Shaheer Ahmed
Pakistan is the land of talents. Every year, we witness many rising stars through the common crowd and making a big difference out there in the world. We have the pleasure of hosting some of the most brilliant artists, authors, scientists, and writers.
One such example is Ozma Mushtaque, the bold woman who dared to dream big and realize her vision that she consistently held for over 12 years.
Neemopani has the pleasure of having one of its members being an author of such caliber. Where the world is ignorant of its darkness and tries to create an overly positive image, Ozma has dared to break the shackles and venture into a world that is not encountered normally. What would be that world? For that to understand, we have to look at the title that she has authored. The book bears the mesmerizing name, “The Realm of Darkness.” One can only imagine that in our closed-minded society where sometimes being a woman can mean no less than a struggle, this brazen author has dared to explore the realms which we don’t normally venture off to. Take into account the fact that a woman openly talking about the beauty of darkness and death can very easily be misunderstood. That is a burden for being one of the great creative minds. However, she is ready to bear the burden.
When you read the passages of the book, you will come to terms with your own darkness and your own light. Ozma has a gift of making darkness and death seem natural and part of life. This is an ironic thing to claim since we usually shun darkness, be it ours or others, to cling to a falsely positive image of ourselves. Whatever opens our mind to the realms of the unknown, darkness sweeps in and it isn’t always a bad thing. Even if we are knee deep in the turmoil of life, ignoring our emotions wouldn’t be the right thing to do. Instead, acknowledging our darkness makes us closer to the realm of light. Let’s consider some of the brief passages of this literary masterpiece.
Superficial emotions!!
Superficial ME!!
Wandering emotions and wandering thee..
Apart from the solace of mind,
I yearn for me
This passage explains how superficial emotions take over the persona of one’s being and how they create a superficial version of ourselves. The true emotions are all scattered and when they are dispersed like that, the true self, which the author refers to as thee, is scattered too. Apart from her mental peace, she years for the scattered version of herself because that is the actual self.
In some passages, Ozma emphasizes the acceptance of one’s darkness, and the last line reveals how the new self is born because of that.
Look to that way,
I die and you shall die too.
Risen from the earth are the vices,
They slowly gulf you from nowhere.
Mind shattering and mind clattering,
You will live through despair and agony.
It is the destruction of one’s self that leads ultimately to endurance. Look to the way where you and I shall die. Here, I refer to the other version of self. The vices that run amok in our society will harm you, destroy you, and will annihilate your mind. Still, in the end, you will live through despair and agony because that is in your nature.
With a piece like this, we hope that this author never puts her pen down and keeps us accompanied with such divinely dark passages. You can purchase the book here.
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