A dwarf soldier ant, named Laalu, left stranded was moving in a circular pattern in order to find a way to his home. The surface upon which he was treading, was an old-rugged skateboard. He had got, like other ants, antennae which were never useful to him as they had a record of error-full past. So, he was all contingent upon the fate which awaited him. He was moving ungovernably out of starvation, as if he had envisioned his death. Out of strong appetite, he pressed his tiny teeth on the wooden surface which resulted in the loss of his teeth, the only surviving tool which he had possessed. His teeth were affixed to the wooden object giving a sight of remorse. He shouted in a query manner "Sa-what I did. No. No, sa-way!". The existence of 'Sa' sound at intervals in his speech compensated the previous losses he had borne. A green cockroach, named Haseena a few meters away, was stuck in an empty bottle lying on the study table. She was known for her unusual appearance among her kind. Like the ant, she was also hungry as she had been endeavoring to come out of the bottle for hours. Should we call it a misfortune or naivety of Haseena, as she gently reached the end of the bottle, but failed in comprehending the process as to exiting the bottle. For she was moving in the backward direction to the tip of the bottle. Whenever, she reached the top, the curves appeared to her as entrance to the bottle. Unfortunately, her tiny brain had less space to accommodate a vital thing called 'wit'.
Both like events were occurring at the same time. The ant, now devoid of his teeth, looked at the bottle-stuck cockroach. He came up with an idea of making a union with her in order to survive without his arch weapon, that is, his teeth. He marched starvingly in the direction of the bottle with the hope of making a companionship. When he reached, his body started trembling out of hunger and borborygmic sounds burst out from his empty and stinky stomach. He called the name of the green bug without identifying its gender " Sa-boy, listen to me! do you need ma sa-help". After listening to these thuggish words, the cockroach being currently frustrated due to her entrapment, replied " What on earth do you mean, I could not understand a single word coming out of your bat-stricken mouth. Listen I am entrapped here in this plastic-made pipe with a blue cap. My fellows call me Haseena the charmer. Can you help me out?". To this reply, the ant nodded. He merrily commented " I would sa-love to help you, but on a single condition. Otherwise, I will turn the sa-bottle to the wall. you will be stuck there forever. Remember my sa-words. I am a soldier ant. Trained to explore, hunt and collect sa-creatures of any size. You would not believe me that once I killed a lion by sa-damaging its brain veins which I did by going inside the brain chamber sa-through its ear. Do remember these facts before attacking me". The desperation and hunger led the cockroach to accept the conditions made by the ant.
The dwarf soldier pushed the bottle to one end of the table and asked the green being to stick to the spot where she was standing as the bottle would fall down soon. He did it and the bottle fell with a hitting sound. The strike to the ground made the cockroach tossed and she fell on the Persian carpet. At last, she got her freedom. The dwarf ant made a call from the table " yeh pretty gal, I fulfilled my sa-promise. Now help me". She replied with a sigh of relief "What help do you need". The ant said " I have no teeth to sa-eat. I need your help to chew a food until it becomes a soup. So that I can drink that. In short, I want you to sa-become my chewer". She chuckled for a while and replied in a calm manner " You want my services in return for this favour. Ok. But you must accompany me in the search for a rare green lipstick. I have been travelling for many days for that cause. I have heard that the lady of this house once kept that rare object." Both agreed with their respective conditions and commenced their journey. On their way to Mrs. Rasheed's room, the lady of the house, they found a thick mat placed under the door. There was no space to enter even for a termite. The ant suggested to feast before finding an alternative way to the room. He was left with no energy to continue travelling. Same was the case of cockroach.
They were in the T.V lounge. The cockroach, by using her sense of smell, located a loaf of bread left in a plate by the infant of the lady. Both with their exhausted body trod towards the plate. At last, they reached the intended place. The dwarf signalled the green cockroach to do her task of chewing. She began chewing, but always ended up with swallowing the bites. This brought huge tears in the eyes of the toothless ant who was severely hungry. He shouted at the cockroach " What are you sa-doing? You rotten gal! I told sa-you to chew only. You shit-coloured bug!" On this disrespecting statement, she out of grave anger, spat the chewed food on the face of the dwarf ant. He happily started drinking that food. After a while, he came up with a solution to always tempt the foolish cockroach in order to led her spit the food as she could only swallow the food after masticating. He began repeating harsh statements to the cockroach and as a result got his food. By this unconventional manner, they coordinated to fulfil their needs. Kaalu got what it needed. Now, it was Haseena's turn. As the passage to the lady's room was blocked, they had to find another way. Kaalu asked Haseena for what purpose, she was searching for the green lipstick. She replied " All the bugs of Korangi Town are organising a beauty competition which is held after every five years. I have participated in it. Now, I need that lipstick to render uniformity in my appearance." The ant burst with a laughter moving in a circular pattern. He sarcased " What! what! What! Shit-coloured bug sa-participating in a beauty contest? Definitely, the judges of the sa-show would puke green vomit on your face after watching your poopy looks. Hahahah...." Haseena kicked Kaalu like a kungfu master which caused him tossed like a coin. Angrily she said " I have been neglected since my childhood. The hue of my body made me queery to my community. I always wanted to show my potential to my parents, but they never noticed. This competition is the only way to establish my position in the community. I have to prove them that being unusual does not mean being an alien. I can find that lipstick without your help. O I forget your smarty fellow! You stained my pretty legs! Now I have to take hours of shower to get rid of filth of yours. Huh” The ant with its head upside down gibbered disorganizedly " lady o! So sorry am I misbehaving for. Me help correctly stand to" Haseena, though without understanding a single word, did the task he actually intended for. Before this incident, Laalu had never apologized to anyone for his entire life.
