“Mama? Mama?” Ayra called impatiently.

“Yes, dear, what happened?” her mother replied.

“Mama, where’s my letterbox?” she asked.

“I suppose it’s somewhere in the attic. Why do you need it? It’s been so long since you last touched it,” her mother said.

“Mama, four years ago, I put all my unread letters in that box, especially Dadi’s. After that, I stopped receiving letters because my friends got busy and grandma passed away,” Ayra explained.

“Oh, I see. You can go and check there,” Mum said.

Ayra opened the attic door. “Ugh, it’s so dusty,” she muttered, waving her hands in the air. She searched through drawers until she finally found the box.

She rushed back to her room, cleaned it and opened it carefully. Inside were many unopened letters.

“From Zara? No… from Eman? No… from Aina? No… from Dadi? Yes!”

There were several letters from Dadi that she had never read. She had always thought she would read them later — but she never did. Ayra opened them one by one, from the oldest to the newest. She opened the first letter: December 20, 2022.

“That’s… one day before Dadi passed away,” she whispered.

She read it.

“Dear Ayra,

I’ve made something for you as a birthday gift. I wasn’t feeling well and so I couldn’t come to see you. I really wish I could have seen you wearing it. If I had been able to, I would have come to your home without a second thought. But I suppose God has His own plans. I’ve kept it safe in the cupboard.

Your Dadi”

Her hands trembled. She remembered how upset she had been when Dadi didn’t come that day.

Then she quickly opened the other letter, which was written on December 21, the day she said goodbye to all of us.

“Ayra,

My sweetheart, I hope you had a wonderful birthday yesterday. I know you must be a little upset with me because I promised to come and give you your present, but I couldn’t fulfil it. I’m really sorry for breaking your tender little heart. I wanted to call you, but I couldn’t get through. I wish you all the happiness in the world, my dear.

Stay blessed.

Your Dadi”

Ayra broke down. Tears streamed down her face.

“What happened?” her mother asked, entering the room.

“Nothing, Mum,” Ayra said, wiping her eyes.

“Mama, can you ask Mamoo Jaan to check Dadi’s cupboard? She made something for me,” she said softly.

Soon, Mamoo Jaan arrived with a sweater. Ayra took it and ran to her room. She hugged it tightly.

“I’m sorry, Dadi,” she whispered, sobbing.

That day, Ayra learnt an important lesson — we often fail to value things when they are with us, and realise their worth only when they are gone.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 25th, 2026