It was midnight. Amin, on his way to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water, was surprised to see light coming from Fida’s room. ‘What are you doing, Fida?’ he called out. ‘It’s the middle of the night. Why don’t you try to get some sleep?’
‘Papa, just a little more,’ Fida pleaded.
‘No,’ he re-joined sternly. ‘Go to bed now.’ It was an order, she knew. ‘You have enough time to prepare for exams; you have two more weeks. If you remain awake until the early hours now, you will fall ill during exams. Try to get some sleep.’
‘Papa, I couldn’t study anything in the morning due to a headache and a cough.’ She broke into a fit of coughing. After a few seconds, Fida felt a little relief. ‘And about getting sleep, Papa, the exams will be over in three weeks and then I can sleep forever. No one will disturb me, and even if they do, I won’t get up.’ The words had escaped Fida’s mouth without her realising the implied meaning. She laughed innocently.
‘How do you feel now?’ asked her father with concern.
‘Great, Papa,’ Fida replied, in a weak voice. Amin entered Fida’s room.
‘You look exhausted. Have you taken any medicine?’
‘Yes, Papa. Mama always comes with medicine and water.’ Fida stopped for a while. ‘But … but I’m sorry.’ She trembled as she said this.
‘Sorry for what?’ Amin asked in surprise.
Fida hesitated for a while and then said, ‘Papa, I always think of taking the tablets after five minutes, but I forget. I … I … am so busy with the lessons that I don’t realise how the time has flown. I’m sorry,’ she said apologetically. Amin was shocked to hear the confession. He did not know what to say.
‘Oh Fida!’ he exclaimed in disbelief. He went near his daughter, who looked very fragile at that moment. He patted her on the head affectionately with shaky hands and said, ‘You must take your medicine regularly.’
‘Yes, Papa, I know, and I will from now on.’ Amin touched her forehead and was shocked to discover that Fida was suffering from a high fever.
‘Alya!’ Amin yelled. ‘Alya! Wake up! Fida is running a temperature.’
Alya woke up with a start and rushed to her daughter’s room. She was shocked to see the tablets she had given Fida earlier at the bottom of the dustbin.
‘Fida! Why didn’t you take the medicine I gave you?’ Alya shouted in distress.
‘Sorry, Mama,’ Fida said weakly.
Amin interrupted. ‘Alya, give her medicine. I will explain everything to you later.’
***
After that day Alya never again simply passed over the tablets; she made sure that Fida had taken the medicine before she left the room. But Fida’s condition worsened with each day.
‘These books are making her sicker,’ said Amin. Alya and Amin collected up the school books from the room and put them in their bedroom.
‘Mama! Please don’t!’ pleaded Fida.
‘Amin, we must take her to the hospital,’ Alya said, with her voice breaking. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sat next to her daughter, feeling Fida’s cheeks and neck for fever every few minutes.
When her temperature jumped sharply, they did not waste a single minute. They shifted Fida immediately to the hospital.
The doctor carried out a detailed check-up, took an X-ray and carried out blood tests.[ML1]
Amin and Alya sat on chairs in the corridor. Alya looked at Amin with worry. He touched her shoulder comfortingly with his trembling hand. At that moment, the doctor who had examined Fida walked over to them. ‘Mr Amin, is anyone else in the family suffering from a fever or a bad cough?’
‘No,’ Amin replied, and he looked at Alya, who nodded in agreement.
‘When did she get the fever and cough?’
‘She has had it for the last two weeks,’ replied Alya.
‘Did you take her to your GP?’
‘Yes, I did, as soon as I found she was unwell. And the doctor gave her some medicines for her cough and fever.’
‘Did she feel better after taking the medicine?’
‘No,’ said Alya, thoughtfully.
‘Why didn’t you bring her here immediately when you realised that there was no improvement with the medicine?’ the doctor asked, irritated.
‘Doctor, we thought that the books and the stress of the exams were making her sick. We scolded her for that, but she never listened. She was sitting with her books until midnight every night. Finally, we had to take away all the textbooks from her room. She is too good in studies, Doctor,’ Alya whimpered.
The doctor shook his head dismissively. Then he said softly, looking at Amin and Alya with sympathy, ‘She is suffering from pneumonia. It is too late now. I don’t think she will make it beyond a day or two.’
