Good bye

A new way to thank 

''Ammi, I want that helicopter Anas has got'' said Ali pulling on his mother's dupatta, ''which one?'' asked his mother, ''that one'' said Ali pointing out of the window. His mother looked out, Anas was playing with a red and black remote control helicopter in the lawn that his father had bought him from America, ''well, dear why don't you go and complete your left over homework so that you'll be free in the evening to go out and play'' replied his mother. ''Come on Ammi, why do you always change the topic when it comes to buy me something'', wailed Ali, just then Anas's mother appeared from her bedroom and called Ali, Ali went to her, and she said, ''can you do the dusting of my bedroom?'', ''yes baji'' he replied. He entered the room and started dusting her furniture, as he went towards the bookshelf, his eyes landed upon a book labelled, ''Kulliyat-e-Iqbal, he picked it up. It was brown in color, and had a portrait of Allama Iqbal on it. Iqbal was Ali's favorite personality, though, he knew only a little about him, and had read only a few of his poems he had wrote for children, but, he was deeply impressed by the way he had concealed a message in poems, he was about to open it, when, suddenly, a voice behind him made him jump, ''WHAT D'YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!'' said Anas, ''n-n-nothing'' replied Ali, hastily pushing the book back in the shelf, ''nothing!, then what was that book doing in your hand, and how dare you entered my mother's bedroom without permission'' he said ''well, I was just dusting, your mother....'' ''don't you lie to me, I know you were stealing books'' ''no, I wasn't!, you can't accuse an innocent person like this'' said Ali, his voice raising in anger, Anas raised his fist to punch Ali, but just at the moment, Anas's mother entered into the room, looking alarmed, ''what's all the racket'' she asked, ''Ammi, Ali was stealing books, and was lying to me that you told him to do dusting'' said Anas, ''well, dear I told him to, now let him do his work, and you should have some lunch'' she said, gesturing him out of the room, after dusting, he left the room and went to his own room, at the backside of the house.

Ali's father had died when he was only three, and since then, Ali's mother had been working as servant for Anas's family. Anas's father lived in America because of his job, and Anas and his mother use to visit him every year in winter, and after each visit, Anas use to bring a bag full of new clothes, toys, shoes and other things, and his old belongings were given to Ali, though with a bit of protest from Anas. Anas's parents were very kind people, they were the ones, who had convinced Ali's mother to send him to school, and had promised her that they would pay for Ali's school fees, and other school expenses, so she needn't have worried, but on the other hand their son hadn't inherited any of his parent's kindness, he was really selfish, greedy, arrogant, and loved to bully children, especially Ali, mainly because all of his wishes had been fulfilled since he was a child, while Ali was really caring, hardworking, and a lot more mature than other kids of his age, mainly because he understood the circumstances and took care of his mother knowing that his father was not there to look after them. 

He entered his tiny room at the back of the house, there were several books lying on the charpai, he crossed the room and sat on the charpai, and picked up a book, opened it and started doing his leftover homework, while doing his homework he started to feel sleepy, he closed his book and soon he was snoring loudly. dreaming about the red, and black helicopter, he was flying it in the lawn, he was about to turn it off and put it back in it's box when suddenly he woke up by a loud scream, startled, he woke up, drenched in sweat from top to toe, he looked up at the ceiling, and saw that the fan was off, the power had went out, the only source of light, and wind was the window above his head, and the moonlight pouring in through it, he hopped off the charpai, and went out of his room, as he crossed the yard that separated the backside of the house from the frontside, another scream met his ears, and arguing voices, thet he recognized at once as Anas, and his mother's, ''I left it right here, I was last flying it here'' said Anas in a panicky voice, ''then search it here, where could it possibly have gone'' said his mother, ''but Ammi, what if somebody had spotted it and picked it up, what if Ali...'', ''don't you dare accuse that innocent little boy, I know he wouldn't do a shameful thing like this'' snapped his mother, and the argument carried on. He stepped into the kitchen and saw his mother cutting onions on the cutting board, in the dim light of the torch, ''what are they arguing about?'' he asked peering out of the kitchen window into the dark lawn, where he could hardly make out their shadows. ''Anas was flying his helicopter in the lawn, at afternoon, now he suddenly remembered that he had left it there, they're searching it" replied his mother, ''can you peel and cut these cucumbers for me?'' she asked, ''yeah, sure'' he nodded, and picked up the washed cucumbers and started  peeling them, ''what are you cooking?'' he asked, sniffing through the aroma that filled the kitchen, ''biryani'' replied his mother stirring into a pot. ''Oh! is there somebody special coming?'' he asked ''yes, Anas's aunt Alina'' replied his mother. The news struck him like a giant stone, Musa, aunt Alina's son was Anas's age and also nature, he also loved to bully Ali, and Ali also hated him as much as he hated Anas, indeed a lot more, because he was even worse.

