Ray of Normalization

Sun was shining like the other days. The roads were crowded. Birds were chirping. Alarms were ringing. Zahra was on her bed with the pillow folded around her head to cover the ears. Her mom’s scolding voice was also echoing in the halls. Yet, she was unable to wake up because of the sleepiness. They day was normal but something was strange.

Chapter 1

Zahra’s mom Hina came in the room with a furious look on her face, holding a ladle in her hand. Hina spoke in a staccato, angry tone and she was gesticulating,

‘Miss Zahra, if you’re done sleeping, could you see the time and turn the alarm off. So, we could at least enjoy the beautiful morning which you are clearly ruining for us.’

Zahra mumbled in sleep,

‘Mom, why are you scolding me.’

Hina gesticulated animatedly,

‘Oh, Miss Zahra, have you checked the time.’

Hina pointed at the clock and said,

‘You’re late for Fajr and not just that, you are even late for your school only if you had enough sense.’

Zahra suddenly got up in distress. She said with confusion,

‘Mom! I never missed Fajr.’

Hina dismissively said,

‘Whatever, just get up and get ready. Your bus is waiting.’

Zahra with a worried look on her face said,

‘Mom! I have to pray Fajr. Even though I’m late, I still have to offer the prayer.’

Hina rolled her eyes and said,

‘Oh, these children. It’s just one prayer. Some people don’t even offer the prayer.’

Zahra anxiously said,

‘But...’

Hina groaned,

‘Oh Lord, go and get ready. Your bus is coming. Miraal has already gone to college.’

Zahra gasped with raised eye brows,

‘Mom! You never let me miss any prayer. Are you okay? And if I ever missed prayer due to oversleeping, you would let me offer it later. What has gotten into you today?!’

Hina annoyingly said,

‘The thing that has gotten into me is worry and I’m anxious because if you miss your bus, who’s gonna drop you. Your exams are also around the corner. So, go and get ready as fast as you can. Allah is most forgiving. He understands us.’

Zahra affirmatively said,

‘I guess you’re right. I should probably go and get ready.’

Zahra got up from the bed quickly and rushed out of her room. Hina rolled her eyes and started making Zahra’s bed. Zahra was taking a bath when her bus starting honking.

Hina spoke in a very loud voice,

‘Zahra! Aren’t you ready yet?'

Zahra quickly came out of the bathroom with her messy wet hair. She quickly started wearing the hijab in the courtyard while looking at the mirror.

There was a cot in the courtyard

Zahra was wearing her Hijab and there was a lot of noise outside of the house. Bus was honking. People were arguing. Hina came outside with a ladle in her hand again and saw that Zahra wasn’t still gone.

Hina annoyingly said,

‘Zahra! Stop setting your hijab. It’s already too hot outside and your bus is also waiting outside. Are you nuts?’

Zahra worriedly said,

‘Mom! You really don’t seem to be okay. You always tell me to wear my Hijab properly and today, you’re telling me to...’

Hina annoyingly said,

‘Do what you want.’ Zahra said, ‘Okay! Fine. Hijab can’t be that important. I have to go’

Zahra waved at Hina to say goodbye and went out of the house, wearing her school bag.

While Zahra was on her way to school, Her cousin Rameen was at her courtyard, reading the newspaper. There was a news article in the paper saying that an amazing American scientist had finally created a ray that made people look young forever. It resembled the sun, but it wouldn’t be visible to anyone. Rameen rolled her eyes and put the newspaper back on the table, saying,

‘Ridiculous!’

Rameen’s mom Afsheen saw Rameen and said,

‘Why do you even read the newspaper? It’s always full of nonsense. Sometimes, it lies. Sometimes, it tells the truth.’

Rameen said with an annoyed huff,

‘Mom! I was just passing my time.’

Afsheen said,

‘Why don’t you listen to music just like I am?’

Rameen was shocked. She said shockingly,

‘Mom! You’re listening to what?’

Afsheen dismissively said,

‘I’m listening to music. Everyone does that. What’s different?’

Rameen anxiously said,

‘Mom! You never listened to music. I thought you were listening to Qur’an recitation.’

