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.
โDo you believe in ghosts?โ One of them asked the other, breaking the silence.
โNo,โ the other replied, โI believe only in hunger. It is more horrible than ghosts.โ
The First passenger inhaled a deep breath and said, โI donโt believe, too. It looks me thatโฆ that time is the ghost of all ghosts. It devours all the things.โ
After a little while, the ticket checker entered the compartment butโฆ he found it empty.
โฆ.
(Translated from Urdu by Najam-uddin Ahmad)
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Iqbal Khursheed
Iqbal Khursheed, born in a middle-class family, holds a Masterโs 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,ย โTikon ki Chauthi Jehtโย (Fourth Dimension of the Triangle) andย โGard Ka Tofanโ (Dust Tornado), garnered attention and appreciation from critics and readers alike.ย Tikon ki Chauthi Jehtย 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,ย โFiction Se Mukalmaโ (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 journalย Ijraย and is the co-author ofย Sab Se Badi Jung, a notable work on the journalistic movement in Pakistan. He has also ventured into journalistic stories with his publication titledย โOne Minute Storyโ.
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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:
So far, Najam-uddin Ahmad has published three novel: Mudfun (The Burials) in 2006, Khoj (The Explore) in 2016, and Saheem (The Partners) in 2019. Apart from this, he has published two collections of short stories: Aao Bhai Khelein (Brother, Letโs play) in 2013 and Fraar aur Doosray Afsanay (Flee and other short stories) in 2017. Furthermore, he has been working on his Urdu novel, Mena Jeet. And, a collection of Urdu Short Stories is also expected soon.
Translations:
Morever, Najam-uddin Ahmad is also renowned for his translations from English to Urdu. And, he has seven books of translations on his credit. As well, among other translations he has recently translated the famous Turk epic โThe Book of Dede Korkutโ into Urdu, published by the Pakistan Academy of Letters. Simultaneously, he has also translated a good number of Urdu short stories into English.
Awards:
- Writersโ Guild Award, 2013 for Aao Bhai Khelein (Brother, Letโs play)
- And, UBL Excellence Award, 2017 for translation work: Nobel Inamyafta Adeebon Ki Kahanian (Short stories by Nobel Laureates in Literature).
- Also, Qoumi Adabi Award (Hassan Askari Award), 2019 from Pakistan Academy of Letters for Fasana-e-Alam โ a collection of short stories by Nobel Laureates in Literature.
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