It was an unpleasant, cold Sunday evening. The sun was on its way home and so was Sara. Sara was a health inspector, so she had to go check people’s houses to see if they were living a healthy life.

Sundays were the only days she got a holiday, so she had been out trying to relax and enjoy the day. She was almost home when a shabby-looking cabin caught her eye. Her curiosity didn’t allow her to pass by without checking it.

Hesitantly, she approached the cabin and knocked. She did not think anyone would be living in such an old, shabby cabin, but, to her surprise, an old couple answered the door. The cabin and the couple were quite similar, both old, ragged and very frail.

She greeted them and asked if she could come in. Their cabin was empty, just like their empty stomachs that growled aloud. It was a heart-rending scene to witness the condition they were in.

She gathered her courage and asked the reason behind their condition. The couple were a bit nervous at first, but eventually opened up about their life. The couple, named Razia and Shahid, were going through tough times. Shahid was not educated, so he couldn’t get a decent job and only worked as a labourer, but that also for a short time because he would often fall ill due to old age.

Razia told her that when she was young, she would work as a maid at people’s homes, but when age caught up with her, she also could not work properly and fell sick.

They had no children, so there was no one to look after them in their old age. Some nights, they slept hungry, while on other nights, they received a meal from some kind people. They explained how hunger was like an unwanted companion, always present, making their stomachs growl.

Sara felt saddened by their plight and tried to comfort them. She thought about making some arrangements for their care.

Suddenly her eyes lit up with an idea. Instead of adhering strictly to her job responsibilities and simply reporting their living conditions to the authorities, she decided to help them by buying the necessary groceries and some readymade food that they could eat at once. She also talked to a welfare centre that promised to provide them with meals every day, because the couple was too old and frail to go and get it themselves. Sara bought some household items for them as well.

The couple was delighted, and prayed for her health and long life. She often visited them and shared meals, hoping for a positive change in their lives. The echoes of empty stomachs were now replaced with the warmth of shared meals, and they thrived in the loving support from a stranger, who showed care like no other.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 13th, 2024