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BOOK REVIEW | THE GIRL WITH THE PAISLEY DUPATTA

On By Mahvash K. M.In Fiction, Shortstory, womenwriters, writing3 Comments

Hello folks,

Wanted to share with you the first ever review of my book of short stories “The Girl with the Paisley Dupatta and other stories”. The review was done by Maha Qazi of the YouTube channel Maha’s Musings.

She’s done a pretty good summary of the book in general and has also mentioned very relevant specifics from within some of the stories.

Take a look!

(P.S. I would describe myself as a “corporate RUT absconder. A bit of a Nutty enigma in the intro there! 😅)

https://youtu.be/-uyrbICrQW8

VERSE | FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD*

On By Mahvash K. M.In poetry, serenity, verse, womenwriters, writing2 Comments

Listen to the poem being read here: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSdn6QjcC/?k=1

I pick it up, I feel its form 
I hold it in my hands, the warmth
Transfers slowly and I sense
The tingle of the words within 

I gaze at the lines upon its face
I turn it over, my eyes trace 
The tale it whispers all its own 
Its beauty hidden, as yet unknown 
The seeds of intrigue have been sown 
It invites me in, in subtle tones
We follow, I and my intuition 
On lightning wings, we race in!
Another stridently demands that I 
Feel its spine from end to end 
And then I oftentimes comply
As it tells its story by and by 

I leave my existence behind 
For a while I’m in another life
I go on voyages fraught with love 
With pain, with humor with suspense 
I journey on through these realms 
Sometimes laughing sometimes tense 
And then I will glance again
At the portal to the world I’m in 
Pausing my trip-in words 
The story wraps itself up, and I’m 
Whisked back into the world 
Where I’m dutifully marking time

I feel its form one last time 
I leave it with a wistful smile 
That Teller of a myriad tales 
Waits until I visit it again
* Title inspiration from the novel by Thomas Hardy of the same name

VERSE | ALONE

On By Mahvash K. M.In poetry, truth, verse, womenwriters, writing3 Comments 
I’m alone … but I’m not really alone
In all the ways that don’t matter 
That shouldn’t matter, I’m never alone 
In all the ways that I need someone 
In all the ways of being human 
I’m alone. There is no one.

It wasn’t always like this, this lonesomeness 
It came on slowly as time went by 
As I transitioned, nay devolved
Dislodged from the blessed marital fold
From a wife to a wretched divorcee 
From a daughter to a social deportee 

I couldn’t be the woman he’d conceptualised 
His wife to be. Already fantasizing 
He was in heaven itself, spoilt for choice
By the virgins lined up in waiting
For him to pick one or four to be his own 
I got picked first, then I got disowned. 

I’ve been alone these twenty five years 
Fading ever more into the background 
As time trudges on with heavy treads 
My aura fades, my voice has no sound 
I tried to talk louder at first to be heard
But the booming voices of the world 
Were louder still, my voice was drowned 

Now I sit alone marking time 
For when the cosmos sees fit to smile 
In a new welcome; in a  final decline
I see people but they see me not 
They saw me only when I came out
Of the box, against the tide of tradition 
Then there was outrage, there was derision 

I don’t go out anymore nor do I 
Try to be bigger than the box fitted for me 
I sit in it quietly, patiently
Lonely oh so lonely … but not really 
In all the ways that shouldn’t matter 
Im not alone. They all watch me 
In all the ways that would make my heart sing 
I’m alone, waiting for the final curtain.