“It was the same bus I got into every day, but that day as I sat down I sensed something was different.” – This narrative topic appeared in a Cambridge O’ Level Paper. As I announced this among other five topics in my O’ Level class while giving them their monthly test a few days back, Malik Zain approached me with an innocent question: “Can I open my story with the same line?” This evening, he dropped the text (in typed form) into my mailbox on Facebook asking for a little editing. The updated version was then considered for a blog post. Here you are. It, of course, is a story with lots of appeal. Do give it a read. It’s capable of keeping your minds hooked up till the end. I’m sure, you’ll enjoy the suspense --- its most luminous feature.

“It was the same bus I got into every day, but that day  as I sat down, I sensed something was different.”

It was the same bus I got into every day, but that day as I sat down, I sensed something was different. The bus driver seemed to be in a miserable condition; his clothes were dirty and ruffled as if he had not changed for days, and there was a deep cut blatantly visible on his face. The face also had a black scar on the left.

To my utter shock, that 35 years old man looked much older. Lost in his own thoughts, he was, unlike his usual attitude, quiet. As I sensed further, the entire atmosphere in the bus too looked gloomy. One more observation came into sight --- the fact that bus made sharp turns though he was usually an attentive driver. I was, perhaps, the only person who noticed that, as others were all either busy reading or murmuring something to one another.

Ali, the bus conductor, also looked different. In fact, everyone was acting differently. Unsurprisingly, I felt extremely uncomfortable with all that. All seemed deaf and dump.

Ali, in a few minutes, made a dart for the seat I was sharing with an old man. I could see it clearly that the young man was not in his usual spirits. I had my ticket in my right hand and as I handed it over to him, impatient, I inquired:

‘What’s wrong? Everything seems weird, abnormal as if it’s a vehicle carrying dead bodies.’

He smiled a smile that had no shine, no sign that used to be characteristic of his. In a depressed tone he replied:

 “Zaid’s (the driver) entire family is in the hospital. They met with a brutal accident last night. His mother and son are in a critical condition. So, he stands in dire need of money.”

“Oh, poor man!” I exclaimed with sorrow. “You see, he can’t stay with his family even at such a crucial time” he added. “Pal, can you be of some help? ...however small it might be, but do contribute something. And I urge you to do as much as you can.” He turned around and was soon out of my sight.

I was dumbfounded.  I did not even know how to react. I also had had bad times in my life, but I admit, that was the worst one could have. God forbid, I had never experienced anything like that. It was a nightmare. Fully aware of my financial condition, I sat there as if glued to my seat.

Suddenly, an idea flashed across my mind: Zambi. “Yes, Zambi’s the one who can help.”

Zambi, my first cousin, had just returned from the US with loads of money in his accounts and had started investing here and there wherever he found an opportunity to augment his wealth. My right hand slipped into my pocket arbitrarily. When it came out, it went straight to the right side of my face.

“Hi Sami, how’re you doing man?” Zambi’s voice struck my auditory senses. “Zambi, listen up…..”

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Soon enough, Zambi’s ever radiant, smiling face appeared at the hospital gate where I was all eyes for him. And that is how Zaid’s family was taken out of that ordeal.

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Right a week after that incident, Zambi reached me on my cell one afternoon. He was overjoyed: “Hey Sami, you how much I spent on that guy’s family?”

“hmmm….I don’t know exactly, but what’s the…”

“$15000 precisely” Zambi interrupted me.

“So…”

“So, the news is I got 10 times to that amount today. A hundred and fifty thousand dollars, believe you me.”

“Congrats dear” I stuttered.

“Not a bad bargain, is it?” He laughed out loud.

“Yes, it’s good. God…”

“Half is yours!” he didn’t let me finish.

“But…”

“I said it’s yours. You deserve every bit of this. You were the one who offered me that opportunity. I can’t be stingy now. It’d be unfair.”

“But…”

“We’re dining out this evening. Would let you know later. Bye!”

The call was disconnected. Speechless, I was left gazing into the air.  

