It was a prismatic evening when the sun was going back on its way, and so were the people. Ali, an industrialist, was watching a comedy movie with his son. Ahmed was his only son, so he brought him up with much love and affection like every father.

They were enjoying the movie when suddenly, Ahmed got shortness of breath and started coughing. The cough was so intense that he instinctively covered his mouth. When he lifted his hand, he noticed drops of blood on it. Alarmed, he immediately showed his hand to his father, who couldn’t believe his eyes — but eventually, he had to.

Shocked by Ahmed’s condition, Mr Ali quickly rushed him to the hospital. After the preliminary diagnostics and lab tests, the doctors discovered that Ahmed had developed severe asthma due to increasing air pollution. The doctors in the emergency department consulted a senior pulmonologist, who suggested a few medications but warned Mr Ali that if these medicines didn’t work, Ahmed might have to undergo a procedure called bronchial thermoplasty.

Ahmed was admitted in the hospital for more than a week. Mr Ali, who loved his son deeply, couldn’t bear to see him in such a miserable condition. He prayed for him day and night, desperately hoping to see him healthy again at any cost.

One night, as Mr Ali lay beside Ahmed, reading a magazine before bedtime, he came across an article that stated, “One in every ten Pakistani children under five years of age dies as a result of severe air pollution in Pakistan.”

It was then that he dozed off and had a dream that his son couldn’t survive the polluted conditions of the country.

“No, no! This cannot happen!” Mr Ali woke up from his nightmare, drenched in sweat, his hands clammy. His teeth were chattering, and his fingers trembled from the lingering fear of his worst dream.

The next day, thankfully the doctors shared some positive news: Ahmed had shown improvement with the medications prescribed by the pulmonologist. A sigh of relief escaped Mr Ali, it felt like a ray of sunshine breaking through dark clouds.

Two days later, Ahmed was discharged from the hospital.

Mr Ali took Ahmed home, but couldn’t shake off a deep sense of guilt. As an industrialist, he realised that he too was contributing to the release of harmful greenhouse gases. Determined to make a change, he committed himself to reducing carbon emissions and began exploring ways to minimise environmental degradation.

Within a few weeks, Mr Ali transitioned to renewable energy sources instead of burning fossil fuels and implemented several other eco-friendly practices so that his businesses contributed as little to pollution as possible. He also launched an awareness campaign within his circle of industrialists, advocating for sustainable practices and rallying support to combat environmental pollution.

Over the next few months, Mr Ali and Ahmed noticed remarkable improvements in their surroundings. The air felt fresher and cleaner, proving that collective effort could indeed make a difference.

This story reminds us that together, we have the power to create a cleaner, greener future for the generations to come.

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