Paradox by Kanza Imran Mughal
Novel Title: Paradox The room was quiet… but it was not peace. It was the kind of silence that does not rest on the ears… it presses against the soul. Areeba stood near the wall, unmoving. Her hands were cold. Her breath uneven. Her heart, strangely loud in a place where no one else seemed to hear it. People surrounded her. Familiar faces. Familiar voices. But nothing about them felt familiar anymore. Some were angry. Some were disappointed. Some were simply curious. But none of them were on her side. “She was there.” Just one sentence. And everything had collapsed around it. Not what she did. Not what she said. Only her presence had become evidence. Areeba wanted to speak. The truth was there—alive, burning inside her chest, waiting to be released in words. But it felt fragile… and dangerous. Like once spoken, it would not return safely. “If you say anything, think about the consequences.” Her mother’s voice echoed in her mind. Not loud. Not dramatic. But firm enough to st...