"How long does it take?" Sarika asked Zeeshan as he started rowing. "Not much. Around 3 hours or so" replied Zeeshan. "Can't this time be cut down a little bit?" asked Fatima, the tension evident in her voice. Zeeshan smirked "Only if you can lend me a hand" "Stop crying Begum! Will you? You are getting on my nerves now!" Fatima shouted at her younger sister. "If we lose hope like this, do you think we can ever make it to the other side?" Zeeshan had already started rowing by then. "Can I have the other oar?" Sarika asked as Zeeshan handed her one. "Are you sure about this?" Zeeshan's query was put to rest by a strong "Yes!".
Sarika was the eldest of the three sisters. All her life she had struggled to support her family which was left shattered by the early demise of her parents. Though her decision to 'leave studies early and join a job' was met with few raised eyebrows, she knew there was no other option. Fatima and Begum were very young and she didn't want them to end up in an orphanage. She wanted them to study and to make it big someday. "Give it to me. I will row now" Fatima told Sarika, who looked at her and smiled. As she handed over the oars and sat down beside Begum, whose tear soaked red eyes looked tired, she noticed how beautiful has Fatima grown up to be. That little girl was now a doctor and she knew one day her Fatima will make her proud in the field of medicine.
Since yesterday things have looked different for Sarika and her family. The crisis surrounding the refugees was given a fresh lease of life as Britain opened their gates for them. The European powerhouses who were playing it tough, citing various socio-economic-political factors as reasons for not allowing the refugees any access to their country, were forced to change their stance. With Britain opening their gates, Germany and France soon followed. As Sarika looked up at the sky and thanked the little Allah whose death changed everything for them tears rolled down her cheeks. She kissed Begum's hand and thanked Aylan Kurdi for giving them a new chance to live. Their little Allah.
Sarika was the eldest of the three sisters. All her life she had struggled to support her family which was left shattered by the early demise of her parents. Though her decision to 'leave studies early and join a job' was met with few raised eyebrows, she knew there was no other option. Fatima and Begum were very young and she didn't want them to end up in an orphanage. She wanted them to study and to make it big someday. "Give it to me. I will row now" Fatima told Sarika, who looked at her and smiled. As she handed over the oars and sat down beside Begum, whose tear soaked red eyes looked tired, she noticed how beautiful has Fatima grown up to be. That little girl was now a doctor and she knew one day her Fatima will make her proud in the field of medicine.
Since yesterday things have looked different for Sarika and her family. The crisis surrounding the refugees was given a fresh lease of life as Britain opened their gates for them. The European powerhouses who were playing it tough, citing various socio-economic-political factors as reasons for not allowing the refugees any access to their country, were forced to change their stance. With Britain opening their gates, Germany and France soon followed. As Sarika looked up at the sky and thanked the little Allah whose death changed everything for them tears rolled down her cheeks. She kissed Begum's hand and thanked Aylan Kurdi for giving them a new chance to live. Their little Allah.
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