The word ‘kissa’ originates from the Arabic term ‘qissa’, which means a story, a narrative or a fable. This distinctive narrative genre flourished from 16th century onward, particularly in Punjabi and Sindhi literature. These works are epic poems or prose tales, often recited or sung using folk motifs to allegorise Sufi mysticism. The lovers’ trials symbolise the soul’s longing for divine union. These initially circulated orally and were later formalised in written form by Sufi poets in Punjabi.

These kissas were composed between the 16th and 18th centuries, an era when women in Punjab and Sindh had virtually no agency over marriage, mobility or self-determination. Bound by caste systems, the love legends became symbols of defiance against forced unions, societal taboos and the commodific

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