Raadiyah Ali

I didn’t flee the ball because I hated the prince. I fled because the slipper looked too much like a shackle - and I had already bled in silence for the illusion of love once before. I mistook safety for a spell, kindness for a curse. I had danced in cages, called them castles, and kissed hands that held knives beneath silk gloves. So when real love came - not demanding, not burning - just waiting, open, barefoot - I vanished. Not from disgust. From memory. From smoke that still lived in my lungs long after the fire was gone. I was not a bride. I was a phoenix, still mid-ash. But maybe now - the clock strikes not midnight, but mourning . And I rise, not to return to the ball, but to myself. Barefoot. Unburned. Unclaimed.

I once danced in silence, in shoes made of glass - beautiful, fragile, meant for a girl who didn't speak too loud. I waited by gates that never opened, believed in love that only saw a part of me - the soft, the small, the savable. But I have walked through fire since then. I’ve bled on floors no ballroom could clean. And the slippers - they cracked beneath the weight of who I’ve become. I don’t need a prince. I don’t need a rescue. I need a path that holds my whole, unshrinking self. So I leave the slippers on the steps. Barefoot, unafraid, I write my own ending. “The glass slippers no longer fit. I walk my own path now.”

Kahin tum dikhtey nahin ho, apni barzakh mein bastey ho. (You're nowhere to be seen, Your hindrances shelter you.) //(You're never truly seen, The life you live is divided.) Kahin tum tiktey nahin ho, apney ghum mein ghultey ho. (You're nowhere to be found, Your grief consumes you.) //(You're never truly found, You dwell in your grievances.) Yeh jeena hai ya marna, barzakh hai ya jahan? (Is this life or death, a barrier or your world?

I'm not your conquest, I'm your companion. I say it with my chest, I'm one in a million. My beauty isn't for praise. My truth isn't your opinion. I have no kings to chase. I am my own dominion. I was gifted gold at birth. Diamonds won't cut it. They're less than my worth. My evolution has more grit. // I was gifted gold at birth. Diamonds aren't my best friend. They're less than my worth. My evolution has more grit. I ask from you an apology, You give me condolences. Guess I'll burn your effigy; No space for grievances. You shame this whirlwind Since silence is the norm. You're scared of the wind After triggering a storm.

1. "When you're born in a burning house, you think the whole world is on fire. But it's not." - Richard Kadrey, Aloha from Hell (Sandman Slim, #3) When you're born and raised in chaos, you assume it is normal. Normalcy fazes you when you step out into the real world. You believe the world is out to get you when in reality, you're not the problem. You think love is conditional or transactional, that you must pay a price to receive it otherwise you're unworthy. Eventually, you will find a clearing beyond the walls of fire you were trapped in, and gradually heal. As cliche as it sounds, time heals wounds, but only if you are receptive to embracing the unfamiliar. 2. Your parents are not heroes. They're just like you - flawed, growing, learning, and trying. Give them grace and forgive them for their shortcomings. 3. Heal before having children so your children don't have to heal from you. Also, do NOT bring children into this world if you don't wa...

1. The comeback is greater than the setback. When a setback occurs, it feels like we've failed and our hopes dwindle. The weight of obstacles tires us and our minds are clouded with uncertainty for the future. A setback, however, will only burden you as much as you allow it. You can choose to remain stagnant and pity yourself, or take a leap of faith and seek help to get you back on your feet. Time and patience are essential to get through this rough phase. No matter how frightening the storm is, it ends eventually. This setback will end too. 2. "The best way out is always through." - Robert Frost in his poem "A Servant to Servants" Running away from your problems is not the solution. Facing them is. In order to reach the other side, you must stay on the path that's taking you there and face the pain head-on instead of escaping and finding solace in distractions. 3. Actions speak louder than words. A person's actions reveal their intentions and charac...

"Bulleya aashiq hoyian Rab da, huyi malaamat lakh; Tenu kafir kafir akh de, tu aho aho akh." (Bulleya you became God's devotee, and you were rebuked nonstop; They call you "kafir" "kafir" (disbeliever), and you retort "yes!" "yes!") Vocabulary in Context: (in order of appearance) Syed: a caste of Muslims; descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him); regarded as nobles for their ancestry Murshid: a spiritual guide Araiyin: a caste of Muslims; associated with agricultural affairs (farming, gardening, etc.); located primarily in Punjab (Pakistan and India) and Sindh (Pakistan) Mureed: disciple Kafir: disbeliever Born Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri, Sufi philosopher Bulleh Shah became the most prominent voice of the 18th century to openly criticize religious bigotry and societal norms through poetry which he wrote in the Punjabi language. One particularly profound poem denounces the superiority of one caste over another. The...