Author: Toryaly Ashraf
What Was Never Desired, Yet Became Reality
It was a quiet afternoon, around 3 PM Kabul time. I was in my small office conducting a training session on marketing. In the middle of the session, he walked in, greeted us, and sat silently in a corner, attentively listening. Once the program ended, it was just the three of us left—him, myself, and one of my colleagues. Tea was served, and we began talking. “How are you, my friend?” I asked.
“I’m fine, truly. Life goes on,” he replied.
Our conversation meandered through various topics until we reached the subject of the rampant thefts of those days. Suddenly, he began recounting a story:
“Once, a king commanded his soldiers to bring a certain great philosopher and scholar to his court. ‘I need his wisdom to resolve a pressing matter,’ the king had said.
The soldiers set out for the philosopher’s town. As they approached the outskirts, they encountered a poor, destitute man sitting alone in the dust. They approached him and asked, ‘Stranger, have you seen the house of the great philosopher and scholar?’
The man, with a mix of pride and madness, replied, ‘Leave me alone! Go away from here!’
Angered by his response, the soldiers drew their swords and killed him on the spot.
They continued into the town and asked another man about the philosopher’s house. The townsman responded, ‘Did you happen to see a poor, ragged man sitting by the roadside as you approached? ‘Yes,’ replied the soldiers. ‘We killed him for his insolence.’ The townsman sighed and said, ‘That man you killed was the very philosopher and scholar you were searching for.’ When he finished, I looked at him curiously and asked, “Why did you share this story with me?”
He smiled faintly and said, “If one day thieves catch me, I’ll give them everything I own without resistance.”
“Why so easily?” I asked. He replied, “Because I never want to end up like that wise philosopher—slain at the hands of ignorant fools. Since childhood, I’ve toiled tirelessly to build my life, my future, and my dreams. I will not let ignorance destroy all I’ve worked for.” We laughed, and I handed him his cup of tea. “Don’t dwell too much on such thoughts,” I said. “Life confronts us with two realities: the things we want and the things we don’t. Let’s move on from this topic.” But fate had other plans.
Exactly a week later, thieves stole his phone. And just a few weeks after that, on November 3, ignorant and ruthless individuals stormed into his classroom and martyred him alongside 18 of his classmates. He was Shaheed Mohammad Rahid Amin. And so, we lost a true leader.
With a heavy heart, I write these words,
Toryaly Ashraf
Oct 30 2021 /Kabul, Afghanistan