NISA, a friend of mine, visited us after a long time. We talked on various topics while having tea. During the discussion, we both agreed that travelling and education can transform anyone’s approach towards life and sometimes make it difficult to adjust in one’s social circle.

While we were in the middle of the discussion, somebody knocked at the door. I opened the door and found Aunty Nina standing there. Aunty Nina is our neighbour and is well-known for doing welfare activities. She had come to invite us to a meeting organised to share the problem of sewage disposal with concerned member of the organisation dealing such issues.

We both know that the outcome of most of such meetings is merely a waste of time for all those attending them, whereas these meetings help organiser to become a public figure.

We agreed to attend the meeting half-heartedly simply because we do not want to disappoint her. When she left, Nisa started without any pause. What she revealed to me was surprising. I am narrating the story in her words.

“Almost a decade ago, one day when the whole family was out somewhere and I was at home with my maid, our sweeper Mehran came to collect the trash. I opened the door to hand over the waste. Mehran requested me for a glass of water so that he could take his medicines. I, being a doctor, saw the prescription and found that the medicine were not to be eaten without food.

“I asked Mehran if he had his lunch to which he replied that he had nothing as he was out on work since morning. Therefore, I asked my maid to set a table for him.

“Mehran had just started his meal when we heard someone knocked at our door.

It was Aunty Nina, who would sometimes come over to give whatever she had cooked. When she saw Mehran sitting and having his meal at the dinning table, though she did not say anything, left the home without giving the food she had brought for us.

“Since then, she never brought any food item for us and never ate anything at our home. After this incidence, one day Aunty met my mother and told her about Mehran having meal in our home and that too on the dining table! It’s simple to comprehend what had happened later.

“It is a sad fact that we all preach about equality but when it comes to practice, most of us don’t practice what we preach.”

Nisa was not in favour of attending the meeting, but I eventually convinced her to attend it. When the day arrived, we reached the venue on time; after a prolong delay the meeting started. The chief guest also arrived; I couldn’t see him, as there was quite a crowed there. The problems were conveyed to the concerned official on a piece of paper and he showed great interest and commitment to resolve them and happily told us that the chief guest was donating a handsome amount for the welfare of our town.

The meeting went very well and towards the end Nina Aunty thanked all the people and the guest for attending the meeting and invited him to say a few words. He was gentle, well-dressed robust man who walked steadily to the stage.

Nina Aunty had a look of disbelief on her face as she recognised him. The guest stood firmly and spoke in a mild tone about how to bring positive change in society, and how to maintain our town.

It was the moment when we realised that nature has its own ways of doing things ... the gentleman and the donor was Mehran, now a businessman.