Ali was known for his short temper and arrogance. He had a terrible habit of making a mountain out of a molehill.

Whether he misplaced a document or found too much seasoning in his food, he would make a huge fuss. His family disliked this behaviour and were always walking on eggshells around him, trying to keep everything perfect to avoid his outbursts.

One day, while driving from Karachi to Hyderabad with his family to visit some relatives, Ali’s car was accidentally scratched by a motorcyclist. Furious, he stopped in the middle of the busy highway, got out and started yelling at the biker, completely ignoring the traffic around him. In his blind rage, he nearly got hit by another car.

After this frightening incident, his family tried their best to help him control his temper, but their efforts went in vain.

A few months later, Ali bought a new, luxurious car equipped with the latest features. Naturally, he became extremely protective of it. He grew even more irritable over the slightest close call on the road, constantly honking to warn other drivers to stay away. His family grew concerned as they noticed his obsession with the car making him increasingly short-tempered.

“Maybe he cares more about his car than anything else,” his son remarked.

Sometime later, Ali was on his way to Hyderabad again. The journey went smoothly until he neared the end of the highway. Suddenly, a motorcyclist bumped into his car. It was a deliberate move. The biker was unharmed, but the car had suffered noticeable damage.

Ali immediately lost his temper. He stormed out of the car to scold the biker, carelessly leaving the driver’s door wide open and the keys in the ignition.

The biker calmly listened to Ali’s shouting before smirking.

“Look, I’m really sorry for bumping into your car,” he said, “but trust me, it won’t matter.”

Before Ali could make sense of his words, the biker shouted into a hidden walkie-talkie, “NOW!” and sped away. At that exact moment, a stranger slipped into Ali’s empty driver’s seat, started the engine and drove off. Within seconds, Ali was left stranded on the highway without his precious car.

Devastated, Ali had to take a lift home. He wanted to go straight to the police station, but in his panic, he realised that he could not remember his new car’s registration number. He did not have the registration documents with him either. He hurried home to collect the paperwork before rushing to the police station.

Unfortunately, by the time the police checked their tracking system, the car could no longer be traced.

When Ali returned home, defeated, his family gently reminded him of a hard truth: his temper had made him so careless that he had left his keys in the ignition.

That day, Ali learned a bitter lesson. He finally realised that his temper was his greatest weakness. He began working seriously on controlling it and, over the next few months, gradually changed his attitude. Eventually, he bought another car, focused on his career and learned to live with greater patience and care. His family, too, was relieved to see the change and could finally live in peace and enjoy a happier home.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 24th, 2026