This is one of the stories that defined the person I am. I have told it here once before, years ago. I think I should tell it again :

The year is 2014. I am in Bangkok and I am supposed to go back home tomorrow. I usually travel very light, just a hand carry, so I need a bag>

>for the gifts I've bought for people back at home. There is a night bazar at a walking distance from the hotel so I go there. I see a bag, it seems ok enough so I ask the shopkeeper for the price. He looks at me and start talking in Urdu. He asks me where I'm from. Pakistan>

>I say. He asks "are you from Peshawar?" I answered "well a small town next to Peshawar, mardan." He looks at me and suddenly turns serious. "I'm sorry I can't sell this to you". I'm taken aback a bit. I'm a bit shocked to hear it. But I start walking back>

>without saying anything. curiousity gets the best of me. I turn around. "Why? Why won't you sell me the bag?"
"You're pathan right?" He says
"Yes"
"We lived there..in Peshawar. I'm a sikh, we lived in" his voice breaks a bit, "Peshawar. We had a home there. We had shops. We >

>were rich, we were respected." Suddenly he raises his voice "and then in 1947 you people threw us out of our homes, you took everything we had, we were part of Peshawar. People we knew, our friends, they threw us on the street. And look at us, we're still on the street" >

>I'm dumbfounded. I don't know what to say. I can see the tears in his eyes. "Can you even imagine how we ended up in bangkok selling bags on the street? You did this, your people."

I just stand there. Quiet. I understand now. I muster up the courage to say something. >

> " I know it means nothing, but l am sorry. I apologize for what my people did. I hope you can forgive us. I'll pray for you".
I turn around and start walking back. I've taken a few step when I hear somebody calling. It's him with that bag in his hand. "Bag lay lo, kabhie >

> parhosi thay hum" (take the bag, we used to be neighbors once).

Btw, this is that bag. Was cleaning up and saw this in the closet. Everything flashed back. It's a good bag tbh.