Nearly half an hour later, Anas and his mother came in, Anas was looking really gloomy, which meant he hadn't found his helicopter. Just as they entered, the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of  aunt Alina. ''Oh, it must be her, Ali! go and open the door'' instructed Anas's mother, Ali went to the door, and opened it, on the doorstep, stood aunt Alina and Musa, aunt Alina smiled broadly at him, while Musa smirked slyly. They stepped in, and entered the lounge, where Anas, and his mother stood awaiting to welcome them, Anas's mother flung her arms around aunt Alina ''oh! I've been waiting for you too much,'' she said in a welcoming voice, Ali saw Anas shaking hands with Musa, and then they both turned, and smirked at Ali, their eyes glittering mischievously, they both winked at him, and then laughing, they turned back. 

Ali helped his mother set the dining table. ''Zareena, Ali, come and have dinner'' called Anas's mother, Ali's mother went into the dining room to have dinner with the others, while Ali politely said, ''no'' although, he was very hungry, but he didn't wanted to sit with Anas, and Musa. They kept on spilling water deliberately in his plate, and make it look like an accident, and what was more, when nobody was watching, they use to throw bits of food on him!. He decided to sit in the lawn for a while, and relax his body, and mind. He stepped onto the freshly mowed grass, and took a deep breath, the scent of roses, jasmines, and daisies filled his nostrils, he picked his way to the bench, and sat on it. Cool wind was blowing softly, he could hear the rustling of leaves, the chirping of crickets in the bushes, the rumble of vehicles on the main street, not so far from the house, and the clatter of plates and spoons from the dining room window, that opened in lawn.

Nearly half an hour later, he decided to go back inside, he stood up from the bench, and was about to get inside the house, when suddenly, his eyes landed upon something behind a bush, shining brightly in the moonlight, as he picked it up, he came to know what it was: It was Anas's helicopter!, the one for which he had asked his mother to buy him, and about which he had dreamed.

 He slipped his hand over the shiny surface of it, for a moment he thought about keeping it, he bitterly thought about all the unfairness, and bad deeds Anas had done with him, ''Anas deserves it'' he thought, but then his mother's words echoed in his ears ''If someone does something bad to us, we must pay him back by forgiving, because there is no better way of paying back than forgiving'', ''I must return it to Anas'' he thought, and went in. He saw aunt Alina, and Anas's mother emerging from the dining room, he went to them, and said ''baji'' ''yes'' said Anas's mother turning back, ''I found this in the lawn'' he said holding up the helicopter, ''oh!'' she said, and called Anas. Anas emerged from the dining room, accompanied by Musa, ''yes?'' he said looking at his mother, not noticing Ali at all ''see, I was right, he wasn't stealing it'' she said and hugged Ali, he felt himself growing hot, and he knew that he was blushing. He looked sideways to Anas, and Musa, they both stood there, astonished.

''We're sorry, we shouldn't have bullied you'', Ali heard two voices in his room, at night, when he had changed, and was reading a bedtime story, he lowered the book, and saw Anas and Musa standing in the doorway, looking embarrassed, ''it's okay'' he replied smiling, ''but we want to do something to pay you back'' said Anas, ''you can do something to pay him back'' said a voice from behind them, they both turned to face aunt Alina, who had just appeared from behind them, ''what?'' they asked, ''well'', said aunt Alina, smiling ''It is also a way to be grateful to Allah, and his creations too, sharing his blessings with his other creations too'' 

The next morning, all three of them were flying the remote control helicopter in the lawn, chatting  excitedly, with broad grins on their faces, for it was just the start of a happy ending.