“I can’t believe that the world has changed this much merely in one day!” Hareem exclaimed.

She was in a beautiful valley, with a little stream on her right side. There she saw a woman with a lot of food, distributing it to poor people. She wasn’t the only one, but many people were busy doing the same thing. Some people were offering jobs to the needy, some had stalls for clothes distribution, and some were giving shelter to the homeless people. Many poor people went to them empty-handed and came back happily with things that they needed.

Hareem approached the lady and asked, “What makes you people so generous? Why are you helping so many people?”

She replied, “Because all humans deserve to be treated equally. Everyone should be provided with equal opportunities to live in peace.”

Hareem then decided to go home, but the streets had been transformed -- they were cleaner than ever and fully paved! There was peace everywhere around her; even the sky looked so beautiful. She then kept walking until she reached a market. There she saw fruit and vegetable sellers, selling ripe fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices. Not one among them was rotten. She saw that the sellers were all honest and provided the best services to the customers. They all were very polite and friendly.

Amazed with the changed behaviour of the people, she kept on walking until she came close to the area where she lived with her family. Her eyes widened with wonder and her mouth fell open with surprise when she saw that the simple bricked houses in her neighbourhood were transformed into plastered and painted houses. She couldn’t believe her eyes!

She then entered her home, where she saw her mother making parathas, while her father who was bedridden for so long, was having breakfast and was ready to go “or work.

“Papa! When did you get so well? And how?” after greetings, she asked with joyous wonder.

“Oh Hareem! Some generous people brought us medicines for your father and good food to eat, and look! He’s all fine now, Alhamdulillah!” her mother replied with gratefulness.

All of a sudden she saw her little brother, appearing in school uniform and ready to go to school. She had no idea what was happening. It was her dream to provide education to her younger brother and wanted to be educated herself too. Hareem suddenly felt as if somebody had given her a potion of immortality, a potion of relief. She couldn’t speak because she was so confused but very happy. Her happiness had no ends.

At that very moment, she was called by her neighbourhood friends asking her if she would play with them. She enjoyed playing with them so she excitedly stood up saying, “Yes! Yes!”

They all reached a park nearby which had beautiful plants all around. The trees had fruits on them and she heard birds making sweet sounds. She closed her eyes to hear their beautiful voices and felt as if she was in heaven.

“Hareem! Wake up! We have to leave before its nine!” she heard her mother’s angry voice, telling her to get ready for work.

Hareem opened her eyes and glanced at the old fan above her. She closed her eyes to go back to where she just came from, but couldn’t. Her mother screamed even more angrily. She must get up for work.

Hareem had visited a world of strange things: things like love, compassion, honesty, humanity, politeness, and peace. It was a world where everyone helped everyone, regardless of the differences. She was in a world where love was a perfume in an open bottle which diffuses everywhere to spread its fragrance. It was a beautiful world of strangest things, and so different from the world she lived in.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 29th, 2018