It started at a very early stage of my life when I could barely read. One of my father’s friends visited our home. While I was sitting at a distance, staring at him, he called me and handed over a storybook to me. I still remember the title, “Folktales of Asia.” Later, when I started reading, I carefully read all those stories from Japan to Vietnam, from the Philippines to Sri Lanka, and from many other countries. I still try to find the same title on the internet but have not yet been able to find it.

I remember there were many kids’ magazines, pocket-sized storybooks, and other publications that we started reading in our elementary years. Later, teen fiction influenced us a lot, including Tarzan, Sindbad, and many others. As we entered adulthood, we moved to more mature writings, including fiction, travelogues, and suspense. Then came a period of disconnect when my career began. I am not sure after how many years, but it was fortunate that I rediscovered my love for reading when I moved out of Pakistan in 2008 and started reading all sorts of newspapers and articles. It was the time I realized why life had become so numb that I was not even aware of the political circumstances of my country. I had never seriously read about local or international politics, nor had I explored different ideologies, the debate between capitalism and communism, basic philosophy, and many other topics.

I consider myself blessed that I resumed reading and developed a habit of reading across different genres. Over the past fifteen years, I have read so much, listened so much, and understood so much that it made me realize how little I know. So, I am on a quest to keep exploring, keep challenging my thoughts, and keep adjusting my beliefs.

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