This Stays Between Us

Were you an overachiever at school? Did you always want to be like Hermione Granger? Did you ever feel that if you did not get the highest mark, you were not enough? Today, in this episode of my 'Advice To My Younger Self' series, I am joined by Lily Mott, the CEO of Be The Change Media Network, who talks openly about her younger self - how she wanted to be a Hermione, and wished she gave herself grace for the days where she needed to take a break. We talk about what it means to make your younger self proud, and as a little sneak peek into my younger self, I talk about the time I tried to turn all the boys in my class into feminists and how it backfired! 
 
If you would like to be featured as a guest speaker on my podcast, there is a Microsoft Sign Up form in my instagram bio @this_st4ys_between_us.
 
As always, this stays between us xoxo
 
Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

In a funk? Need a new book to pick you up? Or are you tired of having nothing interesting to read? In this special episode, I will tell you all about my latest favourite reads, from The First Jasmines by Saima Begum, to Mongrel by Hanako Footman, to my favourite story by Angela Carter: The Tiger's Bride, and my unusual hot take on it. As always, this stays between us xoxo
Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

Salaam, in this special episode I am joined by Mariam and Khadijah, two best friends who will talk about the friendship and life advice they would give to their younger selves in secondary school. Khadijah will also tell us a really heartwarming story about her school friend Maja who helped her to stay away from drama and gossip at school, and how she is grateful for their bond. Mariam will talk about her confidence journey, and how she became more comfortable in her own skin and her voice. I am excited for you to have a listen! As always, this stays between us x
Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

Welcome to Season 3 of This Stays Between Us, where I will be talking about the pursuit of freedom, what it means to belong inside your body and finding comfort in the voices inside your head. 
 
This episode is an introduction of what's to come, with a special teaser on my guest episode series: Advice To My Younger Self, and a bit about where I currently am in life.
 
Nothing is yet set in stone, I am exploring as I talk and hopefully will find out my direction on the other side. If you want to take part in a future episode, check out the links in my instagram bio @this_st4ys_between_us. Till then - salaam, your host, Z.K.
 
Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

In this post-Eid episode, I will read out the poems written by the two winners of last year's creative writing competition - Janki Shah (@wordbyjanki) and C.Louise (@hersoftspokensoul). The theme of the competition was secrets. One line in particular stuck out to me by C.Louise: 'secrets make a prison out of our own skin'. It made me think of the many secrets we keep, and how it eats us on the inside. Janki Shah writes about an eternal knowing we have - how even when the earth forgets our names, we remember what is calling us back. 
 
If you would like to get involved, feel free to DM me your poetry (@this_st4ys_between_us). I would love to feature your work on my podcast! 
 
Till then,
 
Salaam, your host, Z.K
 
Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

Dear listener, when you feel a yearning in your heart. Ask. 
 
Ask the One who created you.
 
He will not let you down.
 
In this episode, I dive into a time where I made dua for good friendship. At the time, a major friendship had ended and left a hole inside me, a hole that I filled with dua. I explore how sometimes, I felt that I did not deserve to ask for good friendships. I felt ashamed for asking for something uniquely beautiful that I was also deserving of. 
 
Was it self-esteem? Was it feeling low? Was it this sense that I was asking for more, and I was used to the word 'no'? It was a combination of these things. But through making dua, I learned to let go of shame and was gifted with an answer from Allah far better than I could imagine. A subtle reply, but one I hold dearly to my chest, and would like to talk about with you.
 
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Picture this. You’ve moved out. You miss the comfort of your mother’s arms. You miss seeing your siblings tease you and laugh. You miss the warmth of your dad when he sits at the dining table, and asks you how your day is.Suddenly life has changed. You are living in a place where you should hear the sound of your mother’s laugh bouncing off the walls but all you can hear is your belly rumble and the cry of rain pouring from the sky.
This new place. This city. It has left a pit of emptiness in your belly. And your body? It yearns for home.
 
This was me in January 2025. I had two choices. To sit with the emptiness inside me 
... or to turn to the One who would heal it. 
 
For this episode, I will tell you a story of how I found inner strength and peace through reading Surah Baqarah. I’ve made it an accessible episode especially if you are non-Muslim by breaking down key terms, what they mean, and how I connect with my faith.(if you've come from LinkedIn, yes, this is the one episode that features blueberries, giant London escalators and deep realisations about ibadah and tawakkul)
***
Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

Is there a novel that you've been wanting to write? A poetry collection hiding at the back of your OneDrive? A protest speech that you just don't think is good enough but rehearse when no-one's watching you? 
 
In Episode 2 of Season 2: Go Global, we dive into a deep conversation with Ayman Sabir, who will make you rethink your decision to hide your writer-self away. Because if you don't write, how will you express yourself? How will you communicate your feelings to the world and connect on a global level? 
 
Ayman Sabir is not only a writer, but also is a poet and the founder of her very own literary magazine, called Samajh My Gal, centred on uplifting South Asian voices for Gen Z and providing us with a literary space to be loud and creative. 
 
So what are you waiting for? Pick up the pen, babe!
 
Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

Content warning: this episode mentions abuse, violence, torture and sexual assault in the context of the experiences of Sudanese people during the war. 
 
Welcome to episode 1 of a new chapter in my podcast: 'This Stays Between Us'. This series is called Go Global. Today we will be learning about Sudan and bearing witness to the pain, the suffering and the resilience that blooms in Sudan despite the ongoing violence that erupted since April 15th, 2023. I will talk about what is currently happening in Sudan, the impact of historical colonialism, and I will also go into detail about four fascinating and brave women with stories that you need to listen to: 
 
1) Fatima  - a mother who had to be separated from her children due to not having a foreign passport
2) Kawther - a mother who underwent a dangerous journey to protect her thirteen-year old son from the RSF army 
3) Imaan - an amputee with such strong imaan, that despite the horrors she has faced, she still continues to cares for others
4) Lubna's story - a Sudanese university student, just like you and me- but wait till you hear how she transformed her pain into purpose and created a kindergarten for the children who were unable to go to school.
 
To end, I will share with you how, this 2026, I'm also taking the Falkirk Abseiling Challenge to raise money for Sudan through Islamic Relief. The fundraiser link can be found in my instagram bio at @this_st4ys_between_us. 
 
If you are able to, please donate. 
If not, please support this episode by following, leaving a review and sharing the knowledge with your friends and family.
As always, keep Sudan in your prayers and alive in your conversations. 
 
Salaam, your host, Z.K.
 
Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.

To wrap up 2025, I will tell you a winter love story featuring two people. 
The girl who held a date between her fingers, and the boy who stared at her in wonder.
The girl who choked on her Arabic, and the boy who picked up each word. 
The girl who couldn't make eye contact, and the boy whose eyes seemed to swallow her every move.
 
The minutes pass, and a year does too. 
He has forgotten this moment. 
But she remembers everything through and through.
 
That's right. This is 'what do I know about love, part two.'
 
 
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Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.