Malik Zain

O’ Level Final Year

PakTurk Schools

Islamabad Branch

Malik Zain

“She appeared out of the blue…” – A fairly touching story by Malik Zain of class O’ Level Final Year at PakTurk Schools, Islamabad Branch.

She appeared out of the blue…

I was in that hospital where my my grandma had been brought in by means of an ambulance. She was in the grip of a severe stomach pain and had breathing issues. After a couple of hours, the doctors said she was stable, so I could go home and rest. It was not easy for me since I had been closely attached with her since my childhood.

Though reluctant, I moved back home. During the while I was busy driving back, my mind stayed constantly obsessed with my grandma’s condition. Though the doctors had given a positive or green signal, yet my anxiety had some serious reason behind.

Just two days back, I had had a vision that signaled me my dearest granny’s days were numbered. With all this in mind, it was impossible for me to go to bed and enjoy a sound sleep that night. Upon reaching our main gate, an idea flashed in my mind: “I’ll stay in the waiting lounge near the main reception area, unnoticed by doctors and other medical staff there, and after an hour or so will go upstairs to get the updates, making an impression as if I have just arrived." Hence, without caring for any after-thoughts, I turned around and sped away my place once again.

After an hour, as I went up I found my grandmother had many visitors around. I noticed she was not feeling well at all. I requested the visitors and mom and dad to leave that room so that I could spend a few moments alone with her. Soon, her condition worsened and I began sobbing and saying goodbye to her, thanking her for being such a great granny. I knew she would soon be no more.

In the next few minutes, she was again surrounded by doctors and nurses who decided to take her to the intensive care unit.

With a heavy heart, I left the room. I was constantly in the grip of a never-ending gloom. I moved to the hallway of the hospital and sat down and cried. My brother approached me and inquired if there was something wrong with grandma, and I was speechless. Then a nurse walked by. Upon noticing my condition, she politely recommended my going to the chapel on the 7th floor. Most submissively, I went upstairs. Upon entering the chapel, as if uncontrollably, I knelt my knees on a pew over there.  As I was sobbing, I heard  a giggle in my ear. Bewildered, I looked up and around. It was none but my grandma. It was unbelievable. Though out of the blue but she was there.

“How  can  you be  here when you were very much downstairs on a stretcher” I stuttered. She said nothing but smile, then disappeared. As a reaction, I frantically rushed downstairs to find out as where she was. She was no more. My grandma had passed away. It was her spirit that had appeared to say goodbye to me. It was a miracle.

By:
Malik Zain
O' Level Final Year
PakTurk Schools,
Islamabad Branch

Q: You are in paradise. What is it like? (A question from May/June 2008 Cambridge Paper for AS/A Level candidates. The question, as is obvious by its very nature, appeared in Narrative/Descriptive/Imaginative section of the paper. See for yourself the way it's been dealt with a masterly hand by our writing genius Usama Gohar Dahri of class AS Level at PakTurk Schools Islamabad Branch.)

Paradise

Between the sweetest sounds ever experienced by my ears and the unearthly smells pouring in from all sides, I open my eyes only to be blinded by a sharp - but pleasant – ray of sunlight. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the magnificent landscape stretched out in front of me. I find myself questioning the impossible softness of the cushions upon which I lay, but on further inspection I find it to be nothing but ground.

I stand to my feet and begin to involuntarily dust my clothes as I used to do back on earth. Upon realization I smile clumsily and start exploring my new abode. Around me are trees, bearing fruits never the likes of which have been tasted by any man – apart from the first, I suppose. When describing the tree itself, one cannot help but to notice the flowers crowning the trees like a rainbow overlooking a rain-drenched landscape. Pouting out of the flowers are aromas so exotic, one wish to spend an eternity just enjoying the company of these flowers. I find myself wondering, what the great William Wordsworth would write after rambling through these meadows. The mystery of the melody is soon revealed as I find the source within the tree trunk. As the wind passes through the flute-shaped trunk, the tree spits out the most soothing symphony ever created.

