By Salma Habib Bhutto

“Mom See on TV, how beautiful the snowfall is there; it’s like falling off the white velvet on earth, soft and shiny. Mom look trees have lowered their heads in the honor of that blessing of God. Mom, would it be dark at night there? Because white glittery snow has shielded everything, how can it look dark? It would be alleviating and clear everywhere. Mom how attractive it will look? If stars appear at night over the sky! There would be a competition of the heavens and earth to twinkle and look more beautiful!”

“Mom, I want to see that beautiful nature of Allah Almighty and visit these amazingly beautiful valleys of my country in this snowy season. Mom, please ask baba to take us there during winter vacation – Mom please!

Bilal had a great eagerness for visiting Murree for many years but his parent couldn´t plan to go there due to uncertain conditions of Covid. But this year as he watched people going there and some of his classmates being there with families his craze was double to go. So his parents could not evade his extreme wish.

They planned a one-week visit with the whole family including Bilal, his parent, his younger brother and sister, hardly two years.

His father followed prescribed precautions of the traveling and took preventive measures for any surprising circumstances. They all set out for visit. On the first day, they visited the nearest areas to their hotel residency, but on the next day, Bilal insisted to see white peaks touching clouds. To reach out at the peaks they had to go a bit farther from their residency and it was a little risky as the route was halted and the temperature was dropping down continuously.

His father asked him to go back but Bilal was still insisting ….moving on the track slowly within their own vehicle they found that on the way many vehicles were stuck already and there was no gap to move back. Within a few hours, their water bottles also freeze. Bilal’s father tried to entertain his kids in cars as going outside was not safe.

It had been the 27th hour to them on the way and all were tired but there was no choice except to wait for rescue.

The night was falling and Bilal was looking outside the car; he saw that even though there was ice everywhere it was falling dark; the sky had no stars twinkling as he had thought he was feeling suffocated being blocked in the car. His parents were not answering him but he was continuously calling them ….her small sister was also crying into the lap of her mother; he tried to shake her to wide-awake but she had slept forever …he was looking unceasingly outside the car that the velvet of white snow was no beautiful now it was scaring . Trees with black branches seemed like beasts of snow and he with his heavy eyes could justify why all this turned ugly!!!  He just kissed his dad’s head who came with him to make him happy and took strongly his mother’s hand and said slowly sorry mom it’s not magic it’s darkest in ice I want to see bright sunny day mom sun is brighter than ice lets go back home !! Sorry mamma.

He slept in a wish to see the sun again but he never knew that the sun of his life will never rise again…

Shiny bright lights

With these bright and shiny lights,

I washed the darkness of my heart;

I came into a relationship with the Lord

And left polytheism behindhand;

I put the sorrows on the way,

And joined with happiness;

Then the marbles of pride,

Were broken inside the soul so?

I am blessed by the lord,

The heart has become united with faith

___________________

Salma Habib Hailing from Gambat, a remote town of Khairpur District of Sindh, Salma Bhutto is a columnist, poetess, blogger, social media manager, graphic designer, book translator, creative content writer, researcher, trainer and Project Manager, now based in Karachi, the capital of province. She writes with pen name Salma Habib. Salma graduated in Sociology from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur and did M. Phil. in European Studies from University of Karachi.

The post Snowstorm – A Short Story first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By Allah Obhayo Dal

She secured first position in her exams as usual. Every year she had been asking for an outing, and each time her father had many pretexts to deny, for being unable to afford owing to skyrocketing inflation, unbearable utility bills. His income kept crawling like tortoise but expenditure flying like hawk. His wife however, was fine fingered as she saved a little money every month.

It wasn’t a surprise when the Education Board announced her second-year results and she secured first position. Her father offered her a gift but she denied and insisted on visiting hill station “Murree”.  As he had no money, he applied for loan but in vain. He made fake promises to her yet again and said, “I will take everyone for a trip in winter vacation.”

And winter was not far away. Time passed so hastily, and the vacations were announced by the government. He kept praying that his daughter may forget about trip.

One day, when he entered into the home, his daughter welcomed him with a smile and a big hug. “Dad, I have a good news for you.” So excited, he asked, hurriedly, “Please tell me I can’t wait”. She said, “I have been selected to study medical in a very prominent college.”

Her father’s eyes became wet. He thanked God loudly, as finally she was going to make his dreams true.

He went outside the home to smoke. Many thoughts ran across his weak heart but no solution in sight as he had spent a lot of his savings on his aged parents’ medical bills. He returned home with heavy heart and sluggish steps.

There he laid on the bed, still confused on the way out when suddenly his wife entered the room and queried the reason for his sadness. He narrated everything, but to his surprise she smiled and opened the cupboard and took out an envelope wrapped in a piece of cloth. She opened it and showing him money, said, “I have this saving. You can send our daughter to Murree with her Aunt.”

During breakfast, the following morning, he proudly announced the surprise parcel to his daughter. The trip was arranged but she refused to go with her aunt, and said she will only go along with her parents and siblings, even though she loved her aunt. However, she agreed to go with aunt.

Her father left for office on bike thinking about it but no way. On his return from office, he went to market and bought a long coat on cheap price for her. He also bought shoes, muffler, a cap and little bag too for her. He was happy to give her surprise, finally, as the date of trip had been decided.

Excitedly, she said to her mother, “Mom, I will take lot of photos. I have heard a lot about Murree and its mesmerizing sceneries.”

When the day came for departure, she started preparing her bag. She was so happy and excited. She hugged her mom and cried, and her mother consoled her not to worry “your aunt will take care of you.”

Her father took her on bike and went to her aunt’s home where they were waiting for them.

Entourages were placed in the car. It was first ever since her birth that she was leaving for a week.

Her father hugged her and said goodbye. Her mother prayed for their safe journey.

It was Friday when their father came back to prepare for Jumma prayer. He offered Jumma prayer, and then dialed daughter’s number. She picked up his video call on WhatsApp. She was so happy.

It was last call to her beloved daughter, as the next day in the morning he switched on the television only to receive shocking news, and fainted. The convoy of their beloved family members had stuck up into heavy snowfall and his beloved daughter was gone forever along with her aunt’s family.

Allah Obhayo Dal

Hailing from Khipro town, District Sanghar, Sindh, Pakistan, Allah Obhayo Dal has done Masters in sociology from University of Sindh and currently is doing a government job in Karachi. Around 100 of his poems have been published online. This is his first short story in the background of recent tragic incident of Murree.

The post The Last Call to Beloved Daughter – A Short Story first appeared on Sindh Courier.