Life’s a Fairy Tale

“Kal Eid hai na Abbu?”

“Yes,” said Rehman as he put the three and a half year old Adil to bed.

“Abbu, please sleep with me and tell me a story.”

Rehman could not refuse. It had become a daily routine for him for the last one month. Every night after dinner, Adil needed a story before he closed his eyes for the day. As he lay beside his son, Adil pointed out to his father to the open sky, which could be seen through the broken roof above, and said…

“Has Ammi gone there, up into the world of stars?”

“Yes, she was a Pari who had come down to earth to give me my loving Adil. Then she left”.

“Pari gives everyone things they like and want.”

“Yes, if you are nice Pari will listen to you and bless you with all things good.”

Adil smiled and even before Rehman had started his fairy tale, he closed his eyes. He was dreaming about tomorrow….new clothes, kheer khurma and Eidi….it will be a wonderful day to celebrate. He would even break into soft giggles at times as he slept quietly.

Rehman got up from the bed and sat with his hands covering his face, deeply worried. It had been three months, since the shoe factory had closed, that he did not have a job in hand. The paltry money he had saved had all gone into the care for Adil’s mother Amina who passed away leaving him to take care of their son.

Today, Rehman was not worried about his poverty but the fear of the child losing faith in Pari who fulfils all wishes. Tomorrow was Eid and how miserable Adil would feel to find that Pari, who was also his mother, had forgotten him. He stretched his arm to pull out a packet that he had hidden beneath the bed. The packet was nicely covered with a colourful paper and looked as if some present had been wrapped. Rehman knew that inside was not anything new but a set of Adil’s used clothes he had got his brother-in-law Saleem, who owned a laundry,  to wash clean, starch, iron and pack them well with a used flowery paper. It was the best the father could give his son on a day of celebration. In the darkness of the night, Rehman carried it to an aluminium trunk in another part of the room, opened it and quietly placed the packet inside. The father tried hard but could not sleep that night.

In a couple of hours the loudspeakers from the masjid started the Azaan. It was time to get up and go for the namaaz. Rehman got up, took a bath and went to the masjid without waking up little Adil. Let him sleep longer, he thought. The longer he sleeps, the longer shall he dream and longer will he be happy.

After a while Rehman returned home. No sooner had he opened the door than he found Adil standing in front of the mirror trying to adjust the cap on his tiny head. The aluminium trunk was open and the wrapping paper was lying torn on the floor. Adil was wearing a brand new kameez and pyjama with a bright green jacket. As he saw his father, he turned around and ran shouting…

“Abbu, Pari had come last night and brought me new clothes for Eid. When I woke up, you were not there. I quickly had a bath and opened the box and inside it found the clothes wrapped in this paper. Pari loves me Abbu and so she has sent these for me.”

“Abbu there is more for me…look…look….”, he dragged the bedazzled father to the trunk and pointed at the small metallic box kept inside. Amina would keep her glass bangles inside.

“Abbu open the box please.”

Rehman lifted the box and shook it. It sounded different from the bangles. He opened the same and his eyes popped out. There were hundreds of coins of different sizes and some currency notes. The mother had been doing her little savings in the box. His jaw dropped as he stood speechless.

“Abbu meri eidi..please Abbu, the Pari has sent so much for the good boy Adil today. I am so happy.” Rehman pulled out a handful of coins and placed it in Adil’s palm. The little boy closed his fist tightly with a sense of joy showing all over his angelic face.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Rehman walked to unlatch the door. Outside stood Saleem, his wife Zubeida and their son Afroze.

“Eid Mubarak Rehman," said Saleem as he hugged the man who had taken so much care of his sick sister, never gave up hope and tried till the end. Saleem also handed him another packet.

Zubeida handed a bowl to Rehman in which  kheer khurma had been prepared with lots of dry fruits and thick milk. "This is for you Adil Miyan ," she said.

Adil did an impromptu dance as Afroze joined him in the celebrations.

"Rehman, we are going to the mela and are taking Adil with us. Hope you are fine."

Rehman stood at the door for a long time as he saw Saleem and his family walking away with a jubilant Adil. Rehman went inside and opened the packet Saleem had got today in which he found Adil’s used but well cleaned, starched and ironed clothes.

Rehman went down on his knees and put his hands together as he looked up at the broken roof to thank his Lord.

Eid Mubarak.

SS