Sunny Days Rainy Days
Sunny Days Rainy Days :
A trader named Haider lived in a village. He had a grocery store. Being only one such store in the village it had a good sale.
He had too beautiful and talented daughters. Their names were Aliza and Sora.The sisters loved each other. They took great care of their father. The sisters cooked tasty meals for the father and helped the mother in household work. Aliza and Sora were inseparable. The two lived, played, gossiped, worked, ate and slept together. One could not live without the other. They had no brother.
Haider often felt sadness for not having a son. But the lovely daughters were a great consolation to him. The girls were growing up fast. Haider wanted them married off soon as the custom was.
One day his wife said, ‘Elder daughter Aliza has grown to marriageable age. We must look for a suitable groom for her.'
Haider agreed, “I know I want it to be a grand marriage. A trader’s son will be good for her.’
The wife objected, "No A traders' son will remain busy like you. He will have little time for Aliza. I want a farmer's son.’
"May be, you are right. I know a big landlord of a nearby village. But I don't know if he has a grown up unmarried son."
Haider requested the Maulvi of the village to go to that village to find out if the marriage was possible. The Maulvi discovered that the landlord Gedana had indeed a son who was ripe for marriage. He was Gedana’s only son. The Maulvi at once proposed the marriage and praised the beauty and the qualities of Aliza.
Shortly after, Aliza got marred to Samar, the son of Gedana. Now Sora was lonely and very sad. She rarely laughed or talked. She would remain lost in the memories of Aliza. Meanwhile, Aliza was happy in her new home. The family had big lands which grew great harvests every season. Whenever Aliza came to meet her parents she was full of praise for her husband and father-in-law.
On one visit, she advised her father, ‘Papa! I think you must marry off Sora. That will cure her sadness due to loneliness. In her husband's home she will meet new people and she will no more miss me."
The father agreed with her He spoke to his wife, “Talk to aunt about Sora. She will find a groom for Sora. Your aunt is an outgoing person. She knows a lot of families ’
The wife informed "Right only yesterday she was mentioning about a suitable boy. I didn't show interest because I thought if Sora also goes our lives would become empty.’
Haider remarked, “That's selfish of you. If there is a good boy we must not miss the chance.”
The proposal was made and the marriage was fixed. Sora got married. Her husband had a big business of earthen pots. The family was in pottery making business. All the villages around bought pots made by it.
Sora was happy in her in-law’s home. The new life was a pleasure for Sora. After a year Haider invited both his daughters to visit him as he and his wife missed them. And it would be an opportunity for the sisters to meet each other.
Aliza and Sora arrived almost at the same time. The sisters embraced each other and heartily giggled.
The next day Haider heard his daughters arguing with each other in the nearby room. It sounded like a quarrel. It surprised Haider. What were the sisters who loved each other so much quarrelling over? Haider tried to listen.
Aliza was saying, -We are in trouble this year. There are signs of famine - A great draught. We are all praying for heavy rains."
Sora protested, 'Why do you pray for heavy rain. A little rain can save your crops. Do you wish us ruined.’’
"Why should I wish your ruin,” Aliza argued and added, "I am just praying for rains… Heavy rains so heavy that the sun shouldn't appear for weeks.'
Sora complained, ‘You are very bad sis. You are praying for my disaster. I pray for every day to be a sunny day to dry up our clay pots. Even a day’s rain means loss for us. We have no pots to sell next day."
Haider was surprised how the sisters were praying for opposite things to happen to suit their opposite interests. Haider was sad for marrying off his daughters in the families having opposite needs and interests. One thing that brought happiness to one also proved misery for the other. Having opposite interests, the sisters no more loved each other.
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