Zarmina, a 13 years old small village girl with beautiful smiling eyes in which she had kept her big dreams. She use to get up early in the morning when the sky is still dark and her family members are still under deep sleep. Zarmina along with her 3 younger siblings (two brothers Kashif & Ali and one other sister Mahgul) and her mom Salma use to sleep in their small yet beautiful courtyard. Her father Zaheer Ahmed died when she was only 10 years old. He was a school teacher and had immense love for her family.
Zarmina was a different girl as compared to other girls of her age. Her never compromising nature to anything that is slightly illegal in her eyes. She want to proceed with her father’s dream of educating all the girls in their small village. Every morning she has to leave along with her siblings for school and there was no conveyance facility available in their area yet the passion for education was marvellous and worth praising. She use to carry her little sister’s bag while going to school and on her way back. After all, her siblings look on to her for everything. After coming back from school she use to help her mother as well. She was a role model for her siblings just like Zaheer Ahmed was for her daughter.
Zarmina belong to a small village where there was not much awareness about education and people think exposure of school and education for their girls was offensive for their family. Zaheer Ahmed, wanted to change this thinking however, in the midst of all this chaos he was killed by the extremists in their area. His only dream was to make his people understand the importance of education. Zarmina still remembers the time when she and her father had a conversation while watering the plants in their courtyard:
“Why do plants need water ?” Zarmina asked in an innocent tone
Zaheer Ahmed looked at her smiling
“So that they can grow well”
What happens if they don’t get enough water, Zarmina asked
Zaheer Ahmed elaborated:
It will be difficult for them to survive
Zarmina still remember that and use to think about it every night before going to sleep under the open sky full of stars.
To be continued……
Putli Tamasha 