Seeing curiosity in the eyes of Qasim, he continued explaining that real diamonds did not hold steam for more than three seconds on their surface, whereas fake gems could be recognized by the shining colours inside them when fogged with steam. But CZ and moissanite could cut glass like real diamonds. ‘Ali Bhai, you have solid knowledge!’ Qasim interrupted. Ali smiled and continued. He said that the size of the diamond could also tell its worth. In the market the diamond is generally measured in cents. There is a weighing scale that measures it in carats too. Big diamonds weigh from one-fourth of a carat to one and a half carats. The latter weight means that the size of the diamond is equal to a corn seed. Bigger and heavier diamonds are extremely precious and expensive. Hence, if a diamond was larger in size than a corn seed, one should be very careful.

Qasim and Asrar were not just impressed by this knowledge but decided to learn the skill of diamond polishing too. They realized that learning this under the guidance of Mohammad Ali would make it easier. The unknown man sitting on the footpath stood up again. He raised his hands towards the sky, murmured and went and lay down near a closed stall. Most vendors had already packed their goods. The number of people on the road had decreased considerably. The footpaths had become a pile of rubbish where rats and cockroaches were enjoying themselves. Some dogs were relishing on the scattered chicken bones in the garbage dump.

Mohammad Ali praised his employer’s attitude and greatness and told them that he treated his workers like family. He was always there in case of any difficulty.

Their conversation lasted till half an hour past midnight.

When the newcomers woke up the next morning, there were only two boys in the room.

Usman was writing something in a diary and Haider was having breakfast. Usman and Haider were brothers. They were acquaintances of Qasim and Suleiman from the village. Usman had just completed his MA and was about to enrol in BEd. Haider was doing a diploma in computer science from a polytechnic. Asrar had seen them in the village a couple of times but had had no interaction with them. This was their first meeting. He told them that along with work he wanted to continue his education through distance learning. Usman and Haider promised every assistance they could provide. No one, at that time, knew how short Asrar’s life would be.