In the neighborhood, new tenants had recently moved in. Among them were three strong, young men who were brothers, and four women. Two of them were sisters, one was a sister-in-law, and the other was the mother of the two boys. I had a lot of free time those days, and my activities were limited to either wandering around with friends or sitting idly in the alley. One day, as I was sitting in the alley, a girl named Saadia came to the door and started looking at me. After a brief pause, she seemed to be deep in thought.
(I thought to myself, maybe she’s like my family, always concerned about me, the unemployed guy who is always sitting here.)
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She eventually called out to me. “Can you listen to me for a moment?”
(I wasn’t expecting much respect, given my circumstances.)
I got up and went over to her. She said, “My mother isn’t at home. Can you buy some vegetables for us?”
I asked her about the vegetables, and she handed me some money. I went and bought the vegetables. When I returned, she refused to take the remaining money, despite my insistence. I was pleasantly surprised that such a small favor had earned me forty rupees.
A few days passed, and Saadia once again called me, this time asking for ghee (clarified butter). I bought it for her, and again, she refused to take the extra money. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t want the change.
I continued to interact with her family, and I even bought some household items for them from the market. Saadia’s family would sometimes send me food, which was a treat for me, as I didn’t have much to eat at home.
One day, when I was out with my friends, I happened to run into Saadia. She smiled at me, which was unusual because my friends often teased me, suggesting that there was something going on between us. I preferred to remain silent, as I wanted to avoid the risk of rumors spreading.
My friends’ discussions started making me doubt why she was being so kind to me. Maybe she was just like my family, who didn’t want me to get into any trouble. I decided that silence was the best course of action.
But one day, I mustered the courage to talk to her. She smiled and said, “Why do you think my family and I are being so nice to you?”
In front of my friends, I couldn’t help but reply, “You are very kind to me.”
She laughed and said, “People like to gossip. They think something is going on between us. Don’t worry about what they say.”
I realized that her family’s kindness wasn’t out of the ordinary; it was simply because they were good people. I stopped caring about the gossip and appreciated their generosity.
As time went by, Saadia’s family continued to be kind and welcoming. Occasionally, they sent over delicious food. It was heartwarming to see that they treated me like a part of their own. They had truly shown me the meaning of kindness and hospitality.
One evening, as I was sitting in the alley, I heard loud voices coming from their house. I went to their door and saw the two brothers arguing and scuffling with each other, while Saadia and the other women were in tears.
At that moment, it struck me that I had to intervene. I couldn’t stand by while a family that had been so good to me was in turmoil. I went inside and told the brothers to stop fighting. I scolded them, saying, “Show some shame; you’re using such foul language in front of the sisters!”
Saadia pulled me away from them, crying, and said, “Be careful. If someone touches you, it’s not your fault.”
In the presence of their mother, I made them stop fighting and leave me alone. Despite the angry faces of the brothers, they gave up the argument.
Saadia’s mother thanked me for my courage and said, “You’ve come as a protector, the boy who won’t let anything happen to our sisters. You are the kind of boy who has made our daughters safe.”
The following evening, my father visited their house to express his gratitude for their support and their kind treatment of me. He said, “You are the people who have saved my son from being alone. You have provided him with the companionship and care he needed. I am grateful to you.”
The next day, the entire neighborhood knew that the guy who had come to see Saadia… was me. The respect and gratitude of her family made me realize that their kindness was genuine and selfless. And that’s how Saadia and her family became my true friends and saviors in a world where rumors and gossip often overshadow genuine intentions.