They say a picture has two sides. There is bound to be a difference between looking at a picture in the mirror under a bright bulb and looking at it in the dark. Similarly, a noticeable change begins to appear between a friend who is wandering around looking for a job and the same guy once he sits on an official chair. The exact same friend with whom you used to sit and chat about social issues completely changes his tone and style of conversation the moment he gets into power. This is the way of the world.
It goes so far that even one’s village-born life partner starts losing value in his heart, and in her place, a brand-new, educated woman begins to look attractive. Even the poor parents, who worked day and night just to see this successful day, are ignored in the middle of all the glamour and show-off. The father and the old environment are only remembered when there is some pain or difficulty; otherwise, there is no need for them. During student life, the father used to feel very sweet, but now he suddenly feels sour—simply because earlier he used to give, and now there is a fear that he might ask for something back.
Similarly, when a person has completely forgotten his benefactor, but gets stuck somewhere, he instantly remembers him and feels like uploading his old photos. But if you look at past records, he wouldn’t have spared them either. Using relationships like a playing card solely for personal interests has become a habit in our society. It is just like a political party that instantly remembers its founding leader only in times of need; they hang his picture, get their job done, and then return to the same old tantrums and ignoring attitudes. But whether our memory has become too sharp or too slow, the onlookers and listeners understand everything perfectly well, yet they too use others like a tissue paper to get their own work done when the time comes.
In reality, when sincerity leaves a human being, love fades away, and he becomes driven purely by necessity. When a person becomes ungrateful to his benefactors and looks at his face in the mirror, he certainly feels happy with his own cleverness and wisdom, thinking, “Look how I fooled everyone and got my work done!” But with the passage of time, when that very same person starts looking at his reflection in the mirror of his conscience, he will definitely sweat out of guilt. Looking through the window of the past, he won’t be able to stop cursing himself from the bottom of his heart. As he peeks deeper, his forgotten old habits and misdeeds will start uploading back into his mind. He gave pain and grief in return to those from whom he had received comfort and happiness. Now, he is receiving all of that back with interest. Times have changed, and now there is no escape left except regret.
So, the only request to these sellers of conscience is to learn this lesson: you have to return what you sow, and that too with interest when the time comes. Just pause and think about the sincerity you received from your friends, and what you are giving them in return.
Syed Ghulam Hyder Shah Qalandri
Kunri, SIndh, Pakistan
