Read the full Pressed Petals Collection in this flipbook or use the links below for individual pieces.

R. S. Thakur

Read their Pressed Petals Short Story here, Crocus here.

R.S. Thakur (they/them) is a queer South Asian-American writer based in New Jersey.

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Abraham Aondoana

Read his Pressed Petals poetry collection, Midnight Flowers in Electric Cities, here.

Abraham Aondoana is a writer, poet and novelist. He is a recipient of Idembeka Creative Writing Workshop 2026. Follow his work on Instagram.

Aneeka

Read her Pressed Petals poem, ctrl, here.

Aneekah is a writer/performer looking for the truth. If you find it, do let her know.

Juanita Rey

Read her Pressed Petals poem, SUFFER IN MY SILENCE, here.

Juanita Rey is a Dominican poet, US resident. Her work has been published in Mixed Mag, The Mantle, The Lincoln Review, Lion and Lilac amongst others.

K. H. Shaan

Read their Pressed Petals short story, fragmentation, here.

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Read It Here

Pressed Petals grew from...The delicate moments we press into permanence…

Hi everyone! I hope this reaches you at the right time ✨🌙

I’m Nain, editor of Raat Ki Rani Magazine, and I am beyond excited to share Issue #1 Pressed Petals with you. Below are the rollout dates for the short stories, poetry, and short film.

For those who don’t know, Raat Ki Rani carries two meanings. The first is “Queen of the Night,” a nickname my parents gave me for my night-owl tendencies. The second is a night-blooming jasmine.

Its scent holds so many childhood memories for me, and a flower that blooms quietly in the dark feels like a fitting metaphor for this magazine…

Memory becomes our only souvenir

Pressed Petals grew from an interest in the things we choose to keep. The delicate moments we press into permanence. There’s something about a pressed flower. How it captures both the ending and the everlasting.

The things that proved beautiful even when no one was watching. A way of saying: this mattered. This was lovely. Let it stay. Memory becomes our only souvenir.

My best writing happens at night, but Raat Ki Rani is for everyone. Early birds, night owls, and siesta scribes alike are always welcome here.

Thank you endlessly to our writers, readers, and subscribers for supporting this passion project. This magazine exists because of you!

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Pressed Petals, Issue #1 Rollout

July, 6th - Crocus, A Short Story by R. S. Thakur

July 13th - Midnight Flowers in Electric Cities, a Poetry Collection by Abraham Aondoana

July, 20th - SUFFER IN MY SILENCE by Juanita Rey

July 27th - ctrl by Aneeka

August 3rd - fragmentation, a Short Story by K. H. Shaan

August 10th - Songs from our Room

Warmly,

Nain F. Ladak,

Founder & Editor, Raat Ki Rani Magazine

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Insiya Abbas

Read her Midnight Confessions Poetry Collection, Among the Hopeful Beggars here.

Insiya Abbas is a New Jersey–based writer, avid daydreamer and is currently completing her Master’s degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. Her poetry has been performed at local open mics and the New Jersey District Tournament for Speech and Debate. Abbas' work explores emotional truth and falsehoods and the intersection between identity, healing, and imagination. You can find her writing on Medium and Substack at bbas.

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Aisha Ommaya

Read her Midnight Confessions Personal Essay, Feeling lost? Good, me too. here.

Aisha Ommaya hosts The Unemployment Diaries, a podcast exploring what happens “when the work isn’t working.” After nearly 15 years in corporate communications, she shifted her focus to chronicling stories of navigating change, reinvention, and the search for what comes next. Keep up with Ommaya on Substack.

R. Rizvi

Read her Midnight Confessions Poem, We Were Actors here.

R. Rizvi is an aspiring freelance writer and award-winning poet. She was a finalist in the New York Times 2017 Found Poetry contest and competed nationally in the 2018 Muslim Interscholastic Student Tournament for spoken word. When she is not writing, she can be found listening to jazz, reading, and making matcha.

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The Midnight Confessions collection is available to read now:

Among the Hopeful Beggars by Insiya Abbas

Feeling lost? Good, me too: A personal essay by Aisha Ommaya

We Were Actors: A poem by R. Rizvi

Archive:

My confession: I couldn’t wait.

Issue #0 was never supposed to exist, but the sun was setting, the night was young, and I couldn’t wait to get started.

I’m Nain, editor of Raat Ki Rani Magazine, and I am beyond excited to share Issue #0 with you.

For those who don’t know, Raat Ki Rani carries two meanings. The first is “Queen of the Night,” a nickname my parents gave me for my night-owl tendencies. The second is a night-blooming jasmine.

Its scent holds so many childhood memories for me, and a flower that blooms quietly in the dark feels like a fitting metaphor for this magazine—and for this month’s theme, Midnight Confessions.

Thank you endlessly to our writers, readers, and subscribers for supporting this passion project. This magazine exists because of you!

Our first collection of poems is written by Insiya Abbas.

1. no more apologies


set the table at midnight
 
sorry for burnt dinner

I wasn’t paying attention
was I?

caught between
Suns and 
Moons

sorry, 
              sorry

Twice 
because 
it’s not enough

wrong 
horse

scratching
                  the paint

she sees me so clearly

just a little 
                off center

sometimes 
but always 
true

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Here’s what else is blooming in Issue #0:

1/14 Feeling lost? Good, me too: A personal essay by Aisha Ommaya

1/17 We Were Actors: A poem by R. Rizvi

Pieces bloom throughout the month. Start with what's here, and come back for what's to come 🌙✨

With love,
Nain F. Ladak
Editor, Raat Ki Rani Magazine

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