Inaya was deep in slumber when she suddenly tumbled out of bed and landed in a ‘heap’ on the floor. Just a second later, cries of “Ammi!” filled the house. Poor Ammi had to leave her cooking and go inspect the scene.

“What happened beta?” she asked, confused as she found a scowling Inaya on the floor.

“Ammi, I had that same dream about my project that … that I ha-ave ex-xeeded the deadline and I g-got expelled!” she explained with a shriek.

Ammi’s anxious face changed into a calm expression as she sat on the bed.

“Beta, you don’t need to worry. You are an A-grade student and you still have at least ... (she counted her fingers) three months! This is an end-of-term assignment, just put your thinking cap on and come up with ideas. Oh, and also, you won’t get expelled!” she consoled her in a soothing tone.

“Hmm … sounds reasonable. I just need to think of some lead for my project,” Inaya gestured towards her stomach. “The problem seems to be that I’m too hungry to think of anything but food.”

“Yes, I was busy cooking breakfast when a rude call interrupted me,” Ammi added with a laugh. “Go and get ready.”

Inaya nodded and left for the bathroom.

The next day when Inaya arrived home after school, she rang the bell continuously until the door was eventually opened by her younger brother, wearing a dazed expression on his face.

“Assalam-o-alaikum!” she howled and launched her shoes on the rack, nearly destroying it. Hearing Inaya, Ammi greeted her back.

“Ammi! It’s so hot outside. I think I’m melting, help me!” Inaya over-reacted.

“Okay, drama queen come, first go freshen up, then come and eat some food.”

After lunch, Inaya went into her room to work on her project. A few failed attempts later, she thought, “I’m so sleepy. Maybe I’ll be able to concentrate after a tiny nap ...” and before she knew it, she was fast asleep, drooling on her desk.

“What is this place?” she thought as she looked around the strangely all-white room after being jolted to consciousness. Eager for a clue, Inaya ran around and after finally becoming exhausted, she found a standing figure looking at the ground disappointedly.

She approached it and, hesitantly, poked it in the arm. As the mysterious person turned around and Inaya was shocked as it was the one and only — Quaid-i-Azam!

Taken aback, Inaya exclaimed, “I can’t believe it!”

“Yes dear, it’s me. I think you may not realise this, but this is your dream,” he replied in his crisp voice.

Inaya was surprised beyond words, but she gathered her senses and dared to ask about him what he felt about how things are like in Pakistan today.

“Ah, Pakistan! My Pakistan is deteriorating. Heatwave after heatwave, thousands suffering from heat strokes, there are landfills overflowing with toxic waste and water becoming increasingly polluted. This isn’t the Pakistan I dreamt of and I struggled for. It’s turning into something like a boiler room.”

Inaya was ashamed because she knew she had also contributed to the state her beloved country is now in.

“You, my dear Inaya, you have to do something about this, for I believe in you. Your spirit of energy is unnatural and the fire of knowledge is still young. Think about how to reduce heat in your country,” Quaid-i-Azam explained.

“B-ut, how si-r? I’m just an ordinary girl,” Inaya nervously replied.

Quaid-i-Azam smiled and gave a small chuckle and spoke, “Inaya, age does not matter in any way. And the small steps lead to bigger ones, for remember this example that a river is made up of small drops.”

Inaya woke up, still confused by her dream. But instead of Quaid-i-Azam, she saw her parents and brother trying desperately to wake her up.

“Ammi … what happened? Why is Baba here?” Inaya she spoke weakly after Ammi released her.

“Beta, thank God you are awake! We got so worried! You collapsed because of the heat, and I called your father so he came back from work early.”

Later in the evening, Inaya suddenly remembered her assignment. Gathering all her strength, she hauled her heavy bones up and sat on her desk. After a couple of hours inside her locked room, Inaya came out. Her family was just sitting down for dinner while Ammi was bringing something for her to eat when Inaya appeared in the dining room.

She pretended this was her school assembly, imagining herself on stage with hundreds of eyes focused on her. She coughed to capture the supposed ‘audience’s’ attention before beginning her speech.

“Since the primary issue facing our struggling country is the heat caused by the careless littering of polluted materials on land, in the air and in our water, I’ve decided to organise a small plantation programme at our school. Anyone can participate. I’ve also created a chart highlighting the benefits of plants to our environment — they help reduce heat and produce oxygen, a gas essential for our survival. I hope you all understand the purpose of this project, as I’m doing it not for recognition, but for the betterment of Pakistan.”

After ending the speech a few minutes later, Inaya made a courteous bow and said, “Thank you”. The dining table erupted in applause from her family.

“That was awesome, aapi!” her brother squeaked.

“Thank you, everyone, and especially Ammi, for the motivation I needed,” Inaya replied, beaming from ear to ear.

It looked like the rest of the month went by in a blur and the big day came, the end of term project day. Inaya had already had her campaign approved by her principal and she was ready for the ultimate reveal.

After hearing her name being called out, taking a deep breath, Inaya went up the stage. After the speech, she launched the campaign with her friends, collecting funds from students who wanted to participate. With the funds they collected, they bought plants and planted them with other students in the school’s vicinity and, surprisingly, it went better than she expected.

Everyone in the school was very impressed with her presentation and the project itself. And it was no surprise that Inaya got the first prize in the project competition.

“This calls for a treat at Inaya’s favourite restaurant!” her dad annou­nced joyfully and everyone agreed.

Inaya grew up to become a philanthropist, dedicating her social work to the same principle that Quaid-i-Azam had conveyed to her in that dream — age does not matter, it is the small steps that lead to bigger ones, much like how a river is formed by many small drops.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 14th, 2024