I’m Writing a Novel on Medium
Why I’m Writing My Novel “Hold On” Here, and How to Join Me
Like so many Pakistanis, I grew up in a rural setting, with no real privilege behind me. I have gone on to travel, experience big cities, and even study across the world. My story isn’t unique, and I felt a lack of visibility for creators like myself.
So, as one does, I decided to write a novel.
There are three reasons I’m writing my novel, ‘Hold On.’
- There is a lack of accessible, relatable literature for Pakistanis and the diaspora. Our literary talents write for Western audiences, and that reading level can leave out the average Pakistani who also wants to read novels.
- I want to highlight the issues faced by ordinary Pakistanis — how they struggle through the process of class mobility, how women struggle with patriarchy, cultural issues of honor and so on.
- Navigating complex relationships and emotions — I want us to gain a greater understanding of our emotions, expressing them, and putting them in the public sphere.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Never Question a Professor
Chapter 2: “No One Will Ever Marry You”
Chapter 3: Save a Life
Chapter 4: I’m Not Scattered Yet, Even Though I’m Broken
Chapter 5: Every Woman Suffers Such Abuses
Chapter 6: The First Girls’ School in Peshawar
Chapter 7: Her Wish to Play Sports Overpowered Her Fear.
Chapter 8: She Had No Safe Place to Go, Except Inside Her Head
Chapter 9: Marriage or Education?
Chapter 10: “It’s Okay to Cry”
Chapter 11: How to Save a Relationship
Chapter 12: She Never Felt Like She Belonged in Public Spaces
Chapter 13: “My Family’s Honor Is at Stake”
Chapter 14: From Pakistan to Greenwich Village
Chapter 15: Expecting a Fifth Child
Chapter 16: Lofty Dreams for a Humble Family
Chapter 17: Her Little Secret
Chapter 18: A Letter to My Love, From New York City
Chapter 19: The Unbearable Lightness of Being Pakistani
Chapter 20: One Soul and Two Bodies
Chapter 21: An Intimate History
Chapter 22: Destiny Is Never in Our Hands
Chapter 23: The Sun Is Also a Star
Chapter 24: How to Not Get a Tech Job in Pakistan
Chapter 25: The Life of a Single Working Woman in Islamabad
Chapter 26: Destiny Finally Smiled Upon Her
Chapter 27: Guilt and Joy
Chapter 28: Building Wealth with Startups
Chapter 29: Don’t Trust Boys
Chapter 30: Hesitant Farewell
Chapter 31: The Flight of Life
Chapter 32: Suddenly, We Were Close
Chapter 33: Relationships Nurtured Over Years Crumble in Seconds
Chapter 34: From Sorrows to Joy
Chapter 35: Where to Stay on Your Honeymoon
Chapter 36: Funeral of Entrepreneurs
Chapter 37: Pity and Racism
Chapter 38: I’ll be there for you
Chapter 39: My Lonely Childhood
Chapter 40: The hug conveyed more than any words could
Chapter 41: Bound by roots, drawn by dreams
Chapter 42: Life will never be the same
Chapter 43: Woh hamsafar that magar uss say hamnawai an this
(The last seven chapters will not be published online; they will be exclusive to the hard copy that I aim to publish in 2024. Meanwhile, please leave your thoughts in the reply section below the chapters. I am humbled by your support and interest in my novel. Find out why I write here, start from Chapter 1 here.)
