I feel hurt..

This person next to me saying, he opened a small shop in the neighborhood. Invested his savings. Excited - passionate started his works. Inventory is moving and things are happening. While saying his prayers, keeping his discipline, ensuring quality, he continues doing his job.

Some days later, a customer starts taking loans. On each transaction he would pay only half of the full. Until, the owner decides to stop. No more selling on half payments. The customer disappears. With a mounted loan, owner asks police, then a relative in police, then friends, and finally surrenders his will. Calls the customer to pay in half, and closes the doors to life-spent-savings shop.

Another person tells me; his eldest son, 2 years junior to me in school, is still struggling to find a job. Did everything to meet our system’s criteria. Worked, studied, applied, appeared in ISSB, and what not. And still can’t find a place, a thing, that pays bills, helps his father live a safe retirement life.

Another; a person says, he got his kids vaccinated from abroad. They don’t need it anymore. The team, or say “vultures”, brings police. The lad who came back to see his parents, is taken by the police, to distant places. Ragged, and humiliated, he gives in to the next not-required dose of polio vaccine. Hating, he buys an expensive ticket, and goes back abroad.

Honestly, where are we going. Sitting in a gated community, thinking, everything is good. My pay is ok. Servant caged in a stair-connected room. Many below me — labelled employees are actually slaves. I am enchained to what - a hefty retirement package. Seriously where are we going?

Can we wake up. Can we stop abusing the souls beneath our skin. Can we stop convincing ourselves— it is not good outside, without AC, in a mud house, few thousands of no-ending debt, a pressure, a fear, a lot of misery and very low hope. Outside, it is still same old broken Pakistan. Outside, it still needs hope education wealth justice love and care. Outside these walls, it is still dark.