Izyana Umair, a 7-year-old, youngest story writer and concept artist, studies at Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan School, Karachi. From an early age, she showed...

To the soul who owns my soul.

Releasing Soon! Pre-Order Now! In writing Barzakh: A Silent War Zone, I have poured my heart into portraying the painful and often unheard stories of those trapped in the tumultuous conflict that shaped Swat during the era when Radio Mullah Fazlullah held control over the region. Through the experiences of my characters, I wanted to reflect not only the brutality of war but also the strength and resilience of the human spirit amidst unimaginable circumstances. The word Barzakh carries profound meaning both literally and metaphorically in this novel. Literally, Barzakh refers to the Islamic concept of an intermediary state between life and the afterlife—an existence suspended between two realms. As I explored the lives of my characters, I found this concept resonating deeply with their own state of being: neither fully alive in the peaceful world they once knew, nor fully submerged in the violent world they are forced to navigate. They live in a constant state of limbo, waiting for an end, or for change, or for something to break the silence. Metaphorically, Barzakh represents the silence that dominates a war zone. It’s not just the physical absence of noise, but the emotional and psychological silence that war imposes on the souls of those it touches. It is the silence of fear, of unspoken pain, of lives turned upside down yet unable to voice their suffering. In this silence, my characters face battles that are not just fought with weapons but with their own minds, their beliefs, and their longing for peace. This novel is dedicated to the innocent people of Swat, Ningolai, and all the regions affected by the war. It is for the men, women, and children who have been caught in the crossfire, who have lost everything yet still hold on to hope. Through their stories, I hope to honor their resilience and remind the world that the cost of war is not only in lives lost but in the silence that it enforces upon those who survive. Barzakh is a call to remember the forgotten, to listen to the stories of those whose voices have been drowned out by the noise of violence. It is my hope that this novel will serve as a reminder to never forget the innocent victims of war, whose lives continue in a state of silence that we must learn to hear.

Death is essential for life. It signifies growth and excellence while maintaining the balance between the light and the dark forces of this world. It is, in itself, nothing but a medium to transition from this life to the next, and yet, there exist those who wish to oppose it. Those who deny the chance to leave behind the chaos for eternal peace. Those who act to stop it forever. But the wheels set in motion cannot be stopped. The flow of time exists for a reason – to deliver the verdict of justice. Disrupting the flow only hastens the reckoning. A great man once said, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way, becomes the way.” Every beginning must have an end. Every river must end up in the sea. Every soul must arrive at its destiny. For time is the river and infinity its sea. It can neither be delayed, nor stopped. Its flow, like its existence, is inevitable. The reckoning, like the flow of time, is inevitable

^{A wolf’s poetic howl is more than a sound—it’s a call, a story, a raw expression of survival and desire. Wolf’s Poetic Howl is a collection of poems that echo the deep voice—wild, untamed, natural yet deeply reflective. Each poem in this book is a piece of the journey, a murmur of solitude, a roar of boldness, or a song of longing. Some poems carry the quiet wisdom of the night, while others pulse with the untamed spirit of the hunt and bask in the sun’s tender embrace. They speak of love and loss, of strength and vulnerability, of the search for meaning in a world that often feels both massive and uncaring. Like the lone wolf steering the wilderness, these poems invite you to wander, to feel, and to embrace the beauty of being unapologetically alive. So listen closely. The howl is calling.}