By: Noor Bakhsh Saleem,
Noor was very happy because it was the day that Noor was going to market with his father on New Year’s Eve to purchase various things, but all of his willing and liking.
Suddenly, he saw his younger brother who was looking very sad and sitting alone. Noor went to him and asked, “Brother, why are you sitting alone and very sad as well, is there anything wrong with you?” His brother replied, “No, I am fine. I just feel like sitting alone.” “ Brother, you know today is New Year day, I decided to go market for purchasing some special things, won’t you come?” asked Noor excitedly. “No brother, I am fine.
But I will come whatsoever I want you and my father must give me, strongly quoted by his brother
OK, let’s move.
When Noor with his father and brother reached to market, the market was quite lively and all the shops were decorated well with beautiful lights of different shades.
Just then, his brother Sajid noticed a shop where a good number of birds were kept in a cage. They were repeatedly hitting their beak on the cage and trying to get out. Many of them were bleeding too.
Sajid felt very pity for those birds. Because it was the New Year’s day, Sajid could not control himself any longer and he asked his brother, why these are kept in a cage.
“These birds are kept for selling dear brother, you can buy anything, leave these birds,” Noor said seriously.
“No, I don’t need anything, I just want these birds should be left too, because birds also have lives to live freely,” Sajid said strongly. Then Sajid went to the shopkeeper and asked, “Why have you trapped these innocent birds?” “Why don’t you let them to be free? It is not fair to restrict anyone’s freedom.”
“I don’t enjoy this,” the shopkeeper replied, “but I don’t have any other source of livelihood. I also need money to feed my family.”
What do you mean, selling these birds you can’t be a millionaire, it’s very injustice with these birds, I don’t need anything, just these birds must be freed, as sajid stated sadly.
“Until and unless I don’t get money, I won’t let them to be freed.” shopkeeper replied seriously.
Sajid felt puzzled for a moment, and thought deeply, and said to his brother and father,
“I don’t want to buy anything, just I want these birds should be freed and the freedom of those birds is more important for me than any celebration.” He reached out and held his father’s hand. “Dad,” he said, “I can enjoy New Year’s Eve with my friends, but these birds will enjoy it better in the free sky.”
His father handed over the money to the shopkeeper. But the shopkeeper felt ashamed and apologized to Sadij. The shopkeeper came to Sajid and said, “I am really thankful to you. Today you opened my eyes and told me about the voiceless animals’ values.”
I don’t need money, “You can set these birds free,” the shopkeeper happily said. Sajid said, “From tomorrow onwards, you can join me at the shop. I will convince the owner to give you a respectable job.”
The shopkeeper felt happy and handed over the cage to Sajid who opened the bolted cage door. All the birds started flying out one after another. Sajid with his father started clapping.
“Dad, now they will also enjoy the new year with their family and friends. I am thankful to you, there could not have been a better gift for New Year’s,” said Sajid, relieved.
The shopkeeper hugged Sajid and his father too, and said you are the real hero of this year, 2022.
So what do you think father? Like the birds, we should celebrate the New Year together as well.
Published in Daily Makran Times
Daily Makran Times 