Pilot

Mirha

"Would you do me a favour?" Mirha looked at Hadi, her patience running thin. "No." Hadi screeched silently, waiting for the delightful moment Mirha would flare up; Mirha knew Hadi liked to tease her, but she wouldn't let me him win.

"Take scissors or better yet burn that cursed mouth you possess. I think on the day of judgement, your scale would find it pleasing your deeds outweigh your sins. And it'll be because-"

"Mirha, stop bickering already, I've boiled the water. Go, grab for me some more wood." Hera yelled out to Mirha whilst profusely blowing at the wood-made fire with red eyes from the smoke, refusing to let the fire die. "But mam- ouch!" Hadi had slapped her on the head, signalling her to not let her mouth run any deeper. "Be quiet, and let's go find wood. What? You want mama have us punished?" Everything aside he was right. It wasn't going to be a good sight if Hera became annoyed with them.

******

"Are you sure we're supposed to find the wood here?" Mirha questioned, her tone laced with confusion whilst her eyes scattered around the deep, green forest. "No, of course not. I just took you here to scare you, the wood is found at the top of the sky." Mirha wanted to bawl his eyes out but she was far too scared. 'What if a large snake appeared somehow?' Just then, Mirha felt the presence of a thin soft creature making its way up her back. "Ahhhhhhh!" Mirha rubbed her back frantically and felt up on a twig covered in scales of green leaves.

"Pffft- PUAHAHAHA!" It seems it was only Hadi playing another one of his useless and stupid pranks on her. "Brother! how could you do that to your little sister? And would you quit it, we've been searching for 30 minutes already." If it wasn't for their current environment, Mirha would've came up with a way to get back at him already. Nonetheless, it didn't mean she wouldn't.

"Alright, alright. Are you scared?"

"I'm not."

"Don't worry, your big brother will protect you." Hadi played a proud smirk on his face.

"Yeah, right. My big, bad brother will protect me." Sarcasm was dripping from her words

"How old are you again, kid?"

"Old than you."

"That's right, 7 years old. So act 7."

"...." Mirha stared at him with her brows twisted in confusion.

Hadi pinched her cheeks, "Act cute, say sweet things, and... And do what 7 years old do." Hadi shrugged his shoulders.

"And how old are you?"

"14."

"Then act like a 14 year old, not a 6 year old." And with that Mirha spin on her heels to actually go find wood quickly.

"..." Hadi had been left, speechless and without his little sister. "Hey! Wait up for me."

"1.. 3... 5... 9... 15. How much do you have‽" Mirha turned her head around after counting her wood to her brother. "20!" replied Hadi, searching for something. '20 plus 15 equals 45. That should be enough, right?'

"Hey, help me grab this." Hadi asked Mirha trying to cut huge banana leaves. "Why? What will you do with this?"

"To hold the wood, obviously."

"Of course I knew that, I meant to ask how."

Hadi chuckled, "Come here, let me show you."

Mirha watched carefully as Hadi cut the banana leaves into two and tied them together with other leaves to form a fairly long knot to hold the wood. The knot got placed under first and on top the wood, then her tied the ends over the center.

She watched in awe. It wasn't anything amazing or out of the ordinary just very simple and easy. But she felt stupid. She had always been in the mansion; reading books and studying. The time she had severly broken her ankle trying to swing from the poorly made swing on the tree trunk, her parents had made sure she never stepped foot outside.

The sound of fingers snapping brought Mirha out from her trance. "Hey, you listening?"

"Yeah."

"Go, grab me your wood too."

"Okay." She turned around, her eyes went wide and her pupils dilated. A loud shriek sounded from her mouth. Mirha tripped on her balance and hit her back harshly against the neatly tied pieces of woods. "What happened!" Apparently a squirrel had suddenly jumped at Mirha, it had climbed onto her. Her small hands tried fighting off the horrendous creature.

"Mirha!" Hadi calmly picked the squirrel off of her body and hung it in the air. "Hey, see?" He raised a brow, cockingly. Mirha was mad, but she was more scared. She scowled at the squirrel as Hadi set it free and picked herself up. "Why did you set it free?"

"Because?"

"I would've taken it captive to teach it a lesson never to surprise someone like that again." She patted her dress from dust and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Oh? Never heard of something like that but I guess since you and that squirrel are both animals, you'd be able to communicate and teach it a lesson."

Mirha zipped her lips wanting to get home to mom and dad.

***

"You're teaching me how to draw a sword, torture animals, learn surviva-"

"Mirha, my dear. Draw some breath,

say 'بیسمیلاہ' (*) and eat quietly first, then tell me what you wish. Those are our manners when we eat."

"Sorry." Said Mirha, her eyes scanned over the food, there had been fish, boiled white rice and soup. They had been out on a trip away from all noble activities to enjoy a simple day like a simple family. It had been fun. She wished they'd do it many times. And when she'd finish her dinner, she had much to request, much to learn.

*means "in the name of Allah" (a dua (prayer) said by muslims when doing something)