Almost... Omar:

Where the footpath is drenched in darkness
in the quarters of light,
and look at the market across

---

when it burns suffocatingly with the friction of money
changing hands,

excellent description!

the first para though could be delt with in simpler language, but then again, it`s your piece. i found the way you described intricate details quite interesting. keep us posted with more...

Kahan Se Aap Zamaney Ke Bad Aye Hain Ijaz:

you sound very vulnerable by the end of it all. its amazing how seemingly the most incosequential of events can momentarily break a person. i like the way you`ve written without any frivolties attached. it really does come across as a first draft...just the way its supposed to be.

though what surprised me was the fact that you being a `male` reminesced and ended up in tears...i have yet to come across a man who would do that heh! they all seem the sort to get up and move on with their lives without ever looking back...but anyway...

waiting for more articles from you

Death Be Not Proud Ali:

my condolences for your loss. sometimes friends are more dear than one`s family...and to lose them is devastating. i hope his wife and child find enough strength to survive through this trauma.

Ahmed Rushdi Rakapo$h

i absolutely LOVE the song: akeyley na jana, humei chor ker tum

the lyrics..the tune...nothing in these times can match it!

One Afternoon great article F.R.Khan. i visited the border only once during the NCC training. the guard change ceremony is really interesting.

Postcards from Heaven leaving behind not a trace
except perhaps
shallow dips in sand
where stretches of tide couldn`t reach,

loved it

Particles of Dust despite a bit of condradiction as farzana has pointed out, i like the way you`ve used prose.

sobia: thankyou. emm now that i read it ... i think it lacks elaborate descriptions of all characters. in the effort of trying not to make it complicated i`ve made it too simplistic by way of developing all main characters.

hh: : ) you`re right about the hollywood movie bit heh! thankyou

temporal: gotit : )

urstruly: agreed the last para could`ve been delt with in a different manner. thankyou.

cipram: emm...well she is a doctor suffering from MPD. i was basically experimenting with the idea in a short story, but obviously its a bit abrupt in the end.

azure: you`re right this one got lucky. as a matter of fact i recently heard about someone diagnosed with a double personality disorder. its a very disturbing and traumatising reality...trust me. theres nothing interesting about living with someone who you just dont know how to deal with. i made this story nice and sweet because otherwise it would have turned a bit too dramatic for my taste. the `hating umer` twist would`ve been nice though...heh!

temporal: you don`t even have to say anything on this one :/ jeez! learnt my lesson heh! you`re right about the trigger words but then lets not be `polite` about it either...the story does need quite a bit of revamping. for some odd reason i just didnt edit it after the third read! im working on something else now...definitely more thorough about it this time! thankyou for your reassurances.

im still interested in the idea though....ill try to cook something else over it.

temporal: emm i`ve changed this a bit. though id still like to write `Arms hanging, head bent` in a different way...cant figure out how...

On the edge,
The verge,
Kneeling,
Motionless,
Pacified.

Arms hanging, head bent,
For Reverence, Forgiveness,
Back upright, with pride,
Pride once mine.

Eyes searching for Light,
Hair clouding my face,
Inhibition controling my thoughts,
Fear intimidating my being.

Palms facing Him,
Begging for Mercy,
Feet firm on ground,
Ground I lost,
Knees weak with desire,
Desire to plunge,

Struggles lost,
Moments yearned,
Memories lived,
Decisions made.

Furious,
Raging,
Haunting,
Phantoms of past.

temporal: thankyou for the encouragment. am in a bit of a block these days though heh!
i-am-the-cheese and rozaiba: thankyou

err...though i think i`d want to re-do this a bit if i were to write it again.

LUMS -- Lahore University of mis-Management Sciences Bilal i agree with you completely. the supposedly `online` registration system in particular is nothing but a hassle and a disappointment. By the time one does find the server free to register, most courses are blocked and students are left with all the social science ones to fill up their credits.

As for the faculty `justifying` everything...heh! that is what they seem to be propagating to their students as well! a pity.

Lastly i was amazed at the way students have to misquote their `personal information` inorder to be eligble for a scholarship, which btw rarely considers students with a good GPA. All one has to do is reflect `poor income` to get on the scholarship list. So much for `pride of LUMS`!

LUMS is still a good university, esp. when compared to the rest of the hoodlums, BUT they NEED to maintain their reputation which might very soon go down under. All educational institutions face such probelems at one time or the other, however, LUMS managment should take practical measures to live up to their claims of being `the best in Pakistan`.

Narcism wonderful poem

A Black Spot irum => `reality of life which this spot is` ... totally agree with you on this one

really liked the piece ... it said all that needed to be said

An Hour in the Life of a Soldier i saw `the beast` yesterday. its about Russian invasion on Afghanistan in 1981. i wonder whether mujahideen can be called soldiers of their own right

this was a wonderful article to read.