Reluctantly, I start making my way out of the woods to discover what else God’s land holds to be discovered. One would think why wouldn’t the angels guide one inside paradise? The answer, I think, is a very logical one: for someone who had no difficulty in finding paradise, exploring it shouldn’t require divine guidance.

Once out of the woods, the path leads down a gentle slope, at the foot of which I find a crimson colored river. At first I misjudge it to be blood, but on second thought I question the credibility of finding a river of blood inside Heaven. The smell is sweet, as is the breeze carrying it. I kneel down on the brim to take a sip from it and lo! It is the promised – and much illusive – heavenly wine. For a second I sit there dazed. Seconds slowly turn into minutes but I still can’t find the strength to move myself away from this fountain.

I, being a person born and raised in the dry region, take a liking to occasional downpours. As a small desire to be pelted by rain formed within me, the sky rumbled and darkened. Small droplets surrounded me and it drizzled until my heart was content, then it left me with the soft scent of moist clay.

Once again I stood to my feet and started walking along the shore of the brook. Above me danced small patches of clouds. At the end of the meadows I came to a halt, knowing full well that it would take me an eternity to roam around paradise and that I most certainly had the time and means of doing so. Before me unfolded a landscape of such magnificence as could not be described through any combination of twenty-six letters. The closest I can come to describing it is through one small phrase: Heaven Almighty!

Authored by:

Usama Gohar Dahri 

of class AS Level 
at PakTurk Schools Islamabad Branch

“It appeared out of the blue…” – A compellingly believable story. It’s not just scary; it’s bloodcurdling. Do manage to keep all lights constantly switched on at your place, or you’ll start screaming out of terror. It certainly is that TERRIFYING one.

It appeared out of the blue…

I was passing through a very haunted-looking town. As I walked down a street, it seemed to me as if human life had been wiped out from there. No face to be seen around, nor was heard any sound --- not even a slightest one that hit my auditory senses. Life seemed extinct here. Although it was just 5pm, it looked as dark as midnight. All I could hear was the crackling sound of my boots colliding with the ground at each step. Walking unaccompanied by any human in a lifeless, dark street doubled the fear in my heart.

I could see a line of thick, thorny bushes that ran parallel to the street I was walking on. Suddenly, a sound shook me up. It had probably risen from behind those bushes on my right side. I looked quite frantically around only to find NO ONE and NOTHING.

Slowly, a thick fog began to cover the air. The atmosphere now gave an even more fear-provoking look. It seemed as though it was a scene from some scary movie, and I was very much a part of that. The only choice I had was to keep walking, as there was no going back after having reached such far.

All of a sudden, I felt like something was following me. I froze for a few seconds. But this time I couldn’t pick up enough courage to turn back to see what or who it was. I kept walking at a constant pace.

Finally, my destination came into sight. I took a sigh of relief. Although reaching there required just 10-15 minutes’ walk, it felt like miles away.

The sight of my destination had lit me up, and I was soon walking at a greater pace. I had a feeling I was still being followed. The thought of ‘somebody, something’ sent shivers down my spine. Then, as soon as I decided to run, there appeared a weird-looking creature from somewhere. It appeared out of the blue, and in seconds it had taken its position right in front of me.

Wearing an ugly smile on its face, it opened its huge mouth to throw out a cackle as if to mock at my feeling powerless, utterly helpless. I was literally a poor lamb to be soon engulfed by a giant.

God knows wherefrom but there arose a spark of energy inside me at the eleventh hour. I decided not to drop my weapons. It was then when my right hand rose. Up up and up it went, and then came down with the speed of lightening. There it was! A severe punch on that ugly big face.

My God!  It was none but my little sister who stood by my side to wake me up from that nightmare. My five year old, sweet Angeline was now lying on the ground, crying at the top of her lungs.

