The very first article I designed was City of Lights. It reflects the story of the common people of Karachi — the Mango People (Aam Log)
Saddar, the heart of the city’s trade and daily hustle, is at the center of the design, a place where countless lives intersect framed by Mirza Ghalib's infamous shair — "maut ka ek din muayyan hai, neend raat bhar kiun nahi aati" and below that is a very profound quote of Saadat Hasan Manto which can be concluded with "What had to happen, did, and what will happen, will".
Ghalib's shair subscribes to the notion that a fear of something is more nerve wracking and louder than the actual thing itself. Your worries, your insecurities and your constant anxiety is formed in your brain for you own suffering — I'm sure that the resilient people of Karachi can relate with this state of mind ( including me )
So what’s the antidote to this constant fear and anxiety? Amor Fati. Love your fate. Embrace both the good and bad in life. Focus on what’s in your control and let go of what isn’t. Or as Manto put it: “What had to happen, did, and what will happen, will.”
Even the G-11 bus makes its mark here — truly a cultural symbol of this city.
If you ask me, this is a design that holds meaning, that can be relatable to you because this is your story — and this is my story.
