The Storm That Taught Aslam the Truth

The Storm That Changed Aslam — A Lesson He Never Forgot

BY: Ubaid

Syeda Nazan’s son, Aslam, was a ninth-grade student known for his polite manners and cheerful nature. He was bright in studies and liked by teachers, but he carried one terrible habit—he lied too often. His parents and teachers had advised him countless times:

> “Son, lying is a sin. A liar loses everyone’s trust.”



Aslam would promise to change, but his promises always washed away like writing on water.

Every year, during the long summer holidays, Aslam’s family went somewhere for vacation. This year, too, he was excited. He finished his holiday homework in just one month because he couldn’t wait to travel.

“Father, when are we going on a trip?” he asked eagerly.

“Soon, Insha’Allah,” his father smiled.

His mother laughed. “If he could, he’d force us to leave today!”

But days passed. His parents got busy with work, and the trip kept getting delayed. Aslam grew impatient. He dreamed day and night of seeing the sea—something he had never experienced.

One day, frustration pushed him toward a dangerous idea. He called his friends, Asif and Kashif, two brothers who studied in the same school.

“Let’s go to the beach tomorrow,” Aslam said excitedly.

“The beach? Sounds great,” Asif said. “But who will take us? With whom will we go?”

“We’ll go ourselves. Just the three of us,” Aslam replied proudly.

“What?! Alone?” Kashif burst out. “Our parents will never allow it.”

“That’s why we won’t tell the truth,” Aslam said quietly. “We’ll make an excuse.”

At first, the brothers refused. They were afraid of lying. But Aslam pushed, argued, and painted pictures of the beautiful sea. Slowly, they gave in.

“What excuse do we give our families?” Asif finally asked.

“We’ll say we have a difficult school assignment,” Aslam said confidently. “We need the whole day to finish it. You tell them you’re doing it at my house, and I’ll say I’m doing it at yours.”

They hesitated, but soon the excitement of adventure won. All three boys received permission after answering a few routine questions at home. Early the next morning, they left with small backpacks. Aslam secretly took his father’s camera to capture memories.

When they reached the beach, the boys froze in awe.

“Wow… the sea! It looks even better than I imagined,” Aslam whispered.

The sound of waves, the salty breeze, and the golden sand thrilled them. They took dozens of pictures, splashed in the water, rode horses and camels, and played beach games until they were exhausted. Later, they treated themselves to a meal at a seaside restaurant, paying from their pocket money.

They were having the time of their lives—until the sky suddenly darkened.

Strong winds rose. Thick clouds gathered. And within minutes, a violent storm broke loose. The waves grew wild, rain poured heavily, lightning cracked open the sky, and the boys realized—they were in trouble.

Water flooded the roads. Darkness spread as the electricity failed. The boys hurried under a tree, trembling with fear.

“We’ll wait for the rain to stop… then take a taxi home,” Aslam tried to sound brave, but his voice shook.

“Will a taxi even come in this storm?” Asif whispered.

Then something made Asif look up—and his breath caught. Two glowing eyes stared down from the tree.

“A-Aslam… K-Kashif… w-what… is… that…?” he stammered.

All three screamed when the creature jumped down.

“MEOW!”

It was a black cat.

They collapsed in relief, but their fear had already drained them.

After nearly an hour of searching, they finally found a taxi. But the driver demanded a price they couldn’t afford. Other drivers refused to travel because of the storm. The boys were soaked, shivering, and terrified. By now, they deeply regretted lying.

Meanwhile at home, panic had erupted. Their parents had already called one another—and discovered the boys weren’t at either house. Fear tightened every heart. Aslam’s father, furious and frightened, knew exactly where they might be.

“They’re at the beach.”

Despite the storm, the fathers drove to the sea, searching with flashlights, shouting their names. But the boys were nowhere to be found. With water blocking roads and visibility near zero, the search felt hopeless.

“We may have to call the police,” one father said helplessly.

At that very moment, miles away, the boys saw a vehicle approaching. Headlights blinded them. Their hearts pounded with a new fear—kidnappers? But relief washed over them when men in Edhi uniforms stepped out.

“Children, why are you out here in this storm?” the volunteers asked gently.

The boys burst into tears and told them everything.

The volunteers took them safely to an Edhi Center and called their homes. Their parents, though unable to travel in the deadly weather, cried tears of relief knowing their sons were safe.

The boys spent the night sleepless, shivering with fear, and regretting every step of their foolish adventure.

At dawn, their parents arrived. They were angry—but the sight of their children safe softened their hearts. They knew the boys had already endured the consequences of their lie.

For days, the parents remained upset, but punishment was unnecessary. The adventure, the fear, and the long night at the Edhi Center had already changed the boys.

Aslam apologized with tears in his eyes.

“I will never lie again,” he promised.

And this time, it wasn’t a promise written on water.
It was a lesson carved into his heart forever.