After pretending to be okay for so long, every day Alina came home from school and hid herself in her room. It had become her routine to cry alone so that no one could see her. Her friends treated her as if she were good for nothing. She cared about them, but none of them ever showed the same care towards her.

Alina was a quiet girl, so people often took advantage of her and she never came into the teachers’ spotlight. That day as well, she was bullied by seniors, but none of her so-called friends came forward to defend her.

While crying like a little child, she kept asking God, “What did I do to deserve this? I have been a good person my whole life.” She questioned the insensitivity around her. “Why are people harsh and cruel to me?”

Alina always believed that if she were a good person, she would be rewarded with good. But then why was she suffering? Wasn’t it unfair that someone who spent her whole life being good suffered, while those who hurt others so easily seemed to live happily?

She kept fighting with her thoughts while tears streamed down her face and she didn’t realise when she dozed off to sleep.

She saw a dream where everything around her was purely white. Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name.

“Why are you so hopeless, child?”

Alina turned and saw an old, graceful lady.

“Allah Almighty tells us that this world is just a deception, and your goodness will be rewarded. It will be rewarded in ways you cannot even imagine. I can see you are hopeless because you see others happy while you feel broken. But Allah tests those He loves the most. He values your good heart. Don’t give up on it just because people don’t value it.”

“Allah has made some hearts soft and fragile, hearts that feel the pain of others, that are filled with kindness. And you, my dear, are one of those rare hearts. Trust your Lord and continue being a good person, and He will reward you in unimaginable ways,” the lady said.

Suddenly, Alina woke up. She felt relieved, light and peaceful, as if her worries had faded away. She remembered her dream and realised that her kindness was valued by someone greater than all humanity. A new strength filled her heart and her doubts were finally clear.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 4th, 2026