A Stranger's Lesson in Srinagar

One fleeting encounter in Srinagar taught me that a person's worth isn't in their clothes, wealth, or status, but in their courage, determination, and heart.

- Nusrat Hassan

I remember that morning as if it were yesterday. The house buzzed with festive sounds. Plates clinked, pans sizzled, and the smell of saffron rice mixed with fresh bread.

I had dressed carefully, or maybe too carefully: silk that caught the light, gold earrings heavy enough to swing, a handbag that announced itself even before I said a word. I felt ready to be admired, to belong. Then I saw her.

She stood at the edge of the hall, her mother beside her, wrapped in a simple shawl that made her almost invisible against the crowd. Something about her made me walk over, as if I had known her all my life. "Why aren't you taking pictures with the bride?" I asked.