Bad habits

The Cost of Ignoring a Mother’s Advice
The Cost of Ignoring a Mother’s Advice BY:Khan “Osman, my dear son, don’t play with Nasser,” Mama said firmly one afternoon. “He is not a good boy. I’ve heard he steals, skips school, and spends his time wandering with bad company.”
By Khan 5 months ago in Confessions
Shattered Alibi
I learned early on that the truth has a way of finding you, no matter how carefully you try to hide from it. But I didn’t expect it to hit me on a Thursday night, in the middle of a casual dinner with friends, over something I swore was a “harmless” little lie.
By LUNA EDITH5 months ago in Confessions
Secret Letter. Content Warning.
It started innocently enough. A simple scroll through TikTok at 2 AM, insomnia keeping me awake in my cramped studio apartment where I'd been freelancing for months without human contact. The algorithm, that omniscient digital deity, must have sensed something in my desperate thumb movements because suddenly my feed bloomed with candles and crystals, with young women whispering incantations into their phone cameras.
By Parsley Rose 5 months ago in Confessions
Something I need to tell you
Dear Aunt, I am sending this as an email because I need a clear place to say what I have been carrying for a long time. I will use “Aunt” here because that is what you are, even though, for many months, you have not acted like someone who cares gently for us. I will still show you respect in this message, because respect is all I can offer if nothing else remains. I know you may not answer. I know it may be ignored. Still, I need to be honest.
By Zidane5 months ago in Confessions
The Art of Saying “No” at Work
The first time I said “no” at work, my voice was barely more than a whisper. My palms were sweaty, my heart pounded in my chest, and I braced for the silence that followed. For years, I had trained myself to be the “yes” person, so speaking that one word felt like betrayal.
By BehindTheDesk5 months ago in Confessions
Just Wanted Bacon on My Burger
I went to Burger King with my wife. We ordered separately on the app so we could each earn our own points. I wanted to enjoy a nice cheeseburger, which was on sale through the Burger King app. It was a free cheeseburger if you bought something for a dollar. I added bacon to it and also ordered a side item.
By Joey Raines5 months ago in Confessions
Internet Fiber Blockade Disrupts Life in Afghanistan
Internet Fiber Blockade Disrupts Life in Afghanistan In recent months, Afghans have faced yet another crisis, one that is less visible than violence in the streets but just as damaging to daily life. The disruption and partial blockade of Afghanistan’s internet fiber network has cut off millions of people from reliable access to the digital world. This breakdown has affected businesses, education, healthcare, and communication, leaving many to feel isolated in an already fragile environment.
By Roman raufi5 months ago in Confessions
Two strangers seated side-by-side on a long overnight train ride. Content Warning.
The notebook feels cheap under my fingers, the cardboard cover flimsy. This pen is already starting to skip. But it’s midnight, and the train is a dark serpent sliding through the sleeping countryside, and I can’t sleep. The hum is in my bones. That low, metallic thrumming that feels like being inside a giant, moving creature. It’s the sound of distance being eaten. The sound of leaving.
By Chahat Kaur5 months ago in Confessions
The Things We Do in the Dark. Content Warning.
October 12th I saw him again today. It’s stupid, really. The way my body reacts. A full-system reboot from a thirty-second interaction in a coffee line. It’s not even about the words. It’s about the space between them.
By Chahat Kaur5 months ago in Confessions
The Prize Hunter and the Junkyard Trick
The Prize Hunter and the Junkyard Lesson BY:Khan Bashir Ahmed Bhatti, my old friend, has an unusual obsession. He is always chasing after prize schemes. Over the years, he has won several items through lucky draws—small and big prizes alike. A washing machine, a motorcycle, household appliances—he has collected them all, free of cost.
By Khan 5 months ago in Confessions
Secret Letter. Content Warning.
The fluorescent lights are too bright and they're humming secrets I can't quite catch. My feet are moving before my brain catches up—through the automatic doors, past the reception desk where the woman is staring (she knows something), into the parking lot where the air tastes like metal and fear.
By Parsley Rose 5 months ago in Confessions
A House Divided: When a Father’s Betrayal Shattered a Family
A House Divided BY:Khan Khalid Mahmood Ashraf’s life took a turn the day his wife, Bushra, fell seriously ill. For years, she had been the heart of their home — the mother of five daughters and two sons, the anchor of a bustling household. But this time, when she was admitted to the hospital after her third heart attack, the doctors shook their heads grimly. “Pray for her recovery,” they told the family, “the rest is in God’s hands.”
By Khan 5 months ago in Confessions