She asked to be shown the cheapest clothes, but the material was too rough; the doctor had specifically mentioned that rough cloth could lead to more sores and blisters. The shopkeeper, a gentle old soul, read the pain on Gulshan’s face and asked her what was wrong. On hearing her story, he pulled out the softest malmal suit he could find and gave it to her, free of charge. ‘You can pay me back when your sister gets better,’ he said. Gulshan returned with a soft cotton shalwar-kameez with a wide neck. For the second time that day she had witnessed human kindness.
