I would like to inspire other people: Atiya Khan

Former model Atiya Khan on duty, inspiration, and her own private fantasy world.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

True, divine, eternal love.

What is your greatest fear?

To have lived a wasted life.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My inability to truly trust others.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Cruelty.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Freedom!

What is your current state of mind?

I am striving to integrate.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Being dutiful.

On what occasion do you lie?

To save someone.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Nothing.

Which living person do you most despise?

I dislike certain actions and thoughts, not people.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Confidence.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Sincerity.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I’m not much of a talker.

When and where were you happiest?

I am happiest when I live in my own fantasies.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I would like to inspire other people.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My need to please others.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

The relationships I have built.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

I would be me.

Where would you most like to live?

By the beach.

What is your most treasured possession?

My home.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Living in oppression.

If you didn’t do your current job, what would you choose to do?

I choose to do many jobs.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Individuality.

Who is your hero of fiction?

I’m still searching for a truly empowered female hero!

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Bibi Fatima.

Who are your heroes in real life?

My mum, who got up at the age of sixty and decided she was going to make a difference.

What is your greatest regret?

I try to remain true to myself so I don’t have any regrets.

What’s your favourite quote?

A hadith: my servant draws ever closer to me till I become his eyes, ears, hands and feet.

How many hours of load shedding did you experience yesterday?

One.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2010.