Afsheen again dismissively said,

‘I’ll listen to it later. You can also listen to music.’

Rameen contemptuously said,

‘No, I’m okay this way.’

Rameen went back to her room and while walking towards her room, she saw her dad was watching videos that contained music in a very loud volume. She was so worried but she didn’t say anything and went to her room silently. Rameen was confused. She was lost in a dilemma. She thought,

‘What is so special in music that even my mom and dad are listening to it. Maybe, it’s not even that bad. Let’s do some workout while listening to it!’

She played a song in her phone and started enjoying the music. She worked out more energetically and felt so happy. Her face brightened eyes widened and she moved with a smile on her face. Where the beats dropped, her energy dropped too.

Rameen thought amazingly,

‘I can’t believe I didn’t listen to this beautiful thing my entire life. What a beautiful day it is today!'

While Rameen was enjoying the music, her cousin Mishal was at her college. She came into the class and shook hands with her friend Asma.

Asma said,

‘Aslam o Alaikum!’

Mishal replied,

‘Walaikum Salam! How are you doing?’

Asma replied with a smile on her face,

‘I’m doing GREAT.’

Asma laughed and said,

‘In fact, I have never been so great in my life.’

Mishal with a confused smile curiously asked,

‘Why?! Tell me. I’m so excited to know.’

Asma eagerly said,

‘Oh my God, you know about Ahsan, right?’

Mishal confusingly asked,

‘Ahsan, who? Who is he?’

Asma rolled her eyes and laughed. She mocked,

Mishal, ‘Mishal! Are you living in a a cave?’

She mimicked what Mishal said earlier, ‘Who is he?’ She laughed and taunted,

‘Girl! In which world do you live?’

Asma said while smiling and blushing,

‘Ahsan is the most popular guy in boys’ campus and if you want more explanation, he is my boy friend.’

Mishal was drinking water while talking to Asma and she choked and shockingly and loudly said,

‘He is your what?’

Asma stopped Mishal and said,

‘Girl! Can’t you speak quietly?’

Asma again whispered while blushing and smiling,

‘He is my boy friend.’

Mishal expostulated,

‘Girl! Wait...wait...wait. You are doing something that is so wrong. First thing, relationships are forbidden and you’ll be sinful. Second thing, you know how....’

Asma stops her while talking and said,

‘Oh, the sir is here. Let’s go to our seat! And we will talk about this during lunch break.’

Mishal nodded.

Mr. Ahmad entered the class.

Mr. Ahmad said in a very loud voice,

‘Okay, so today, we are going to learn about orbitals. So, orbitals are...’ He wrote on the board and kept teaching.

While Zahra, Mishal and Rameen were in Pakistan, Hania was in London. While searching for details about Ray that made people look younger in her room on the laptop while sitting on her chair and the laptop was on the desk, she found an article that mentioned that the ray of making people look younger could be something else. Well, scientist Mr. George created this ray after he got bullied for her wife looking older. An insecurity could lead to such a great invention. That is truly unbelievable! Well, the ray has been released. It’s invisible so that nobody can ever know its secrets.

Hania stopped while reading this and thought,

‘What do they mean by secrets? What secrets?’

Hania turned the TV ON which was right behind she was sitting. She rotated her chair behind and started watching the news. News reporter was a girl and she said,

‘The ray of making people look younger has finally been released. The whole Pakistan seems to be feeling the ray...’

It was just an ordinary news but Hania noticed something. She got lost in her thoughts and thought,

‘Wait a minute, why is this reporter not wearing a hijab? She always did.’

She got so tensed and began to look for the remote while saying,

‘No, no, no! This can’t be true. Where is the remote?’

She found the remote and it slipped from her hands. She picked it up from the floor and changed the channel to another one. It was another TV channel. The news reporter said,

‘Today, finally, the ray has been released. We are eagerly waiting to see the results. Stay tuned.'

*Music*

Another reporter came and said,

‘Mr. George will be given nobel prize soon. We truly admire his hard work’

*Music*

Hania turned the TV off. She thought,

‘Why are they playing music?’ She realized something. She thought, ‘What if this ray....’