"Yeye! Finally, you have graduated! It's the time of celebration. I will not be agreed less than the dinner." Atif uttered these words out of joy.
"Lol...Alright! So get ready for tomorrow's dinner. " Sarmad replied laughingly.
Atif and Sarmad were not only colleagues but also best friends for three years. Sarmad was only 16 years old when his father died in an accident and the responsibility of the whole family was laid on his shoulders. He had three elder sisters and two younger brothers along with his mother.
He worked in a utility store with a low salary from which his family was hardly catering to their needs. Along with the job, Sarmad didn't quit his studies and kept examining as a private candidate. He was used to working the whole day and hardly had time for his studies, but still he never compromised on his studies. Finally, his efforts got paid and he graduated.
The next day, his friend Atif came to him and they both left for dinner in the nearby restaurant. They ordered the food and after dinner, they were served with the fortune cookies. Atif immediately read his fortune,
"You will become great if you believe in yourself. "
"I already believe myself...Lol." Atif said sarcastically, as he was not happy with his fortune cookie. Now it was Sarmad's turn. He read the fortune slip with the words.
"A stranger's kindness will bring you joy."
"This seems interesting! So one day some stranger would make you happy." Atif uttered.
But Sarmad didn't believe it and threw it somewhere. After the dinner, they left for the home. When Sarmad reached his home, his sister informed him that his mother was already waiting for him to share the exciting news. After being fresh, he went straight to his Mom.
"My dear Son! Finally, the time has come! Your sisters are old enough to get married." She said with bulging eyes.
"Today, I got a very good proposal for Nida(her elder daughter)." She further added.
"Seriously? So what did you say to them." He asked.
"I gave them a positive reply and they are coming this Sunday for an engagement. "
"That's great Mom!" Sarmad replied with happiness.
Finally, the day came and Nida got engaged. Till yet things were fine, everyone was happy and satisfied. Sarmad applied for a job in different companies and was desperately waiting for a positive reply. One day, he was sitting in the backyard, when he received an email from a multi-national company in which he applied for a job.
Sarmad was happy to see an email and read it.
"We are sorry Mr Sarmad! We value your time and dedication, but currently, we don't have any vacancies available. "
His happiness was replaced by sadness. The next day, he again received the same email from another company. So one after the other, he kept receiving such emails. Perhaps the luck was not in his favor. He was extremely disappointed.
"I was used to thinking that things would get better after my graduation. But now, I don't think I would ever be able to get my dream job."
"Don't be hopeless Sarmad! If the bad time comes, the good also follows behind. You should be positive. " His friend(Atif) said to him.
Sarmad was a very strong and hopeful person in the beginning, but certain happenings made him think negatively. After a few days, his mother told him that Nida's in-laws wanted to marry their son next month, so he would have to be prepared for it. Sarmad was upset to hear this because he had no savings and with his job, they were only catering to their everyday needs. So he couldn't arrange such a big amount for Nida's wedding so early.
The next day he went to another company for an interview, but there was no possibility of getting a job. He was extremely worried, so instead of coming back, he went to the nearby park. There he sat with a heavy heart and thousands of thoughts running in his mind. He couldn't control himself and burst into tears.
A man who was sitting a little far, away noticed everything. He wanted to ask Sarmad about his problem, but couldn't. After some time, Sarmad left the park, but he left his CV on the bench. The man who was noticing him came and picked up his CV. He understood that Sarmad would be worried about the job, so he decided to help him.
The next day he called Sarmad by taking his number from his CV and asking him to collect it from a certain address. When Sarmad went to his home, he welcomed him wholeheartedly. He uttered some words,
"I ran my own business and I am in urgent need of a manager. I have gone through your CV and I am very sure that you would be the best choice for it. So, would you join our office from Monday?"
Sarmad was thrilled to hear this, he couldn't believe, what he heard. He remembered the fortune cookie and was extremely happy. A stranger's kindness finally brought joy to him.
Thanks for reading. Image source https://unsplash.com/photos/person-in-black-long-sleeve-shirt-holding-babys-feet-aPa843frIzI