The Silent Flight

Lost in my vague thoughts is Lai, an innocent 10-year-old. She was a typical child full of life, loved and pampered by everyone she knew. She had everything a child could wish for, I remember her being really picky, maybe even a little bit spoilt.

Shams was her dad’s younger brother. They all lived together in their family home. Dad loved and supported Shams. He spent all his savings so Shams could go abroad and study at a prestigious University. Within months Shams spent every penny and returned home empty-handed. He wanted to join dad s business, which dad accepted without hesitation.

Things were never the same again, every day there was tension at the dining table. Shams didn’t respect his bother at all. He just wanted more and more luxuries without moving a finger. Lia knew how much her parents cared for Shams and his behaviour hurt them beyond words.

December 1998, Lia s Dad had the most horrific accident on his way back from work. Within days her world was upside down. She had lost everything she loved. Dad passed away. Mom was shattered, uncle Shams took over the business and their family home. Lia and her mom were moved to the attic. Shams said he was too kind to let them stay. They had nowhere to go.

Everyone who cared just seemed to have disappeared in their hour of need.

Shams got married and started a new life for himself. He took everything that belonged to Lia and her mom, their home, their car and even their freedom.

They were not allowed to come inside the house. They climbed through the attic window with a ladder. At night they could hear long eerie shrieks of the barn owls that lived in the roof. Mom couldn't take this for long and mental illness took her life.

Shams didn’t have a single word of comfort for his niece but every time their paths crossed, he made sure to tell her how unlucky and spoilt she was. Shams insulted Lia and insisted that her parent’s death was her own fault and that she deserved this lonely life. Shams's words would haunt Lia at night but in the morning when she saw the beautiful Barn owls taking their silent flight, she gathered hope.

To Lia life in its essence of simplicity was a mere joy of forgiveness. She was strong, strong enough to forgive, every single person who had ever wronged her in any way. She let go of things that were important to her and came out of uncertain situations much stronger than before. Deep within she would stand tall n proud for her ability to love, forgive, and forget.

Decades later it still makes me think what kept Lia going. Was it her strength to move on, to look far beyond the present? Or did she believe Retribution was inevitable?

Even after how she was treated, she never answered back she just started avoiding Shams. I don’t even think he ever noticed. Lia's days were spent in school, evening in the library, or doing odd jobs. The only time she climbed her attic hole was to sleep. She couldn’t wait to get out of there because this place reminded her of how life had treated her and how she had treated life.

Years went by, in her worst days, she made a new friend called Isa. Isa was also an orphan. He was a medical student but in the evenings he worked in the school library. He proved to be the silver lining in Lia s cloud of life. He helped her in her studies. They shared the deepest of their feeling. Isa guided Lia to study medicine. He would often be surprised by the way Lia treated Shams.

Lia would say treating people as they deserve eases one’s ego, but the fire never dies it sparks forever something or the other ignites it again and then you want to get back again.

Isa insisted all intellect and logic point towards the fact that Retribution plays an essential part in shaping a society. If people are not shown the mirror some of them might never know what they look like. Every action has a consequence and not every sin can be forgiven. Forgiveness is a better option but not always the right one. He explained, considering a world where every act is forgiven, will the wrongdoers think twice before doing what they do? Will the world not lose its equilibrium?

Lia knew Isa cared for her and silently she loved him too. They were very close friends, but Lia wasn’t sure if she meant anything more than that to him. She could share everything with him, but she couldn’t tell him about how she felt.

She was scared to lose him. What if he just thought of her as a friend. What if her declaration of love destroyed their friendship? These thoughts haunted her and stopped her from sharing how she felt.

As the years passed by with Isa s help and her determination, Lia got admission in medical school and moved to her own place, it was a tiny room but way better than her attic hole. She decorated it with love.

Her life was becoming beautiful with every passing day. She was contented with how things had turned out and she was always thankful for her blessings.

It was January 2020 when Lia started working as a doctor, to her surprise her first rotation was under Dr Isa. Yes, it was a surprise, the most beautiful one she had ever imagined. Isa proposed her in front of all the medical staff on her first day at work. Life felt like a fairy tale with all pieces falling in place.

Today January 2021, I look back at my life and it feels like someone else’s story. What makes me remember all this? In this past year, the whole world has been shaken. Hospitals are overwhelmed, we the doctors feel helpless, thousands of patients dying each day and millions suffering for a simple gasp of air. My whole life flashes before me as I struggle to keep my self going. Covid 19 taking over the world sparing no one. With our aching bodies and racing minds we the doctors put our heads together. How did this happen? What can be done to save the lives of our struggling patients?

I feel its humans destruction of nature which is the main cause of this nightmare. We are using all of the natural resources in the most unnatural ways. We use things beyond our needs and requirements without even thinking twice. Covid 19 seems like a wakeup call, our outrageous actions are changing climate and sowing diseases. I wish we can all reflect and make this world or what is left of it, a better place.

These thoughts are running through my mind as I walk in the corridor full of patients. I have my full protective clothing. I see him. I see Shams struggling to enter the corridor. I had never seen him like this before he had lost all his ego, his face was of a helpless man, I called the nurse at the entrance to inquire about him. I was told his young son was on the ventilator and he wasn’t even allowed to see him.

I guess nature has its own powerful ways. We are forgiven a hundred times before the balance is made. Eventually, we all pay for what we do, one way or the other.

They don’t call it a circle of life for nothing. It might take time, but the mirror of life shows you the reflection of yourself and of everyone around you.-Lia

While discussing all our patients I tell Isa about bed number 3. The young boy who is fighting for his life for the past week and like all our patients we have tried our best to save him. I talk about him with tears in my eyes, after all, he is my patient. He can’t be in this situation he has his whole life ahead of him.

I want to save each and every one of my patients. They seem so helpless and we with all our knowledge and expertise can only try our best and leave the rest to God.

It is only Him who has complete control over His affairs. We, humans, feel in charge of most of the things we do in life but in reality, it is only the part our creator has chosen for us to control.

We asked the nurse to let Shams meet his son, that is all we could do .