Roshni heaved a sigh of relief and sat on the bed with a thud, smiling. She lay down and stretched out her arms. She had just completed putting up Pakistani flags and pennants, and decorating her alley alongside her friends as August 14th, Pakistan’s Independence Day, was just around the corner.

There was going to be a function in her neighbourhood on that day, for which her friends had memorised songs and speeches to showcase the efforts of Pakistani leaders in the establishment of our beloved country, Pakistan. They had also planned a display of skits and plays for the occasion too, to remind everyone of the significance of that day in their town celebration.

Then, her gaze fell on Skye, her little Atlantic canary that she loved with all her heart and had gotten a few weeks ago. She sat up and looked at the Atlantic canary sitting at the end of the room in a cage. The pale pink beak and radiant yellow feathers on her round body delighted Roshni.

The bird was the heart of the family as well because of its euphonic voice. And when you love someone, you love them wholly, just as they are and never want them to change. Roshni and Skye’s friendship was just like this, divided by species, united by heart. In just a few days’ time, both Roshni and Skye had grown fond of each other. They were like family now. Roshni listened to Skye and sat with her for hours, talking to her about what happened every day and Skye was also happy having her around.

Eventually, Roshni fell asleep on her bed because of being exhausted by decorating her house. When she opened her eyes, she noticed a luminous light travelling towards her, but as the light came closer, she recognised that it was her dad who had passed away when she was just an infant.

“Dad? You? What are you doing here?” asked Roshni, surprised.

“Yes, Roshni, it is me. I am glad that my little angel has grown so big and now you are doing a lot of house chores as well. I love the decorations you have done. But can you tell me what are these decorations for?

“Dad, these decorations are for the Independence Day. I spent the whole day decorating and look, I hurt my hand in the process,” Roshni said, while showing her hands to her father.

“I can see that, dear. But tell me, what is the significance of this day?”

Roshni, being inquisitive, hurriedly replied, “Independence signifies our freedom. And freedom is the feeling of not being judged by anyone when you voice your views. It is to not be caged by others’ opinions bounding you and everyone deserves to be free to do what they believe in.”

“You are quite right, my child. Independence is not only celebrated by putting Pakistani flags and pennants on every corner of the alley. It can also be celebrated by understanding the meaning and price of freedom. Understanding what our forefathers had to go through to achieve this country and to give us freedom from the slavery of the British through their indefatigable efforts, is also important.

“Every creature, whether how gigantic or small, deserves to be free and not captivated by the opinions of people around them. Do you think only humans deserve to be free? Think about it…”

Just then she woke up. “I had been dreaming,” she said to herself. But her dad’s words kept ringing in her ears. Then she looked at Skye and realised that even though she loved Skye, the bird must love its freedom to be able to fly in the air.

“I must not enslave her for my own pleasure. This time, I will celebrate Independence by its literal meaning. And if I truly love you, I must set you free,” she said while looking at the cage.

She was firm in her decision, but was feeling a tingling sensation of hesitancy when thinking about losing a good friend. She gathered all her courage, took Skye’s cage to the balcony and lifted the gate. The canary flew out and sat on the railing of the balcony, looking at Roshni, then after fluttering her wings, she flew off.

Roshni felt very light when she saw her dear pet flying off to freedom into the air, yet a little gloomy at the departure of her little friend. Slowly, a smile covered her lips and she felt relieved, because she now understood the meaning of freedom and independence.

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 13th, 2022