A family’s struggle to cope with the devastating effects of a flood and the disappearance of their only son, Sahil, serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of love, faith and resilience in the face of adversity
Sahil, a medium-height, handsome 28-year-old with thick curly hair, brown eyes, and a thin beard, was busy playing games on his laptop. His mother was busy making breakfast for Sahil. Meanwhile, someone knocked at the slightly ajar door. “Come inside,” whispered Sahil in a low voice. “Have you heard the news? The weathermen predict it will rain for the whole week,” said Bushra, who looked desperate to spread the news in the neighbourhood. She fainted while sharing this information with Atiqa. “Have a glass of water and don’t worry; everything will be okay by God’s grace,” said Atiqa, patting her back. Now, it was the talk of the town that heavy rain was expected in this remote part of the valley, surrounded by lush green mountains, as clouds hovered overhead.
A thunderstorm, followed by lightning, occurred, and soon tiny raindrops began to fall. The sky looked heavy, ready to release its rain. “Please collect all the wet clothes from outside and bring them inside,” said Atiqa. Sahil looked out the window at the black sky. He seemed lost in the fear that this rain might escalate into a full-fledged flood, making it difficult for them to venture out later. “Did you hear, dear?” pleaded Atiqa, “They have been out drying since yesterday.”
Spattering raindrops splashed against the crimson leaves of the chinar trees, which were grand and splendid in height. The raindrops were like pearls in shape and size, falling on the ground with a crisp sound, fascinating to watch. Rain was about to fall from the sky in its full might, with the pavements now slick with the first signs of accumulating muddy water.
“Please go to the market to buy some essentials, as it will be difficult to venture out later when the pavements are full of muddy rainwater,” said Atiqa to Sahil, who looked deeply troubled, now on tenterhooks about how this rain spell would end. Everywhere, there was gossip that this situation might take a U-turn and result in a full-fledged flood.
Sahil and his mother Atiqa were continuously praying to God to end this spell of rain. Streets were now full of rainwater, and the situation was looking alarming. Everyone was taking their belongings to the upper storeys. Meanwhile, Sahil became seriously ill, and doctors advised him to take complete bed rest. His mother, Atiqa, was taking care of him with utmost priority.
Sahil lay bedridden in a drab corner of his room. To his right, a stack of tablet strips and syrups made his morbidity blatant. As he sighed in agony, his woeful mother, Atiqa, watched his cheerless transformation in sheer disbelief and distress. She wanted him to get well soon, but the fear, now everywhere due to the looming flood, had made him stick to the bed. “Has rainwater started to enter the premises of our house?” asked Sahil in a low tone, battling his fear as he addressed Atiqa.
It was now the fifth day, and it was still raining heavily. People had been advised to take their belongings to the upper storeys. Weathermen predicted more rain in the coming days. It was now certain that the situation might turn into a full-fledged flood. On riverbeds, sandbags had been brought by government officials who were on tenterhooks, trying to control the flood from spreading to the low-lying areas. Everywhere, there was a hue and cry. People were seen taking their belongings to safer places. The sound of the rain hitting the ground was so loud that it drowned out all other noises.
Sahil was too desperate to look out of the window to see the condition of the streets and pavements, but his health did not permit him to see what was happening around him, as he couldn’t move properly. “Everything will be alright, have faith in Almighty; this situation may get better soon,” said Atiqa, who was looking worried about the flood and the condition of her son.
People were now moving to safer places. It was the seventh day of continuous rain. The government had now brought boats to ferry people to safer places. No one wanted to stay and witness the flood. Cars were stuck in the floodwaters, and everywhere the eye could see, there was water. Muddy rainwater was invading houses and had already made its presence known. Spoiled boots, polythene bags, empty plastic bottles, and wooden pieces were all seen floating in the water.
Atiqa’s family also wanted to move to a safer place, but they couldn’t because their only child, Sahil, was bedridden. They didn’t want to leave him alone. They were desperate; the fear of the flood constantly made them consider moving to a safer place. “Move and leave me alone,” said Sahil to the family. “I will be fine within a day or two, and then I will move to a safer place as well.” Atiqa was hesitant to follow Sahil’s suggestion.
Sahil’s condition was deteriorating. Atiqa’s family felt helpless. They didn’t know what to do in such a situation. On one hand, they had their beloved child, and on the other, their lives were at risk. They were caught between two impossible choices, and they didn’t know what to do. The flood level was rising, and it had reached up to one storey. The family discussed amongst themselves that they would shift their belongings to the upper storeys and would not move until the rainwater receded to a safe level.
Driven by frustration from his illness, Sahil made up his mind to move out and escape. He boarded a boat and departed without thinking about his parents or his illness. The family searched for him everywhere, calling his name in every room, but he was nowhere to be found. Eventually, the sun came out from behind the dark clouds, and the rain abruptly stopped. People breathed a sigh of relief. After a few days, as the floodwaters receded, Atiqa’s family came out of their home and continued their search for Sahil, whose whereabouts were still a mystery.
They asked everyone and searched everywhere for him. After all their efforts were in vain, they finally concluded that the flood might have washed him away somewhere, leaving them to pray for his safety. Feeling dejected and tense, tears streamed from Atiqa’s eyes as she continuously wept for the loss of her only son. Her neighbour Bushra, who had broken the news about the flood, was consoling her. “He will return. Have full faith in the Almighty,” she said in a reassuring tone. “Good news is coming your way in the future. God will wipe away your worries.”
Very early the next morning, as sunlight gradually swallowed the darkness, there was a rapping on the door. Pleasant was the surprise when they came to know that Sahil was the one knocking. He appeared hale and hearty. They learned that he had taken shelter in a far-off mosque during his absence. They rubbed their eyes in disbelief when Sahil asked in a joyous tone, “Do you recognize me?”
The writer is a freelance journalist
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