Authored by Farrukh Mustafa

O’ Level Final Year

PakTurk Schools, Islamabad Branch

Farrukh Mustafa

“How I wish I could ever thank her…” - A beautiful short story by Hassan Bukhari of class O' Level Final Year at Pakturk Schools Islamabad Branch

How I wish I could ever thank her…

With my eyeballs popping out of my sockets, I shouted out a huge big Thank you God and the next moment I slumped into my chair. 

How could I ever thank her enough?!

I remembered how the mixed feelings of happiness and shock had overcome me. I examined the letter thrice reading it thoroughly each time, only then could I believe my eyes.

It took me some never-ending minutes to realize how Lauren had been a blessing in disguise. After all, we had collided only once and all I knew was that she had newly moved into the town and that her name was Lauren Bacliff. She had appeared out of the bue. Yet she turned out to be my last anticipation.

Three years ago, our institute had a visitor; She dropped out of an old sturdy Volks Wagon. Our guest had an ancient face with an inexplicable grimness on her lips. Hence, she wasn’t a pleasant beholding, yet I accompanied her around the building with a brief survey, repeating every single word I had been vomiting out for the last two weeks. It was all part of the fund-raising campaign.  My research institute needed some dough in order to avoid bankruptcy and to pursue the research. By the time we were already done for, the employees had almost become volunteers earning practically nothing but dragging on , hoping that the days would turn around. We had a conviction that our lucky moment was not very distant.

The Old lady left the building like many others, not saying much or showing a positive attitude. It was hopeless but for two desperate weeks I continued. After one such hard dawn-to-dusk session, I sat in my office when the secretary rushed in with an anonymous letter clutched in her snowy white hands. She stood by my side as I opened the envelope.

God, please let it be the one, she mumbled.

I read the letter with utmost silence , read it over and over again until the racket silence was broken by the secretary again.

Well ?? she fidgeted.

Not knowing what to do and how to react, I sprang up and then hugged her frantically. Shouting hysterically: “We did it! You know, it’s a $60 million dollar bill!! --- left to us by Lauren Bacliff”.

Shocked, she just stared at me. We were left with an arm and a leg.

She had left us her fortune in her will before she breathed her last two days back. No traces attached and no explanations.

How I I wish I could ever thank her for this!

Hassan Bukhari

"It appeared out of the blue..." - A gripping story, indeed! It’s action-filled, thrilling, fiery and spicy; hence, sensational in its nature with a breathtaking scene inside. Yes, you can truly call it AWESOME. Topping of all this, it’s short. Enjoy!

It appeared out of the blue...

“Wait! Please don’t kill me. My dad is the richest man in this country, why would he hold back the ransom? After all it’s just a million rupees....” I pleaded.

“Hmm...last two hours then. No money, and they will be the last of your life.” Roared the gang’s boss pulling back a dreadful-looking shotgun.

Seeing that precarious situation I had fallen in, I prayed among sobs, “God, help! Dad, where are you on earth? Can money be more precious to you than me? Me who you call ‘my life’.”

I had been kidnapped by these beasts five days ago when I was driving back home. It was unlike my daily routine; I was without an armed escort. They got me easily, kept me impoverished in a smelly barn and waited for the ransom to come nice and easy, which unexpectedly didn’t.

It was then when this weirdest of the weird thing happened. On my left, the pane of an air vent shattered and in sprang a hairy creature that I wasted no time in recognizing. It was Sniffy, my very own pet spaniel, whose extremely powerful sense of smell had won him international recognition.

It appeared completely out of the blue and took the partying bandits by utter surprise. 

Quick as lightning, he leapt onto the boss’ neck, soon leaving him dead with a big hole in his vena cava. Then he mauled at the two remaining rogues who were sprawling to reach the guns. Sniffy incapacitated them with equal, well-deserved brutality. Meanwhile, I was able to break loose from my shackles. Sniffy leapt at me, licked me all over and then stood there panting heavily. 

With tears flowing profusely down my cheeks I pressed him hard for an endless hug. It was a miracle.

Ahmed Ali

of class O' Level Final Year at PakTurk Schools, Islamabad Branch