Amin and Alya couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Alya was on the verge of collapsing when she gripped Amin’s arm for support. Amin cleared his throat nervously and blurted out, ‘What?’
Overwhelmed by shock and panic, Alya fainted. When she opened her eyes a few minutes later, she got up fretfully and rushed through the corridor towards the ward where Fida was admitted. [ML2] ‘Oh Fida! Where is she? I want to be with her, my daughter,’ Alya muttered in a trembling voice. She was completely shattered and in despair when she finally reached her daughter’s bedside.
Noor, Zara and Safa were a constant source of support and provided the much needed courage as the family went through the very trying period. Heartbroken, Alya and Amin sat next to Fida, hoping some miracle would come and their adorable child would be cured. Luke stood beside his dear sister helplessly.
‘Fida, sweetheart,’ Amin groaned in anguish, ‘talk to me. Let me hear your voice.’
‘Papa, my exams! I—I—I don’t think I can,’ she stammered.
‘No dear, don’t think about that. Think of getting well and going back home,’ Alya whimpered.
‘You will be fine, sis, just fine,’ said Luke, unaware of the gravity of the situation. He cleared his throat and added, ‘Come home fast. I have many doubts in maths. You said you would help me when I need you. And I need you now, sis. I just need you … now.’ Tears rushed to his eyes and poured out. Amin and Alya helplessly watched the heart-wrenching sight as violent sobs mercilessly shook Luke’s body.
‘I am relieved to hear that,’ Fida whispered in surprise, in spite of her anguish.
Every half an hour a nurse came to check her temperature and to give a dose of medicine. At the end of the day the nurse gently arranged Fida’s hair with her kind hands and said, ‘Don’t worry, we are there for you. Try to get some sleep, Fida. You will be fine soon.’ Fida was pleased to hear it. She looked at the nurse, a smile splashing across her trusting face. But Amin and Alya knew that Fida’s condition was getting worse.
Agonised, Alya whispered silent prayers throughout the day and every wakeful minute of the night. ‘Please God, don’t let my little girl die.’ Her shoulders shook violently even as she tried her hardest to hide the shudders. Despair wracked the grief-stricken mother, who kept wiping off the steady stream of tears. Amin put his hand on Alya’s shoulder as way of comfort. ‘Amin!’ cried Alya.
***
Fida regained consciousness the next morning. ‘Ma … ma, what’s the time?’ she asked her mother in a feeble voice.
‘It’s nine, sweetheart. Why?’
‘Today is my exam. I—I—can’t.’ Her voice trembled. She could not complete what she wanted to say. Overcome with emotion, she looked at her mother with moist eyes. Tears filled her parents’ eyes.
‘Oh dear! Are you still thinking about that?’ asked her mother in agony. Fida did not answer. Instead, she gazed at her mother with sad eyes and then closed them thoughtfully. Half an hour later, she opened her eyes again, a sweet smile splashing across her lips.
‘Mama! I have passed my exam with very good marks,’ said Fida cheerfully. Alya looked at Amin in surprise. ‘Mama, you always say, “Good work brings good result; when you work hard, lots and lots of fairies and angels come near you to make you happy.”’
‘That’s right, sweetheart.’ Alya nodded in approval.
‘Mama, this room is full of angels and fairies now. They are very beautiful. I can see them, Mama,’ Fida said with excitement. ‘They have come to greet me with their wonderful smiles.’ She shifted her glance to Amin and asked apprehensively, ‘What does that mean, Papa?’
Amin whimpered, ‘What, sweetheart?’
‘Didn’t you hear what they just said?’
‘Who?’ asked Amin in surprise.
‘The angels, Pa—pa.’
‘No, I didn’t,’ he said. His heart was in shreds.
‘Papa, they said, “Life is a test, and today is your results day. Since you have scored very good marks, we have come to take you. Congratulations!”’ Just then, Fida felt suffocation, and then she understood the meaning of those words. She looked at her loving parents and her sweet brother, Luke. She stammered, ‘Pa—pa … Ma—ma … Luke … I love you all. But … think … of the Tree of Life.’ Before she could complete the thought, her eyes closed.
The room was filled with sobs and screams, as loved ones hugged the still body of their precious little girl.