Sofiya's Stories Series | Lost & Found - Sofiya's New Favorite Game

Sofiya: Ammi, are we going to the mall today?

Ammi: Would you like to?

Sofiya: Yes, Mummy. Please!

Ammi: If you behave well today, learn a dua by afternoon, and recite all the Surahs you remember, then I’ll take you to the mall this evening.

Sofiya: Yay! Thank you, Mummy. I’ll be a good girl today. I’ll recite all the Surahs, and I’ll also offer namaz and pray for Naani.

Ammi: Good girl!

A few hours later, Sofiya and Ammi are at the mall.

Sofiya: Mummy, I want to go up on the escalators.

Ammi: In a moment, Sofiya. The toy shop you want to go to is on this floor. We’ll shop first, and then you can go up on the escalators.

Sofiya: No, Mummy! Please, Mummy! I want to go now!

Ammi: Sofiya, you promised to do as I say and behave yourself.

Sofiya: Mummy, please! I have to go now.

Ammi: You don’t “have” to do anything. But you definitely “need” to do as I say, or I am not buying you anything.

Sofiya: OK, Mummy.

Although she agrees with Mummy, she looks at the escalators with a sad face.

A minute later, as Ammi is picking up a toy for Sofiya to look at, Sofiya runs away from the shop and immediately heads to the escalators.

Ammi: Sofiya, stop. Come back here. Right now!

Sofiya keeps running, crashes into a couple of shopping bags that another visitor is carrying.

Visitor: Oh!

Sofiya: Sorry! Sorry! I won’t do it again.

She starts running again before Ammi can catch up with her, reaches the escalators, and jumps up on the first step. She’s happy as a Cheshire cat, grinning and looking at Ammi apologizing to the Visitor and staring daggers at her.

Ammi reaches the escalators and asks the people on them to move so she can get to Sofiya.

Sofiya runs ahead, gets off the escalator, and immediately gets on another that’s going down. She’s laughing all the way through. She thinks it’s all fun and games, unaware of lurking dangers.

Ammi: Sofiya, wait for me, don’t get on those, wait!

Sofiya: Hee Hee Hee! You can’t catch me!

Ammi: Please, Sofiya, please, stop!

Sofiya: Hee! Hee! Hee!

People are watching furtively and laughing at Sofiya’s mischief.

Sofiya gets down on the next escalator and starts running randomly around the mall. She gets swept away in a horde of oncoming shoppers and grabs hold of a lady wearing a burqa, and enters a shop behind her. The lady turns around to look at her, surprised. Sofiya realizes that’s not Ammi and quickly runs away further into the shop.

All of a sudden, she realizes that she can’t hear Ammi calling her name. She turns around and starts looking for her. She is in an apparel store. It has clothing racks all around her that hide her completely. At first, she thinks this is also a game, and Ammi is just around the corner. She keeps running around the aisles, laughing to herself.

A few minutes later, however, panic starts to set in. She isn’t as sure that Ammi is around her. She starts calling for Ammi, walking to random women wearing a burqa, getting more nervous by the minute.

Her voice isn’t carrying. It’s too low for anybody beyond the aisle to hear. She’s muttering to herself.

Sofiya: Ammi, Ammmi, Ammiiiii!

She turns a corner and stops in front of a big boy. She knows someone who looks like that, who she’s scared of. Frozen on the spot, she looks up to the boy in alarm.

The boy puts his hands on his waist and looks down at this little girl who looks scared and lost. He smiles and asks her politely.

Boy: Are you lost?

Sofiya: ...

Sofiya is so scared, it takes her a moment to realize he’s talking to her.

Boy: Are you lost? Tell me. I’ll help you.

Sofiya: No, but my mother is lost.

Boy: What?

Sofiya: Yes! I am a good girl, and today I recited all the Surahs and prayed for Nani, and I did as Ammi asked me to. And so, and so, Ammi brought me here, and she will buy me a toy, she said so herself. And I haven’t done anything, I am just playing here, and Ammi is lost.

Her words came out in a jumble with barely a pause. She was looking all around her and getting sweaty with panic.

The kindly boy realizes that she’s nervous and blabbering to calm herself down.

Boy: Shall I take you to your mother?

Sofiya: Is she mad at me?

Boy: Why should she be mad at you?

Sofiya: Because I ran away and got lost.

Boy: But I thought it was your mother who got lost.

Sofiya: Yes, yes! It’s Mummy who got lost. She shouldn’t have let go of my hand.

