It’s been almost a year since Fariha started getting irritated by little things. She was an intelligent girl, but as she grew older, her interest in studies faded away. She could hardly remember her lessons, and her decline in progress was noticed in class.

Although Fariha belonged to a well-to-do family, she had a poor diet and unhealthy habits. All she wanted to eat were chips, biscuits and other junk food. She didn’t like meat in any form. Her mother packed fruits in her lunch box for school, but she wouldn’t eat those either.

Fariha’s bed had become like a magnet, pulling her down whenever she tried to get up. Her mother often scolded her for wasting time, but instead of listening, Fariha would sulk.

One afternoon, hope arrived at their doorstep in the form of Fariha’s aunt, Saira, a doctor who immediately sensed something was wrong. Worried about her niece, she asked, “Where is Fariha? Isn’t she at home?”

Her mother replied, “She must be lying on her bed, having popcorn or chips. She lives on her own little island, cut off from everyone else. I’m very anxious about her. I don’t know how to deal with her.”

“Let me talk to Fariha,” her aunt consoled her mother.

“Hey, Fariha! How are you?” Saira aunty greeted as she entered the bedroom.

“Ohh… it’s Saira aunty! I’m fine, but tell me how are you, and why haven’t you visited us for so long?” replied Fariha in a low voice.

“I have lots to tell. But first, come out of your room and sit outside so I can give some time to your mother as well,” her aunt insisted. Fariha didn’t want to, but since Saira aunty was her favourite, she followed.

While they sat and chatted, Saira aunty kept observing Fariha. Soon, she realised what the problem was.

“Have you checked her haemoglobin level? She looks so pale,” Saira aunty said, suggesting a blood test. She explained that low iron levels in the blood could cause the symptoms Fariha was showing.

It was a tough task taking Fariha to the lab for the test.

She protested, “No, please no! Don’t take me to the lab. It feels like walking into a lion’s den. That prick will stab me like a thorn in the skin.”

“You won’t feel it, Fariha. It’s just like the pinch of a pin,” her mother tried to convince her.

“They’ll take so much blood,” Fariha expressed her fear.

When she finally got her blood test done, Fariha was surprised that it hardly hurt at all. The very next day, her test results came and, as expected, her haemoglobin level was very low. The doctor prescribed iron injections intravenously.

The needle became Fariha’s enemy, and she was not at all ready for it.

“It’s very painful. I can’t! Please!” she said.

“Now see, this is why I always asked you to have a balanced diet and eat the right amount of all food groups. But you didn’t listen. This is the result of your own actions,” her mother reminded her.

Fariha learnt a lesson, though the painful way. She was compelled to take the injections prescribed to her. This increased her haemoglobin level to some extent, but now she had to take care of her diet to maintain her health.

Slowly, she bloomed again like a flower after the rain. Her progress in class also improved. She even advised her friends to switch to fruits, vegetables and meat instead of chips, biscuits and cakes — which were nothing but empty calories, threatening to health instead of giving any real energy.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 20th, 2025