10. Summary of the lesson

The story "A Pact with the Sun" is written by Zakir Husain. It revolves around the characters Saeeda and her sick mother.

 

Saeeda's mother was suffering from several kinds of ailment. She was so pale and weak, and she was always confined to her tiny room with windows shut. Various physicians had treated her, and yet she was never completely cured. It came to the point that it seemed as if she would die. Later, some of her relatives convinced her to consult a specialist. She sold some of her jewellery to pay for the doctor's fees and the medicine.

The doctor examined Saeeda's mother and prescribed some costly medicines. In addition to that, he had also asked her to get an hour's worth of sunlight and fresh air, between eight and nine in the morning. Despite the opposition from some of the elders in her house, Saeeda's mother had decided to follow the doctor's instructions. Unfortunately, the next two days remained cloudy and gloomy. The sky was filled with clouds, and the sun was well hidden. Saeeda's mother was heartbroken.

Saeeda had heard what the doctor had said, and she was also aware that her mother was feeling very sad. Later in the same afternoon, she discovered a spot on the courtyard where the sun rays were retreating. She called out to one of them in a secret language known only to the children. She asked the little ray to come back tomorrow to help her sick mother recover. The little ray promised her the same and left.

 

On the next day, the sky remained cloudy. The sun was hidden behind them. However, to keep her promise with Saeeda, the little ray and her sibling rays convinced their father, the sun, to visit the earth. They also pushed through the thick clouds and reached Saeeda’s courtyard. Saeeda and her mother were very happy and grateful. As time went by, Saeeda’s mother recovered. Plenty of sunlight and lungful of air, along with the proper medicine, and healed Saeeda’s mother.