The Sister's Support

There was a small town at the edge of a big city. There lived in that town a boy, his name being Zain. He was 16 years old, one of the shy and introverted kids who fought against life as if someone had challenged it. There was just their mother, him and his sister Ayesha. His father had died when Zain was ten years old, and that gap in their lives had never been filled, but the family still managed to go on, all because of Ayesha's unflinching strength.

Ayesha was two years younger than Zain, but in every other way, she was much more mature. Zain was quiet and very reserved, while Ayesha was lively and very full of confidence. She had a silver lining in every situation, even when things seemed very bleak. Zain admired his sister's strength but often felt inadequate by it. He thought it was his role to become the man of the house, to protect and support his family, yet it was Ayesha who seemed always to be the pillar of strength.

Life had not been easy for them since their father's death. Their mother worked day and night in a garment factory to make ends meet. Zain felt the pressure to help out his mother. However, he was never a good student, though he was not bad at his studies. The burden of responsibility weighed heavily on him, and the stress often left him feeling overwhelmed.

After the notoriously gruelling math exam that day, Zain went home dejected. He was putting in so much effort, promising himself that if only he could get a scholarship, maybe the mother would not feel the awful pinch of these school fees too much. The test hadn't gone well; he was sure he had flunked it. The weight of all the expectations, the fear of disappointing the family, came crashing down simultaneously. He walked into the house, slumped onto the couch, and buried his face in his hands.

Ayesha noticed that he was unusually silent and came to sit beside him. "What's wrong, bhai?" she asked softly but with concern.

Zain hesitated to respond immediately. He did not want to confess his feeling of having utterly failed. He would not think it, indeed. But then Ayesha sat beside him and let him be. Later, after his deep breath, Zain said it in a low voice. "I have failed my maths test I don't know what is going on and what will happen with my life nowadays. I'm supposed to be helping and supporting Amma and my sister, yet I can't clear my exams-what's worst, I became useless to anybody."

She looked at him for what she felt was a long moment before she finally spoke. "Zain, you've always been there for us. You stepped up after Abbu passed away in ways no one even expected. You don't have to do everything perfectly. It's okay to struggle. You're not alone in this."

Zain shook his head. "But I'm supposed to be strong. I'm supposed to take care of you and Amma."

She smiled lightly. "We take care of each other, bhai. That's what family is. You're always so focused on being strong for us that you forget we're strong too. Amma and I are here to support you just as much as you support us."

Her words struck him deeply. He realized just how much pressure he had on himself in trying to live a life that didn't exist at least not the perfect one he was supposed to live. Ayesha, being younger than him, had all along, unknowingly been strong for him.

A few weeks later, everything began to fall into perspective. He still went to school and kept studying, but failure no longer defined him. Ayesha often helped him with his studies, and his innate optimism about life made even the most difficult subjects look easy to learn. They would sit at the dining table late at night solving problems and talking about life. Their bond increased with each of their conversations, and with Ayesha by his side, Zain discovered he could face any situation.

One particular evening, while travelling home from school, Ayesha turned to Zain and remarked, "You know, bhai, we'll be okay. No matter what happens, as long as we have each other, we can handle it."

Zain flashed a smile toward his sister before turning serious once more and saying, "I was being stupid. All this time. I thought we were like two different creatures. Actually, we needed each other as you do for him.".

Finally came a day when Zain cleared his exams. This was not with flying colours but it was enough for the passing grade. He scanned over his results, gazing towards Ayesha; her face beaming. "I couldn't have done it without you," he said, trying not to let the pain shine in his voice.

Ayesha smiled right back at him. "That's what sisters are for."

He now realized that he needn't carry the weight of the world on his head once and for all from then onwards. He always realized that as long as she, his sister, was around, he would never be forsaken again. Ayesha proved to him the life lesson that, one need not take burdens from anyone else's life all alone; strength means others stand by you waiting when you fall.

And for Zain, the greatest love he ever needed was the relationship he had with his sister.