Fatimah

 "Finish your dinner and get ready soon kids. We have to go!" Said Fatimah.

"Why do we have to go every day ammi?" Asked Rehaan. Rehaan was her elder son.

"Yeah mom, exactly!" Added Shoaib, her younger son.

"Kids it's our responsibility to help those people. We have spoken about this!" She replied.

"No one ever helped us ammi," said Rehaan.

"Rehaan, we were fortunate we did not have to suffer. These people at the hospital are suffering. Do you understand. Come now, let's go."

They left soon, she dressed in a neat white salwaar kameez and her sons in crisp white pathanis.

The three of them went to the hospital at night where the victims of a terrorist bombing were recovering. One by one they went to each bed trying to heal them and relieve them of their pain. At one particular bed, they came across another man.

"Oh! You're here again?" Asked Fatimah.

"You know it's my duty Fatimah. I am the angel of death. His time has come, I'm here to take him."

"I understand. Let us hold his hands and help ease the pain of passing over," said Fatimah.

Rehaan and she held the man while the angel of death did his job and Shoaib waited outside. Once it was done the angel of death lead the man's soul out of the ward.

"Don't worry uncle. It'll be alright. It's beautiful on the other side!" Said Shoaib to the man as he walked by.

The three of them then went about their job trying to heal as many as they could or at least try and relieve their pain. The patients could smell a wonderful fragrance in their rooms and they would suddenly feel a little better. After their round for the night, Fatimah, Rehaan and Shoaib left. 

"Sorry ammi!" Said Rehaan.

"Why do you say that?" 

"I understand when you say we were spared the pain. Our death came quickly in an instant. We did not suffer like these people!"

Fatimah just smiled and hugged her sons.

"But ammi, Abbu is depressed. Why can't we help him?" Asked Rehaan.

Tears rolled down Fatimah's cheeks.

"We can't help those who are alive. Those in the intensive care unit are stuck in between. We can only help them!" She replied, sobbing.

"Mom I wish we would have listened to dad that day. I miss him!" Said Shoaib.

"Yes ammi. He had asked us to accompany him to park the car. But we were in a hurry so asked him to go park while we went inside the mall to start shopping. When the bomb went off he was somewhere out of range and we were right there. I wish we would have listened to him," said Rehaan and burst into tears.

The three hugged and cried while somewhere their father cried alone.