“Hi Mama,” Neha exclaimed with joy as she entered the house.
“Hello, Neha.” She smiled and got busy in her work again.
‘No! No! That isn’t going to work, Neha. You have to work more hard. Make yourself happier and stretch your lips as long as you can.’ Neha told herself.
“You know Mama! I had an exciting day today.” Neha smiled as hard as she could.
“Neha, Change your uniform. Lunch is at the dining table.” Neha’s mother replied.
‘It may not work right now; I’ve to try in the evening. She is busy now and she will not listen to me anyway.” Neha said to herself as she walked to her room.
She changed her clothes quickly and after having lunch, went to sleep.
The voice of Neha’s younger brother woke her up in the evening.
“Common Neha, Play with me!!”
“OK, OK! Go, I’m coming,” Neha yawned.
Neha got up from her bed. She sighed deeply as soon as she saw the big painting of
F-16 hanging on the front wall which Neha had drawn on her own two days before. After washing her face, she changed her clothes, combed her hair neatly and went outside where her younger brother was tapping his ball anxiously on the ground.
“Latecomer,” Neha’s younger brother taunted her.
“It takes time to get ready, my stupid brother.” Neha smiled annoyingly.
They started playing cricket that suddenly Neha’s mother shouted from inside.
“Neha’s there is a call for you.”
Neha ran into her house and picked up the receiver,
“Hello?”
“Hey Neha, it’s me, Sadia.”
“Oh hi, so did you ask your mother?” Neha asked curiously.
“No, that’s why I’ve called you. I don’t know how to start. How did you start, Neha?” Sadia said.
“Oh! I thought I am going to ask you,” Neha murmured.
“What do you mean? You haven’t?” Sadia inquired.
“No, not yet; I’ll go now.” Neha said.
“Oh man! That’s not a big deal but we are making it too hard.” Sadia explained.
“Right you are! Bye!” Neha said.
“Bye!” Sadia said.
After talking to Sadia, Neha went straight to her mother who was in the kitchen.
“Mama, I need to talk to you.” Neha said softly.
“Go on, dear.” Neha’s mother replied.
Neha cleared her throat and began. She told her mother every thing Gp Capt. Bilal had said to them and how he called her the lady fighter pilot in the end!
“Well…I’ll talk to your father, then.” Neha’s mother smiled and got busy in her cooking.
‘Good Neha, good…! That was your first step. Now, pray to God that Papa gives you the permission!” Neha whispered to herself as she came out of the kitchen and then went to her brother who was anxiously waiting for her so that he could make her loose the game.
“Wake up, Neha! It’s getting late for school.” Neha’s mother called out the next morning.
Neha yawned and got up from her bed. She went to her washroom. While she was splashing water on her face, suddenly she remembered about the permission.
Neha’s father had come home late the day before as he had some work in his office. She waited for him curiously till late night but her mother made her fall asleep, as she had to go to school the next day.
As soon as Neha washed her face and came out of the washroom, she cried loudly to her mother,
“Mama, did you talk to Papa?”
“Yes!” Neha’s mother replied as she fixed the cover of the lunch box.
“So, what did he say??” Neha said as she got dressed in the uniform.
“Common get ready, the van is about to come,” Neha’s mother shouted.
Neha quickly combed her short black hair and ran to the dining table.
“I’ll talk to your principal today,” Neha’s mother said as she brought her lunch box to the dining table.
“Why?” Neha sipped the milk in glass.
“I’ll ask her more about the competition,” Neha’s mother said.
Suddenly, they heard the van’s horn and Neha quickly put the lunch box in her bag, kissed her mother and dashed to the gate.
All the way to school, she could just think of nothing but herself flying an F-16.
“My wish is coming true, I guess,” Neha whispered to herself and sighed deeply when she saw the blue sky from the window.
The day at school went pretty exciting. Neha, Sadia, Rizwan and others talked about the excitement they were about to get. Surprisingly, none of the students had gotten the permission up till then. Most of the parents had rejected them directly but there were about five to six students whose parents were double minded as to give them permission or not. Neha guessed she was one of them.
“I am home, Mama.” Neha grinned as she entered the house after school.
“Did you call my principal, today?” Neha asked her as she took off her socks.
“Yes dear.” Neha’s mother replied from the kitchen.
“So, then mama?” Neha said as she filled up water in the glass from the cooler.
“After calling your principal, I called your father and he wants to know how many children of your class will be going?” Neha’s mother said.
“I don’t know! Up till now nobody has got the permission.” Neha squared her shoulders.
“So, would you be the only one going?” Neha’s mother asked her surprisingly.
“No! Maybe Sadia and Rizwan and some others will go,” Neha explained.
“But you said just now that nobody got the permission,” Neha’s mother said.
“I mean, they are not sure…. maybe, they would go.” Neha explained.
“OK, so…call up Sadia in the evening and ask her if she is going,” Neha’s mother said.
“But if…” Neha said sacredly.
“Then you cannot go, Neha.”
Sadly she came to her room and lay down straight on the bed. She started watching the sketch of F-16 hanging on the wall anxiously. Suddenly, she felt hot tears in her eyes.
“Oh man! Why are you crying, Neha? Common, be bold. God will help you.” Neha said to herself softly and tried to overcome her tension. She then slowly closed her wet eyes and tried to sleep.
The bell of the telephone woke her up in the evening.
“Where is everybody? Why is nobody picking up the damn phone?” Neha shouted.
There was still no answer. The bell was terribly irritating Neha. At last, she angrily jumped off her bed and picked up the receiver forcibly,
“Hello!!” Neha shouted at the top of her throat.
“Hi, I am Sadia, what happened?” A soft voice came form the receiver.
“Oh, Sad, You know what? You spoiled my extremely wonderful dream I had ever dreamt,” Neha said angrily.
“I am sorry pal, but what was it about? Same old topic, huh…?” Sadia said annoyingly.
“Are you taunting me or what?” Neha raised her eyebrows.
“Oh just forget it! I called you for an important matter, buddy,” Sadia said as soon as she realized that Neha was in a terrible mood and was ready to fight with her on phone.
“Oh yeah, I’d have called you in the evening. You know Mama says that if you will go for the training only then, I can go,” Neha said worriedly.
“Really…? What a con-incidence? That is what exactly my Mom has told me and that is the reason why I’ve called you,” Sadia said excitedly.
“Oh man! I realized now, parents think same about their children.” Neha said.
“So…it means we can go! I’ll tell my mother that you have been given the permission and you tell your Mama that I’ve been given the permission,” Sadia said wickedly.
“Hurray! You are right, Sadia! I am so happy. Oh my God, I’m going to see real fighter planes? In reality…?” Neha jumped with excitement.
“I am excited too!” Sadia said happily and put down the receiver.
‘I am about to reach my destiny…Pakistan Air Force.’ Neha smiled to herself.
After talking to Sadia, Neha ran to her mother who was out in the lawn, watering the flowers. Neha’s younger brother and his friend were playing cricket on the road in front of their house and Neha’s father had not been home yet.
“Mama, Guess what?” Neha smiled willingly.
“Oh, you are awake!” Neha’s mother said as soon as she saw Neha walking up to her.
“Mama, Sadia phoned me a little time ago and her mother has given her the permission!” Neha clapped her hands excitedly.
“Really…?” Neha’s mother said.
“Yeah and it means, I can go, right?” Neha inquired worriedly.
“Maybe…yes, you can go, dear.” Neha’s mother smiled charmingly.
“Ooh lala, I can’t believe it!” Neha shouted and kissed her mother.
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