Urdu-medium Byculla schoolgirl, 14, self-publishes her first English fantasy novel

Most parents in Mumbai want their children in English-medium schools so that they get a firm grip on the language. A 14-year-old girl from Byculla has shown that English can be learnt like any other school subject. She has never attended an English-medium school, yet she has had her 100-page English fantasy fiction printed as a paperback.

Her father is a cab driver and her mother manages the home. She is the eldest in the family, and her younger siblings attend primary school. She studies at Anjuman Khairul Islam Mohd Ali Mitha Girls High School in Madanpura, Byculla West. She has attended only Urdu-medium schools all her life. Her present school is semi-English, but she chose to study all her subjects in Urdu.

The book is titled Beneath A Lie. The story is set in an imaginary world and revolves around two sisters. It also has elements of love, family and drama. The book has 20 chapters. She began writing it in Class 8 and it took her two years to finish. She first posted it on an online platform, where it drew hundreds of views. She has now self-published it through Kindle Direct Publishing. Some copies of the paperback are on their way.

The school principal, Qaisar Jahan Momin, said, "Shabihat has written the entire book by hand on paper, without the help of AI. Earlier she only posted her work online. Now she has self-published it as a paperback, and the first copies are due to arrive soon. She has also taken part in an online creator contest and is making full use of whatever resources she has."

The girl said she learnt some English from her mother, who used to teach in a school. "When I was little, my mother brought me books of fairy tales. Then I began reading fiction from my library. Finally I thought that when I love reading books so much, I can write my own too," she said.

These days she draws inspiration from pop-culture hits such as Twilight and from young adult authors such as Lauren Roberts. She is also trying to understand the classics through the books of Jane Austen and the films made from them.

Her mother said, "I studied in Urdu medium myself, so I wanted my daughter to study the same way. We chose it because it keeps her close to our culture. Even so, we watch English animated films on our phones and read books and newspapers, so that she stays connected with English too."