The conversation with Ali highlighted yet again how deep-rooted corruption is in our society. He sells bhutta (corn) at sea-view, and earns enough to support his wife and four daughters; perrenial poverty makes one content in the face of predicatable adversity. He told us how the Major, some bigwig in Defence Housing Authority, charges him weekly. Not only that, the police, out there to ensure that no untowardly incident takes place, kill their time by collecting ’hafta’ from all the vendors. According to Ali’s calculations, the police squeezes out upto Rs. 700 from him per month. Along with that, he pays Rs. 50 per month to the gatekeeper of a nearby mosque, where his goods are kept for safekeeping. Whether it be the house of the Lord, or the bastion of justice, corruption has established itself everywhere.

Ali also came up with some snippets from his generally uneventful life. He started off as a cloth weaver, then moved on to work as a driver in the army, then a guard in the one of the major banks. Dazzled by the riches, and alluring plans of an old friend, who made fake notes, he tried to pull off a con act, but due to inappropriate organization, he failed. It didn’t result in public ignominy, but he lost his job, and since then, worked as an odd-job man. He has been selling corn at sea-view for the past five years now.

His son works in an estate agents office. Due to the usual domestic issues, he had to separate from his son, who (in all probability) abandoned the responsibility of his four sisters. Ali, like all unflinching believers, is relying on God to orchestrate some miracle through which all four of his daughters will be wedded, and then, he can die a truly contented man.