FICTION
Urdu Literature / Urdu Fiction
FLASH FICTION
The Ghost
by Iqbal Khurshid
(Translated from Urdu by Najam-uddin Ahmad)
The train was running at a high speed in the deep darkness of night.
There were two passengers in a compartment.
“Do you believe in ghosts?” One of them asked the other, breaking the silence.
“No,” the other replied, “I believe only in hunger. It is more horrible than ghosts.”
The First passenger inhaled a deep breath and said, “I don’t believe, too. It looks me that… that time is the ghost of all ghosts. It devours all the things.”
After a little while, the ticket checker entered the compartment but… he found it empty.
….
(Translated from Urdu by Najam-uddin Ahmad)
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Iqbal Khursheed
Iqbal Khursheed, born in a middle-class family, holds a Master’s in Mass Communication, English, and International Relations. Currently residing in Karachi. He contributes to the literary and journalistic landscape. He is renowned as an Urdu fiction writer, journalist, interviewer, columnist, vlogger, and film critic. Currently, he is associated with Geo News, Pakistan. He has previously been affiliated with reputable newspapers and media
groups throughout his professional journey. Having conducted over 800 interviews with national and international personalities, he has established himself as a prominent figure in journalism.
Work:
His two novels, “Tikon ki Chauthi Jeht” (Fourth Dimension of the Triangle) and “Gard Ka Tofan” (Dust Tornado), garnered attention and appreciation from critics and readers alike. Tikon ki Chauthi Jeht was also published from India, and its Hindi translation is expected to be released soon. Additionally, it was shortlisted for the UBL Award in the fiction category.
His recent book, “Fiction Se Mukalma” (Dialogue with Fiction), features interviews with the top 16 Urdu fiction writers. This work has created significant ripples and garnered admiration within literary circles.
Iqbal Khursheed alo serves as the editor of the prestigious Urdu literary journal Ijra and is the co-author of Sab Se Badi Jung, a notable work on the journalistic movement in Pakistan. He has also ventured into journalistic stories with his publication titled “One Minute Story”.
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More by Iqbal Khursheed:
Najam-uddin Ahmad
Born on June 02, 1971, is an Urdu novelist and short story writer. He did his masters in English Literature from Islamia University, Bahawalpur in 1996.
Work:
Najam-uddin Ahmad has published three novel: Mudfun (The Burials) in 2006, Khoj (The Explore) in 2016, and Saheem (The Partners) in 2019, and two collections of short stories: Aao Bhai Khelein (Brother, Let’s play) in 2013 and Fraar aur Doosray Afsanay (Flee and other short stories) in 2017. Presently, he has been working on his Urdu novel, Mena Jeet. A collection of Urdu Short Stories is also expected soon.
Translations:
Najam-uddin Ahmad is also renowned for his translations from English into Urdu. He has seven books of translations on his credit. Among other translations, he has recently translated the famous Turk epic “The Book of Dede Korkut” into Urdu, published by the Pakistan Academy of Letters. He has also translated a good number of Urdu short stories into English.
Awards:
- Writers’ Guild Award, 2013 for Aao Bhai Khelein (Brother, Let’s play)
- UBL Excellence Award, 2017 for translation work: Nobel Inamyafta Adeebon Ki Kahanian (Short stories by Nobel Laureates in Literature).
- Qoumi Adabi Award (Hassan Askari Award), 2019 from Pakistan Academy of Letters for Fasana-e-Alam — a collection of short stories by Nobel Laureates in Literature.
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