"I've done all the work, can I go to my room now." Asked ali. "So soon. it's just not possible. let me check first", replied mr ahmad looking rather shocked. Reluctantly he turned off the television set and went inside the store room to inspect ali's work for the day. All the boxes were neatly piled up, the shoes were back in their racks, the floor was shining and even the garbage had been thrown away . "Okay, off with you. but I just don't know why you have started running off to your room earlier than usual when you have no one waiting for you there.""Thank you master", ali smiled and taking his daily wage he ran off to the nearest store and got a loaf of bread and a few potatoes. Bad luck is what had surrounded ali at an early age. He was 9 years old and his happiest day turned out to be a very unforgettable bad memory for him. Dressed in new clothes ali was very happy, it was his first time in a new city with his parents. His father had got the job as a clerk in mumbai and had brought his wife and only child along with him. As fate would have it, ali got separated from his parents in the over crowded local bus. Alone ; stranded ali was spotted by ahmad who had come to the city to buy supplies for his shop. Ahmad was a loud mouthed but kind hearted businessman , he spotted ali standing alone and pitied him. They went to the local police stations and lodged a missing person's report but they didn't get any information about his parents. Ahmad even lodged a complaint in ali's hometown but they didn't get any information about his parents. Ahmad gave ali a small room behind his shoes shop and a job in the shop. 10 long years had passed by and ali turned out to be an honest, hardworking boy ; ahmad was rather pleased with him. But for some strange reason ali had started going to his room earlier than usual. Ahmad kept an eye but didn't find anything suspicious. When this continued for a few weeks, ahmad thought of following ali ; finding out the actual reason, maybe ali was on drugs or had started hanging out with wrong people. Ahmad followed ali quietly the next day keeping a fair amount of distance between them. Ali got a loaf of bread ; some potatoes and ran off to his room and started cooking, well there's nothing wrong in this, ahmad thought to himself peeping through the cracks of the door. After a while ali put the potato curry in two bowls and cut two big pieces of the bread and opened his back door. He put all these things on the ground and spread a sheet and sat there silently. "What's going on…who can he be waiting for," Ahmad thought and suppressed the desire to go inside and find out. He stood there and in ten minutes he saw someone approaching the backdoor. Ali stood up and held the hand of the person, they both sat down and started to eat, laughing and talking away. Ali never seemed so happy and content before. It was an old beggar lady. Wiping his tears ahmad walked away. The next morning he asked ali about the beggar lady. "Oh master, please don't get angry with me. she also has lost her family a few years ago and is forced to beg, she doesn't have proper food and no place to spend the night, so I let her sleep near the back door and share a meal with her. she treats me like a son and teaches me to respect you. master you were there when I was all alone, I just want to be you." Ali replied with tears in his eyes. " I am not angry with you. I am proud of you son. I should never have doubted you. I am glad I found you." Dr samar hossain delhi 