After reconciliation, they departed from that place and moved upwards on the blue-painted wall. Laalu knew that the only way to enter the room was to find a hole accommodating Haseena's body. In order to do that, he had to consult with the Termite Consultation Agencies. On the top of the wall, they found a nest titled "Termites Estate". They entered there and found a huge hole. The description of the spectacle is necessary as follows: it was a huge dark pit having a portal to the other side with creases on its surface. They travelled to that opening which was illuminating as it had light inside. When they reached there, they found a world of stored-wooden material. The place was illuminated from the light of the Sun coming through a hole dug in the canopy of the house. That place had a small room protected from the direct rays of the Sun. A very fat termite of old age was sitting there seemed to preside other termites. His name was General Mota Khan. "General" was his nickname. He was conferred upon the designation of chieftain for his controversial act as he had recently entitled 'The Majestic Yellow Termite Agency' a relatively weak agency to govern the stored wood. Laalu and Haseena entered his office and greeted him. He responded with an exaggerated pride " Yes creepers! What do you want? Hurry up as I have to catch a chartered plane to Bahria Town". Laalu mocked " Your Majesty! We need to sa-know the route to the hole accommodating this bug next to me to Mrs. Rasheed's room. Let me sa-help you to lift your graceful belly to the chartered plane in return sa-for this favour" General replied hastily leaving the room with some contraction of words " Yes. Ha. There. No. Yes, I remember that. O thank lord. Corner of the kitchen's ceiling has a hole which enters the lady's room". Despite the fact, there still remained confusion as to which corner of the ceiling General was talking about, yet the companions got the general direction to their destination.
They reached to the kitchen's ceiling after hours of treading. The ant suggested to move to the center of the ceiling so that they can find the hole easily. Therefore, they left for the center. On arriving at their intended point, a warrior wasp with an aggressive motion, flew a few inches near Haseena. She flinched from that attack and grabbed Kaalu tightly, oblivious of his size. Holding him continuously in that manner for two minutes would have made a stamp of him, squashed from bottom to top. Fortunately, she released him instantly. The ant looked around hastily as if he sensed something unpleasant and found a nest of wasp in the north corner of the ceiling. The hole to the lady's room was five inches away from the nest. He screamed " No, no, no. Not this we sa-wanted. Oh Lord! Destiny is making a fool of us. It is as if we are sa-guarded from a glass-made wall and the enemy is holding a sack of stones, looking at us with a sardonic laughter". Haseena made an innocent query " How can we cross that infernal? Have you got a protective gear? ". He responded coldly by rotating his antennae " I am extremely grateful to you for your genius question". After that, without premeditation, he made a quick motion towards the nest signalling the cockroach to follow him. She followed him blindly. As they came nearer to the nest, he diverted his direction swiftly to the other side. The cockroach, having agile limbs, did the same too. As a reaction to their conduct, a swarm of wasps started chasing them. Laalu, being at the top, was leading the marathon with his antennae shifting at all directions. From one corner to the other, a spherical pattern was made out of their motion. When all the wasps came out of the nest, Laalu made his direction altered towards the hole which was now safe to enter. He accelerated his motion while entering the hole. Haseena did the same too. The agility in their respective movement which might have been a result of fear, led them cross the hole leaving the swarm stuck in the middle of that hole. Eventually, they arrived at their destination. Haseena made a joyful scream after finding that green lipstick placed among other contents on a dressing table. Out of overexcitement, she promptly dragged the ant making him cry out of pain. Laalu remarked in a reactionary fashion " Ouch! NO! Wait for a while. Let us sa-take a breath before proceeding. Do not you worry sa-for the lipstick comrade, it will not be stolen soon as infamous Red Arrow Thieves’ Association is on vacation these days." Laalu asked Haseena to proceed alone and bring that lipstick to the open window where he will be waiting as watchdog to any danger. When she opened that lipstick by striking the cap, it was empty inside. Her eyes full of tears, blinked rapidly. On the other hand, Laalu saw Mrs. Rasheed's car entering in the street. He shouted " Hurry up Haseena! The lady of the sa-house has arrived. Time is running out. Do it fast!" She was frozen out of shock. The wind outside was blowing hard, lifting dust along. The ant joined his antennae tightly and pushed the raised particles of dust towards the cockroach.
After being stricken by those fragments, Haseena retrieved her senses. She stared at Laalu and replied " You can leave. I want to stay alone. I am failed. I have lost my chance to prove my worth." Despite the fear of danger, he said calmly " The Lord brings trouble to those who possess some sort of innate talent unexplored yet. Despite the fact, I did not like you in the beginning for your stupid behaviour, yet I would like to say that you have something natural inside you and only I know what it is. It is something unearthly beyond the limitations of common folks." This statement brought a smile on the face of Haseena, and she went to the window where Laalu was waiting for her. Both of them left the lady's room and entered another empty room. After taking a sigh of relief, Laalu asked for a leave. Filled with overconfidence and eyes wide open, Haseena inquisitively said " Tell me what is that hidden talent of mine. Please! I am dying to know that. Is it more precious than my grassy skin?" Calmly he looked at her and chuckled.
Written By: Imran Nosherwani
