I usually liked sleeping, eating grass and watching people pass by. My friend Spotty (a goat with black spots) and I, Kicky (known for my kicking skills), often went for evening walks to get some grass from our friend Abdullah, a 10-year-old boy who lived close to our house. Sometimes he would take us out for walks around the neighbourhood and even shared his fruit with us.

One evening, I was wandering the streets with Spotty when I caught sight of Abdullah. I shouted, “Maa, maa!” He smiled and came to us, holding two necklaces.

“Abdullah bhai, these are beautiful! Please give me the red one,” Spotty expressed through her “Maa, maa…”, while excitedly trying to bite the necklace.

As if he understood, Abdullah petted her and put the necklaces around our necks. Then he took us to a place that was completely new to us. It was crowded, with lots of goats like us and many people. They called the place Mandi.

I saw our owner there, and as soon as we arrived, he took the rope from Abdullah’s hand and tied us to a corner inside a large tent. There were many other goats standing there, some white, some black, some brown and they all had very different attitudes. Some were rude, some were proud. I looked at Spotty, and he agreed; he didn’t like their behaviour either. So we sat together quietly for a while.

I was tired and took a nap. I thought there would be silence after sunset, but I was surprised to see even more people arriving. Some pulled my ears, others petted me while a few opened my mouth and looked inside. I asked Spotty why there was so much hustle and bustle.

He said, “Don’t you know what month it is? It’s Zil-Hajj. Papa Haji is selling goats and cows like the other sellers.”

Papa Haji was our caretaker, our owner since childhood.

“Please excuse me, Kicky. I need some water. It’s really hot today. They’ll be here any time now,” Spotty said excitedly.

“But why do you want someone to take you, aren’t you happy in our home with Papa Haji?” I asked.

“I want a change, a new place, a new family. What’s wrong with that?”

Just then, Papa Haji arrived with two men. One of them came up to me, opened my mouth roughly and checked my teeth.

‘Hey! That’s so rude,’ I thought. “Maaaahhh-nners!” I said irritably.

“I like this one,” the bearded man said.

“Maa, maa?” Spotty bleated, thinking he’d be left alone. The second man smiled and chose him. Spotty went with the second man and waved at me with joy, though I sensed a bit of sadness in our goodbye. The man who chose me took me to his home.

“Come here, Asim and Abdullah! Look what I brought for you!” he called to his children.

I was shocked and thrilled at the same time — it was my Abdullah! He immediately ran to me and hugged me tightly. I felt safe and happy. He took me for walks, fed me delicious fruits and juicy grass. In no time, I settled into my new home. Being with Abdullah felt like a dream come true. But the person I loved almost as much was his granny. She adored me and often gave me her special laddu.

One day, the house felt busier than usual. Abdullah’s mother and grandmother were cleaning and preparing special dishes.

“Maa!” I said, confused by all the activity.

Abdullah looked at me, hugged me and said, “My dear Kicky, tomorrow is Eidul Azha. I’m sad because I’ll have to say goodbye to you.”

I was stunned. I hadn’t expected that. I stayed up late, lost in thought. That night, granny came and sat beside me. She fed me laddu and gently explained why Muslims celebrate Eidul Azha and what was going to happen the next day. Her comforting voice helped me understand the meaning of sacrifice, devotion and love for Allah.

The next day, both Abdullah and I were quiet and low-spirited. But we felt a deep satisfaction knowing we were fulfilling the Sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim (AS).

Abdullah petted me one last time, tears in his eyes, his touch told me our bond was real. It gave me peace. I felt that I had fulfilled my purpose with love.

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 6th, 2025