EK INAYAT (A BLESSING)

Graphic Novel - RTL

Urdu graphic novel exploring the lives of domestic workers in Pakistan

Front and back of a book with sketches of a worried woman wearing a head cover, one on black and the other on white background.

Overview

Ek Inayat (A Blessing) is a graphic novel developed as my final year thesis at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. The project explores the personal lives of domestic workers in Pakistan, using storytelling to create empathy and awareness around their lived experiences.
ROLE:
Author & Illustrator
SCOPE:
Research, writing, storyboarding, illustration, layout, print production
Front and back of a book with sketches of a worried woman wearing a head cover, one on black and the other on white background.

Challenge

The goal was to represent sensitive, real-life experiences through a narrative format that could communicate emotional depth while remaining respectful and accessible to readers.

Approach

The project was grounded in research into the legal and social conditions of domestic workers in Pakistan, combined with narrative storytelling based on real-life experiences.

The story was written in Urdu and structured as a right-to-left (RTL) graphic novel. Each page was first sketched in pencil and inked by hand, before being digitized and refined using Illustrator and Photoshop. The visual approach focused on simplicity and clarity to support the emotional tone of the narrative.
Open book with black-and-white sketches and Urdu text, showing a woman's face with expressive emotions, various urban street scenes, home interiors with furniture, and close-ups of hands serving tea, reflecting a narrative about life and emotions.

Execution

The visual system was developed to support a right-to-left reading experience, ensuring clarity and continuity across pages while maintaining a consistent narrative flow from sketch to final print.
  • Research and story development
  • Page layout and sequencing (RTL format)
  • Pencil sketching and hand inking
  • Digital refinement and text integration
  • Print preparation and book binding
Black and white line drawing of three interior perspectives: a living room with sofa, chairs, coffee table, ceiling fan, and framed pictures; a laundry room with patterned curtains and clothes hanging on a line; and a doorway with steps leading up.
Black and white sketch of a narrow urban street lined with low buildings on both sides, showing closed doors and windows, with a distant city skyline in the background. Below are three panels: two close-ups of ornate gate designs secured with locks, and one panel showing a small stairway leading to a door with decorative bars on a plain building wall.
Black and white comic style drawing showing three panels below a panel with legs of a person walking away. The three panels depict front and back views of a decorated truck and an ornate patterned signboard in the middle with Urdu text. The text in the top panel reads about thinking daily of going home, while the text on the middle signboard cautions that changing three tires is not an easy task.
Black and white comic-style panel with Urdu text describing a scenario where a woman working in a neighborhood has some female friends. Illustrations include women interacting inside and outside, one woman waving, a group of three women talking, and a woman walking alone on a street with a tree and house gate. Decorative floral border frames are on the left and right sides. The text implies when a woman does household work regularly, she develops friendships and eventually travels.
Open book showing black and white sketches and Urdu text, including faces of a woman and a girl speaking, with small comic panels depicting a girl at a door and a woman looking down. Another page shows a woman in a headscarf looking thoughtfully and a silhouette of three children holding hands.
Urdu comic strip showing a person reflecting on how habits and temperament shape routine life. A clock shows 6 o'clock. A tray with food and drink is held by hands. The person is sitting on a sofa in a living room, watching TV, noting that despite habits and lifestyle changes, life feels like a set program. The person observes that rest is only found in solitude. The text expresses realization that some things may be understood but habits persist.
Black and white drawing of a woman in a headscarf looking to the left, next to a gate with trees along a sidewalk. Urdu text above and below her describes her working in a house in Nazimabad for ten years and mentions it is a two-story building with gates above and an old woman below.
Open comic book with hand-drawn black and white panels showing a man drinking tea while reading a newspaper, a woman holding a cup, a hand interacting with a cup and tray, and a man sitting on a bed with a thermos and photo frame on a bedside table.
Open book showing two sketched portraits of a woman wearing a headscarf with Urdu handwritten text around them.
Two-panel comic strip: Top panel shows two boys drinking, one drinking milk and the other water, with others in shadow. Bottom panel shows two boys smiling while one hands coins to the other, with silhouettes of children in the background. Urdu text in the top panel says they drank milk and water, and in the bottom panel says the elder brother also gave money.
A two-panel comic-style drawing portraying emotional hardship. The right panel with a black background shows a sad woman leaning on a table with rainy drops, while two worried children stand behind her. The Urdu text expresses the difficulty of life from childhood and the challenge of managing household responsibilities. The left panel with an orange background features two children looking upwards while an upset woman hides her face in her arms on a table. The Urdu text conveys the pain in a father's eyes and the silent suffering of siblings.
Two-page comic-style illustration in Urdu showing a smiling baby held up on the right page and on the left, a woman with several children and a dog in the top panel and the woman pointing while holding a child's hand in the bottom panel. The background colors are gray and orange, and the scenes depict moments of family life and caregiving.
Illustration of a man wearing a red turban and orange shirt shaking hands with another person, smiling with wide eyes; Urdu text beside him.
Three-panel comic strip with Urdu text. Top panel shows a man sitting on a chair in a dark room next to a car, appearing thoughtful. Middle panel shows a shadowy figure holding a baton with an orange background. Bottom left panel depicts two hands exchanging money.
Open book showing two illustrated pages with a figure sitting cross-legged seen from behind, draped in a hooded cloak with text in Urdu script on the back against a background of horizontal lines; the left page has an orange background and the right page has a black background.

Outcome

The project was completed as a fully printed and bound graphic novel, presenting a cohesive narrative through a series of illustrated pages.

More Illustration Projects

Cartoon orange cat wearing blue goggles, green scarf, and brown jacket, holding a device with flames in the background.
EXPLOTTENS

Illustrated Trailer & Storyboards

Storyboard and illustration for an indie game trailer
Decorative clock with Roman numerals and two statues, part of a portal inside a station's roof.
LEGENDS OF LEARNING

Narrative Trailer & Storyboards

Illustrated intro trailer focused on character and visual storytelling
Character sheet for Sheeda with front and side views and various expressive facial sketches.
RUN SHEEDA RUN

Comic & Illustrated Series

Character-driven illustrated series expanding a mobile game universe
Neon-style illustration of two blue tickets with torn edges and the Quiz Wiz logo on one ticket, with yellow coins marked Rs. flying upwards against a dark background with scattered yellow and gray dots.
QUIZWIZ - TELENOR

Game Illustration & Visual Development

Character design, visual exploration, and in-game illustrations for QuizWiz, a live quiz game by Telenor Pakistan, created at we.R.play.

Let's work together

Feel free to drop me a message.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
HomeAboutContact
ProductBrandingIllustration
© 2026 Amna Saleem. All rights reserved