bhi kho diya.                                   KULSOOM AFZAL

  Staring at the moon tonight,  it reminds me of you. You once said, on the cliffs of Neelum Valley, "You are the moon of my life." And I whispered back, "You are my Prince Saif-ul-Malook." You called me a blessing, but those were just words. You left me alone in that cold hospital room, on your mother’s command, as I woke from surgery— weak, in pain, reaching for you. All your love disappeared when I needed you the most. But staring at the moon tonight, I finally see— I am the moon of my own life. And without you, I am happy again.                                    KULSOOM AFZAL

  کچھ قصے ادھورے، کچھ باتیں ان کہی، کبھی مِلو تو سنانا تم سے کہنی تھی جو بات دل کی۔ ادھورے عشق کی داستان سنائیں گے تم کو، جو ہجر میں بِیتی وہ رات بتائیں گے تم کو۔ ساون کی بارش بھی دل کو جلاتی رہی، ہر سُونی راہ اُداسی سجاتی رہی۔ تم سے کہہ نہ سکے جو دل میں چھپا تھا، اور تم پڑھ نہ سکے جو آنکھوں میں لکھا تھا۔ کچھ قصے ادھورے ہی رہ گئے، کچھ باتیں ان کہی ہی رہ گئیں۔ تم سے ملنے کی آس بھی دم توڑ گئی… Kuch qisse adhure, kuch baatein ankahi, Kabhi milo toh sunana tumse kehni thi jo baat dil ki. Adhure ishq ki dastaan sunayenge tumko, Jo hijr mein beeti wo raat batayenge tumko. Sawan ki barish bhi dil ko jalati rahi, Har sooni raah udasi sajaati rahi. Tumse keh na sake jo dil mein chhupa tha, Aur tum padh na sake jo aankhon mein likha tha. Kuch qisse adhure hi reh gaye, Kuch baatein ankahi hi reh gayi.   Tumse milne ki aas bhi dam tod gayi…                                      ...