#KarachiRain I spent my early part of Thurs night in an airport hotel lobby. With no way to get to the city there was a sea of ppl stranded and pleading for rooms. In the middle of all of this I saw ppl using multiple credit cards to hoard rooms and suites 1/n

Saw ppl use connections to take over other bookings - how I lost mine. Some jumped the queue by bidding higher amounts. Even tho older ppl and those with health issues were in the queue. It didnt make sense for me to push for it. I decided to spend the night in the lobby 2/n

We were there becoz pvt airlines were allowed to function in the midst of a disaster + no access to the city. Instead of rescheduling flights of their own accord, the cost fell on us with ticket prices costing three times more than the original & flight at a much later date 3/n

My plan to camp in the lobby changed when few hours later, friends of a friend of a colleague picked us from the hotel. Took us to their home nearby. Fed us dinner at 2am. Offered chai. Gave up their rooms for us to sleep in & did everything possible to make us comfortable 4/n

These amazing strangers - the brother and sister duo, before taking us to their home were out on the streets offering water bottles & snacks to ppl stranded in the rain. Becoz of their kindness I had it easy that night and I'm able to hold multiple truths about this place - 5/n

existence of people and orgs who ravage this place to serve their own interests and those who go the extra mile to help strangers. For anything to be effective after this disaster, it will have to involve us letting go of self-interest & retribution for those who refuse to 6/n