The Call from Golmol

Zib's wrist-band was glowing green — "Ting! Ting!"

Zib's hands were shaking. He pressed the band to his ear, and his big eyes were already shining with tears — before the call had even connected.

"Danish…" His voice was thick. "This… this is my Ammi-Jaan calling."

Danish pulled him behind a cart at the edge of the mela crowd. "Talk here, where no one can see!"

Zib laid his four fingers on the band. The green light settled — and then came a tiny, sweet voice that made even Danish's chest tighten:

"Zib! My jaan! Are you alright?"

The band was turning Golmol's language into Earth-Urdu, but Ammi-Jaan's voice carried the same warmth every mother's voice carries.

"Ammi-Jaan!" Zib squeaked, and glowing tears began to spill from his eyes. "I'm fine! I… I made a friend on Earth! His name is Danish!"

"I know, my jaan." Ammi-Jaan was laughing softly. "I told Master Ghoom: my son makes friends even on Earth! I am so proud of you, Zib."

Zib's chest puffed up. "Really? What did Master Ghoom say?"

"He said: Golmol children make friends wherever they go. And listen — Danish sounds like a good boy. Do what he says, and don't trouble him!"

"I don't trouble him!" Zib protested, then added quietly, "…only a little bit, sometimes."

Ammi-Jaan laughed. Then her voice grew softer.

"Zib… now hear some difficult news. The Golmol Gate… will close in nine days."

Zib's breath stopped. "Nine… nine days?"

"Yes, my jaan. You must fly before the full-moon night — the chand-pattar charged, the ghanti-coil fitted, everything ready. Otherwise… otherwise you will have to wait a whole year."

Glowing tears rolled down Zib's cheeks. Where they fell on the grass, they shimmered like tiny lanterns.

"Don't cry, my jaan." Ammi-Jaan's voice was gentle. "Brave children cry too. Just remember — I think of you every day. And we will meet soon."

"Meet… soon." Zib wiped his tears. "Ammi-Jaan… I miss you very much. And your round parathas too."

"I miss you too, my jaan. I miss you too."

Danish looked away so Zib wouldn't feel shy. He spotted a star in the sky and made a silent wish — for Abu. Dubai was so far away, so very far.

Just then came a sound from above — "Thup!"

Madam the cat jumped down from a branch of the mango tree — and landed right on Zib's wrist!

"Meow!!"

The meow echoed through the band. On the other side, Ammi-Jaan jumped: "Zib! Who is speaking?!"

Zib panicked: "Th-this is Madam! Earth's… hairy minister!"

"Oh!" Ammi-Jaan's voice turned solemn. "So on Earth, hairy ministers run the government. Understood. Zib, show the minister sahiba full respect!"

Danish bit his lip to stop himself laughing. Madam gave another "Meow!" and curled up right on the band — as if it were her throne.

Ammi-Jaan laughed — the round Golmol laugh, "Gol gol gol!" — and the call ended.

Zib stared at the band for a long time. Then he looked at Danish and smiled. "My Ammi-Jaan says… those who live far away live close to the heart."

Danish's throat tightened. He said nothing, just rested his hand on Zib's shoulder.

Back home, Danish picked up his phone. Hearing Ammi-Jaan's voice had filled his own heart too.

"Should I call Abu?" he said quietly.

Zib nodded. "Yes. Your Abu is… also far away."

The call went through — "Abu!"

"Danish! Son!" Abu's voice came — and then the screen froze. Abu's face stuck, his voice broke apart: "…son… I… trrr… ting…"

The screen went black. Below it, the words: "Network problem."

Danish tried again. This time the call wouldn't even connect. Then a voice message arrived — Abu's tired voice:

"Son, I've been called to work. We can't talk today. We'll talk tomorrow. Take care of yourself… and of Ammi too."

Danish kept staring at the phone. Silence filled the room.

Zib came and sat quietly beside him. He opened his palm — a glowing tear rested in it.

"In your eyes too…" Zib said softly, "is the same rain that is in my eyes."

Danish picked up the moon-lamp, and the two of them went up to the rooftop. Stars were twinkling in the sky, and the moon was half — in nine days it would be full.

"Those who live far away live close to the heart," Danish said.

Zib repeated it in his broken Earth-words: "Far… living ones… heart's… near!" Then both of them smiled — eyes wet, hearts a little lighter.

"Your glass friend is tired!"

Zib was pointing at Danish's phone — the battery was down to five percent.

"Shall I give it some chand-pattar power? Just a little?"

"No, Zib! Don't touch the chand—"

Too late. Zib pulled the chand-pattar from its cloth bundle and joined the phone's cable to it.

"CHEEEN!!!"

The phone screen flashed so brightly that both of them were dazzled. Then… smoke!

"Smoke! Smoke!" Zib shrieked, waving his hands to fan it away. "The glass friend got a little too much power!"

From the kitchen came Ammi's voice: "Danish! Where is that burning smell coming from?!"

Danish's brain ran like lightning: "N-nothing, Ammi! Madam… burned… her fish near the stove!"

"Madam burned her fish?" Ammi sounded suspicious.

"Yes! Cats make mistakes too, Ammi!"

Zib quickly hid the chand-pattar. The phone had survived — battery one hundred percent! But now the screen was showing the time according to Golmol time.

"Now it has become a Golmol phone!" Zib said proudly.

"Will you fix it?" Danish asked.

"Tomorrow," Zib said quickly. "Today… today the glass friend will sleep."

At dinner, Ammi saw Danish's red eyes. She asked nothing. She just placed two extra parathas on his plate, set a glass of milk in front of him, and stroked his head.

For a few days now, Ammi had suspected Danish was hiding some "pet." But tonight, seeing her son's eyes, she said nothing — a mother's heart understands everything.

At midnight, Danish woke up — a "khat-khat" sound had come from outside, like a bicycle chain.

He peeked out of the window.

A torch beam was sweeping across the mango tree!

Down in the street stood Chacha Rasheed — torch in one hand, his "Catch the Alien" notebook open in the other. And on the notebook's sketch of the mango tree… a big red X!

Danish's breath stopped.

Chacha Rasheed had reached the mango tree.

And Zib's ship was stuck in that very tree!