July 14, 2007

“What is it, Nida?” Mrs Ahsan asked her fifteen-year-old daughter as she stepped into her room. Nida was disabled and had been in her wheelchair for as long as she could remember.

“Ammi, why is Dr Rehman coming to our place today?”

“I don’t know beta, but he seemed very happy. Would you like to have lunch?”

“No thanks Ammi. I think I’ll eat with Rida, when she’s back from school.” Rida was Ahsans’ younger daughter, but unlike Nida, she went to school and played all sorts of games. Both the girls were as different as day and night but they were still great friends.

At two o’clock, Rida stepped into the house. She smiled, greeted her mother, and went upstairs to her room where Nida was waiting for her.

“Assalam o Alaikum, Apa! How was your day? What did you do today?” she smiled at her.

“My day was fine. How was yours?” Nida replied.

“We had to take a surprise test in English. Guess who got the highest marks?” said Rida.

“You, I bet! Anyway Rida, Dr Rehman said he’d come today,” Nida expressed her fears to her younger sister.

“So what Apa? Nothing will happen, I know! I’ll change my clothes and then we will have our lunch, it’s our favourite!” replied Rida as she stood up smiling at her sister.

At around five in the evening, Dr Rehman came to visit Nida. He checked her and then smiled, “Do you know why I have come Nida, even though I know that your check-up is due next week.”

“Nope,” Nida mumbled.

“Well, I came because some scientists and doctors have worked together to discover a medicine that works against bone degeneration caused at an early age.” “You mean my legs can be cured?” asked Nida surprisingly.

“Yes, and you aren’t the first person to undergo this treatment. Several kids have been cured but…” the doctor’s words trailed off.

“Yes?” Nida asked.

“Beta, they were all much younger than you. So I am afraid I can’t tell your parents about this because it may give them false hope. But the science is all there, and in theory, it should work. It depends on how your body reacts to it.”

“Can I tell Rida? I can tell her everything, she’s my best friend and I trust her a lot.”

“You can tell her,” the doctor smiled as he thought how inseparable both the sisters were. After the doctor left, both Rida and Mrs Ahsan rushed to Nida’s room to ask what he had said, and why he had come. Nida put them both at ease, saying that he had only come for a routine check-up, and had given her some new pills. As her mother left to prepare dinner for the family, Nida stopped Rida.

“What’s the matter Apa? You look excited,” she asked her. Nida told her everything that the doctor said to her. Rida exclaimed with delight when she heard all this. “That is great Apa!”

“Yes, but it seems like such a small chance,” replied Nida.

“Apa, don’t lose hope, think how proud Ammi, Abbu, and everyone would be. Don’t you dare think negative! This is your glimmer of hope,” Rida told her.

Rida stood like a guardian angel, beside her sister. She made her take her pills regularly, made her do everything else just as the doctor had prescribed. Nida was grateful to her sister for her affection and determination, but she did not have as much hope in the ‘magic’ pills as Rida seemed to have.

Days, weeks and months passed by. One day Rida came back from school and went upstairs to her room, she saw her sister in her chair sitting, flushed and excited. As soon as Nida saw her sister she spoke up, “Oh Rida, I set foot on the ground, I did, I really did and it didn’t hurt me at all!” her voice mingled with astonishment.

“That’s great Apa! Tell me all about it!” Rida asked her.

“I was sitting in my bed and felt bored. I wanted to read that new book you bought yesterday. I thought of calling Ammi, but then I thought that it was only a few feet away from me, so I put my left foot on the floor and I reached the book.” Nida ended her tale. “That’s marvellous!” exclaimed Rida, “Let’s tell Ammi!”

“No, I thought about it, but I want to surprise her on her birthday. By that time, I will be able to walk properly, and I can really astonish her,” said Nida.

“Sure Apa, as you say. After all, it is your surprise,” agreed Rida.

The days passed by, and every day, after school, Rida helped Nida walk about. Nida learnt so much, that even in Rida’s absence, she would pace about the room.

One lazy Sunday morning, Mrs Ahsan got up early. She could feel that something was going to happen. She knew that it was useless trying to sleep, so she started making breakfast. Unknown to her, her two young girls were already up and giggling as they changed their clothes. Mrs Ahsan then went up to wake Mr Ahsan. As Mr and Mrs Ahsan sat at the table they noticed that there was a fourth person sitting there. They ogled at Nida who sat beside her sister.

“Happy birthday Ammi!” both the girls smiled. Both the sisters told their parents the whole story. They were shocked but then finally hugged their daughters. Mrs Ahsan told them that this was the best present she could ever get. Both Mr and Mrs Ahsan telephoned Dr Rehman and thanked him for his thoughtfulness. “See Apa I was right, don’t lose hope.”

“You were right Rida, you were right,” said Nida tightly hugging her sister.