The Sun also Shines In Pakistan.

Chapter 6, part 1: Salim, Umeed and Nadia's... mother

Nadia died on the 28th of June at exactly 5:00 pm, her funeral was kept three weeks after her death. Both Salim and Umeed hadn't eaten since and were on the brink of fainting. Their bones were visible under the layers of their skin and their faces looked morose, like they hadn't slept in days which was also true.

As days became weeks, one day Nadia's mother decided to visit Umeed and Salim to check on how they were doing.

They had about six months left for college and neither of them could find any energy to even think about the matter.

As the three, Salim, Umeed and Nadia's mother sat in silence in a room, neither knew what to say.

"How are you keeping up, aunty?", Umeed had managed to ask. He had always looked out for others and even in his weakest state, he knew her mom wouldn't have had an easy year as well.

"I'm better now, I've started eating a bit because my doctor is eating my head.", the mother spoke to lighten up the mood.

A silence followed as both continued to think to find something to say.

"She was so kind, so true and so beautiful, our Nadia.", Salim's turn came to speak now as he noticed that her mother was going to cry again.

He put a hand on top of hers as a form of comfort and Umeed joined in.

"Yes, my girl was so kind and pure and always so selfless. Even in her last days, she thought about her parent's money and not her own health and life.", Aunty spoke with a sad tone and tear marks on her face.

"What?", Umeed asked suddenly.

"She didn't tell you both? Of course she didn't. She might have not wanted to hurt you or cause you pain in her last moments. She might have wanted you both to be happy.", the mother spoke sadly again.

"Tell us what? What did she not tell us?", Umeed said raising his voice. He then looked at Salim and noticed how he had no reaction to what Nadia's mother was saying at all.

"Salim, do you know what aunty's talking about?", Umeed asked begging in his mind that the answer would be a no that his best friend had not kept something about the girl he loves from him.

Salim now looked up from his trance and spoke as softly as he could, "Yes. Look, I'm sorry but she didn't want you to be miserable about it."

"About what? What is it?", Umeed said at the edge of his patience.

"Nadia was ill, yes but she could still be treated. We went to the The World Health and Star development organisation in Kamardhand to see if she could be cured. They have the finest doctors and star analytics in the world.

It was out last try to see if our daughter could be freed from her disease, if she couldn't be healed here, then we would have no other approach left.

After a week of tests and medicines and evaluation, as the doctors call it, they said she could be cured. Her star was hurt heavily from one side mainly and if the other side could be healed if so to become stronger then the injured side would eventually recover.

Our doctor told us it would require a 6 month procedure and that too with no guarantee.

We were overjoyed upon hearing this and finally didn't feel like there was no way out.

The sad part was much later. The cost of the whole treatment was meant to be about 3 lakhs which we had managed to arrange through loans and by selling all my jewelry.

All our life's savings went into collecting the money. When the cost receipt came to our house, it had the number 12 lakh on it. We were all shocked and when we went to the organisation to ask why the cost was so high they told it was part of the procedure.

The procedure we later learnt by some other patients in the organisation was a complete scam.

The cost for a treatment like this should've been 1 lakh as we were all living in a povert state and therefore two lakhs are pardoned for people like us.

As, in the registration form we had written that we were from Kohat itself and it being a Muslim town they had added the rest of the numbers to our cheque.

To make it worse, after filling her religion as Muslim they had raised it from 7 to 12 lakhs and offered us no mercy. In their defense, they said that we should be grateful that they were even offering Nadia healthcare.

It's an utter disgrace in the world for such organisations to exist. It's like there's no humanity left, kids.

When Nadia got to know about the amount, she forced us to not pay for it. It would have left us at least 30 years in debt if not more and even then there was no guarantee that she would be healed.

Her father and i, though were ready to arrange the money if it meant Nadia's life would be saved. We would do anything for her but she didn't allow us to.

She said she'd forever live in guilt and the misery of knowing that her parents are suffering because of her. She said she'd rather live a beautiful life like she has and leave peacefully than live in pain for no matter how many years she had left. She pleaded us and we both gave in to her request.

She didn't want to tell you probably because she never wanted anyone to be left in guilt with her life, not even you.", Nadia's mom narrated.

Umeed sit there transfixed, motionless with feelings of astonishment, wonder and horror creeping inside of me.

"They killed her.", Umeed spoke matter-of-factly.

Nadia's mother replied and touched him on the shoulder, "No, darling, there were so many other things, she led a peaceful life--."

"They who?", Salim asked with a face that already knew the answer to his question."

"They, the world, the Americans, that organisation, all of them,

They killed her.", was all Umeed could say.