The boy smiles and raises his brows at her statement.

Boy: Sure, you tell her that. Next time you are out at the mall, she should not let go of your hand.

Sofiya: Yes, and I’ll not let go of her hand either. I’ll never let go of her hand. Ammi is very good. She does everything for me. I want her now. I’ll always listen to her. I’ll never let go of her hand again.

Tears are welling up in her eyes.

Boy: Now! Now! There’s no need to cry. We’re going to find her. Come with me.

He takes her hand, and they start walking towards a group of adults.

Boy: Ammi, this girl is lost. She can’t find her mother. Can we help her?

The Boy’s Mother: Sure! Let’s go over to the help desk. We can ask the personnel there to help us find her mother.

They walk over to the billing counter and ask where the help desk is. The staff informs them that they can make a missing person announcement from their kiosk right away. The boy asks Sofiya what her name is.

Boy: What’s your name?

Sofiya: Sofiya Fatima, and I am two years old. I am a kid; I haven’t grown up yet. When I grow up, I can find Ammi by myself.

Giggles all around as the staff and others hear her answer.

Meanwhile

Ammi is in panic mode. One moment Sofiya was in the lounge; the next moment, she couldn’t see her anywhere. She was probably lost in that crowd of people who appeared from the cinema lounge. She runs into the first shop on that side. It’s a gifts shop with lots of stuffed toys. Sofiya probably ran in there to grab another teddy bear for her collection. Ammi calls Sofiya’s name over and over again, covering every single aisle in the shop. Luckily, it’s a small shop, and she’s done combing it in no time at all. Sadly, Sofiya isn’t there. She asks the people around if they’ve seen a girl, about two, in a pair of denim and a red top, short hair. Then she realizes she can do better than that and pulls up a picture of Sofiya on her phone. She runs around showing the image to the people, asking them if they’ve seen her. Nobody there has because Sofiya wasn’t there. But Ammi doesn’t know.

She heads into the next shop and asks the guard at the entrance if he’s seen Sofiya. He says no and gets back to his work. It’s a small mobile accessories shop, and Ammi doesn’t think Sofiya would find this interesting. So, she heads to the next shop entrance, a big apparel and accessories shop. She has a hunch Sofiya is nearby. She prays to Allah SWT that Sofiya is safe and promises not to be mad at her when she finds her. She’s begging Allah SWT for help and keeps up her litany as she walks over to the guard.

Ammi: Please, have you seen this girl?

Guard: Sorry, madam! I am not sure. So many kids walk in with their parents. I don’t get to see all of them.

Ammi: No problem. Thank you!

Guard: You can ask the people at the billing counter to make an announcement for you. They can help you find missing kids.

Ammi: Oh! Thank you so much! But I am not sure she’s here. Is it alright if I ask them to make an announcement anyway?

Guard: You can try.

Ammi walks over to the billing counter straight away. As she approached the counter, she could hear Sofiya’s voice. She walks faster and gets there just in time to hear Sofiya talking to a boy, telling him she can find Ammi by herself.

Ammi: Oh! You stupid silly girl! Come here!

Sofiya turns around, looks at Ammi, and runs straight into her arms. Ammi starts crying and kissing her all over. However, Sofiya turns around and addresses the boy and his mother before she can say anything.

Sofiya: I found Ammi. See, she was crying because she was lost. She will never let go of my hand again when we visit a mall.

Ammi and the others start laughing, so Sofiya starts laughing too.

Ammi: Yes, I’ll never let go of your hand again when we are out. In fact, I’ll not be taking you out at all. You will stay at home until you grow up and learn to behave.

The Boy’s Mother: We were just about to make an announcement here. I am glad you’ve found her. I can understand your anguish. She was a little shaken herself when we found her. She’s a good kid, though. She was a little nervous but not crying. Smart, very smart! Aren’t you?

Sofiya: Yes, I am smart! And I am a big girl, and I don’t cry.

Ammi: Thank you so much for looking out for her. She’s a handful.

The Boy’s Mother: My boy found her running around the aisles, looking a little lost.

Ammi: Oh! Thank you, beta! What’s your name?

Boy: My name is ...

Ammi: Sofiya, you fool! Where are you off to? Come back to me right now!

As she’s running away...

Sofiya: Come, find me, Mummy! I like this game; it’s my new favorite game.

Ammi runs after her, screaming.

Ammi: Sofiya, you idiot! You’ll regret this when we get home. Wait...