Captivity

“What I could not make you understand over a long time, a single dream made you understand.”

Twelve-year-old Adil greeted his friend’s mother politely as he stepped into their house.

“Peace be upon you,” he said.

“And peace be upon you too,” Nauman’s mother replied warmly.

“Where is Nauman, Auntie?” Adil asked.

“He’s upstairs with the birds,” she answered. “Go up there.”

Adil nodded and made his way upstairs.

As soon as Nauman saw him, his face lit up with excitement. “You’ve come at the perfect time, Adil! Look, I bought a new pair of sparrows,” he said proudly, pointing toward a cage.

Nauman was deeply fond of keeping birds. His rooftop was filled with cages of different shapes and sizes, each holding colorful birds. Adil, however, believed that keeping birds imprisoned was unfair and unnatural.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” Nauman asked, clearly pleased with himself.

“Yes… they look fine,” Adil replied briefly, hiding his discomfort.

Noticing Adil’s silence, Nauman asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Adil hesitated, then spoke honestly. “Nauman, birds look better when they’re free. Keeping them locked up like this isn’t right.”

Nauman frowned. “So you don’t like my hobby?”

“No, that’s not it,” Adil said gently. “But think about it—how would you feel if someone locked you in a cage?”

Nauman’s expression changed. “Why would anyone lock me up? I’m a human being, and those are birds. Birds are sold in the market for this very reason. I can buy them if I want to. And if you don’t like it, you don’t have to come here.”

His tone was unusually harsh. Hurt and close to tears, Adil stood up.

“I should go now. My mother must be waiting,” he said quietly and left.

All day long, Adil’s words echoed in Nauman’s mind. Even when he lay down to sleep, his thoughts kept returning to the conversation. Eventually, he drifted off.

In his dream, Nauman was returning home from school in the afternoon. The streets were eerily quiet. He was hurrying when suddenly someone came from behind and pressed a cloth over his nose. Darkness swallowed his senses.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a large, unfamiliar room. Before he could fully understand what was happening, a terrifying man entered, placed some food in front of him, and left without saying a word.

Nauman wasn’t hungry. Fear gripped his heart as thoughts of his parents filled his mind. Tears streamed down his face as he cried helplessly, feeling trapped and alone.

Suddenly, he heard his mother’s voice.

“Nauman, my child! What’s wrong?”

He jolted awake.

“Did you have a bad dream?” his mother asked, concerned.

“Yes, Ammi,” Nauman said shakily. “I was in captivity… someone had imprisoned me.”

The word captivity struck his mind like lightning. In that instant, everything became clear.

The next day, Nauman found Adil and spoke with genuine remorse.

“Adil, please forgive me,” he said.

Adil looked at him in surprise. “What happened, Nauman?”

“Come with me. I want to show you something.”

Nauman led Adil to the rooftop. Adil stopped in shock. All the cages were empty.

“Where are the birds?” Adil asked.

“I set them free,” Nauman replied, his voice filled with relief and happiness.

Later, the two friends sat together, drinking coffee and laughing. The air between them felt lighter than ever.

Later, the two friends sat together, drinking coffee and laughing. The air between them felt lighter than ever.

Smiling, Adil said, “Nauman, what I couldn’t make you understand for a long time, a single dream made you understand.”

Nauman lowered his head silently, accepting the truth with humility.