In a city where poetry is woven into the culture, where even the streets echo the words of Tagore and Nazrul, a quiet literary voice is beginning to emerge. Shakiba Asif, a Class 10 student from Kolkata, is gaining admiration for her soulful expression through shayeri—an art form that blends emotion and poetic rhythm into powerful short verses. While most of her peers are focused on exams and schoolwork, Shakiba has discovered something more profound: the ability to feel deeply and translate that into poetry.
For Shakiba, writing shayeri didn’t begin with confidence. “At the beginning when I started writing a shayeri, I thought it was too difficult for me,” she says with honesty. “Then I realised that if we truly feel it, then it becomes easy. It automatically comes out from our heart.” This realization changed everything. What was once a difficult artform turned into a personal outlet. And from there, her passion grew.
Her verses are raw, emotional, and deeply connected to her inner world. Unlike the polished compositions often found in literary journals, Shakiba’s shayeri comes with the innocence of youth and the intensity of truth. She writes about love, heartbreak, solitude, and silent strength. It is this sincerity that makes her work feel real and relatable. While she may be young, her poetry shows a maturity that suggests she listens closely to her emotions and trusts what they have to say.
Shakiba’s journey also represents something important for the youth of today. In an age of fast content and fleeting trends, she is part of a growing number of teenagers returning to meaningful forms of expression. Poetry—especially traditional forms like Urdu shayeri—is rarely practiced by today’s generation. Yet, Shakiba is proof that even in the digital age, heartfelt writing can still flourish.
Born and raised in Kolkata, Shakiba finds inspiration in the life around her. The city’s timeless blend of tradition and change shapes her perspective. From busy marketplaces to quiet corners of her neighborhood, everything becomes a potential story. Kolkata has always been a place where poetry is not just written, but lived. In Shakiba’s case, that poetic spirit has found a new vessel in her.
As a student, she balances schoolwork and writing, often penning her thoughts late at night or during peaceful moments in the day. Her notebooks are filled with verses—some finished, some still forming. She dreams of one day compiling them into a book that can reach other young people like her. “Even if one person reads my shayeri and feels something, I’ll be happy,” she says. For her, writing is not about popularity; it’s about connection.
Her teachers and friends have already begun to take notice. In school events, cultural programs, and literary circles, her work has been read aloud and appreciated for its emotional depth. Those who hear her poems are often surprised to learn her age. Her words carry the kind of introspection and clarity that is usually seen in more experienced writers. Yet, Shakiba insists she doesn’t write to impress anyone. She writes because she has to. It is the way she makes sense of the world.
One of her poems, written during a quiet evening, captures the essence of her style: “Tanhaaiyon mein bhi baat hoti hai, jab dil kisi se khamoshi mein milta hai.” A simple line, yet filled with layers of feeling. It speaks of connection beyond words, of emotions that linger in silence. And that is exactly what makes her work resonate—it says what others often feel but struggle to express.
Looking ahead, Shakiba wants to share her shayeri with a larger audience. She is exploring digital platforms where young writers publish their work and engage with readers. She also wants to read and learn more from great poets who came before her. But above all, she wants to remain true to herself. Her poetry, she believes, must always come from the heart—not from a desire to impress.
Shakiba Asif may still be in school, but her pen holds the strength of someone who has found her voice. In a world that often rushes past emotion, she invites readers to pause, feel, and listen. Her journey is just beginning, and yet it already carries the grace of something timeless. As she continues to grow, one can only hope that her verses find more pages, more hearts, and more reasons to be written.
