It was almost midnight when she parked her car by the roadside and stepped out.
“Come out, Noor. It’s not that cold. We’re in Jaipur, not Kashmir,” Kanak teased.
“I hope you know you’re insane. It’s February! I still don’t know what the hell we’re doing here,” Noor complained, shivering.
“Open the back door and help me carry it,” Kanak said.
When Noor opened the door, her eyes widened. “What the hell… When did you buy all these blankets? Is this your new adventure?”
“Shh… stop yelling,” Kanak whispered. “People are sleeping here. You just can’t see them yet.”
“Now follow me.”
On the footpath, people lay asleep, some without blankets, others wrapped in torn, thin sheets. A woman slept on the cold ground with her baby beside her. Kanak and Noor quietly covered each of them with new blankets.
An old woman stirred, feeling the warmth. She looked at them, surprised, then smiled.
“You are like God for us,” she said softly.
“No, I’m not God,” Kanak smiled. “Just remember me in your duas.”
They got back in the car and drove home. The silence between them felt peaceful.
“When did you think of all this?” Noor asked after a while.
“This morning,” Kanak replied. “When you asked, ‘What’s the plan for tomorrow?’”
She smiled. “We all need blessings in life. And when they come from a pure heart, they work. These people can’t afford what we can, so if we can do something, we should. I feel lighter tonight. I hope you do too.” She paused, grinning. “Besides, we need blessings to balance our sins.”
“I agree,” Noor said, smiling.
“By the way,” Noor added softly, “Happy birthday, Kanak.”
They crawled into their blankets that night, smiling — peaceful, warm, and blessed.
Also worth reading: Born a Warrior
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