Behind The Tools: Nadeem's Inspiring Journey Beyond HomeTriangle

Introduction

Once, a wise man said - "To know the world is to know the humans in it." We know our family, friends, and partners very well. But the world isn't just them. There are so many people out there who can make us understand what life truly is. And for that, we need to know their lives. This thought led us to explore the personal side of our partners. One such partner is Mr. Nadeem, a professional electrician partnered with us for years. We followed him throughout his day to learn more about him and what he is beyond his profession.

We met Nadeem at an under-construction apartment site where he and his team were busy with his current project. However, he was patient enough to share his experience, ethics, and more. 

With over 20 years of experience as an electrician, Nadeem still loves his job the way he loves his family and friends. He also believes there shouldn't be any discrimination between helpers, technicians, and supervisors at his workplace. Irrespective of what caste or religion workers belong to, everyone deserves the same respect, as there should not be any hierarchy in respect. Because he genuinely thinks everyone's contribution is crucial to a project. If a helper has labour skills, he has technical knowledge.

Since we wanted to know more about Nadeem as a professional, we spoke to Mr. Rahul, an acquaintance of Nadeem, to get a third-man point of view.

Rahul - "The way Nadeem works is different. He is extremely involved in every task of his job. My owner and I like his style of work, where there is honesty and less material wastage. Sometimes, when there is excess in material, he hands it over to me and suggests to use it for my next project." 

We didn't presume this work ethic and professionalism while meeting a laid-back Nadeem. I guess we really cannot judge a book by its cover. Once he completed his project, Nadeem invited us to introduce his family. We accepted it without hesitation because we were curious to learn more about his dynamic with his family.

Nadeem introduced his first child, Aiman and his youngest son, Fahad. While Aiman said she loves both her parents, Fahad didn't even take a second to hug his father to express that his father is his favourite. 

We heard a voice from the kitchen asking us if we like to have tea. When we said we were fine, The voice became louder as Mrs.Nadeem came out and insisted on serving tea for us. Mrs. Nadeem was friendly and involved in our conversation. During that, we realized she is not just a wife or a mother but a genuine person who carries warmth and child-like fun within her.

We wanted to talk to Nadeem and his wife and ask them questions about their relationship, family, and life. When we asked them which moment was the most special in their ten years of marriage, The couple shared that it was the birth of their eldest child, Aiman. They shared how she surprised the entire family as Nadeem's siblings were all male, and Mrs. Nadeem's family had no female children.

We noticed that the husband-wife share a Tom & Jerry dynamic and get into a friendly spat now and then to entertain the kids. We understood those fights were, in fact, friendly because Nadeem genuinely loves to compliment his wife at every chance he gets. One of the compliments was that his favourite quality about her is that she is brutally honest and straightforward while expressing her feelings. He also feels his wife is his biggest emotional strength during a crisis. He feels open communication is essential to maintain a solid and happy relationship. He advocates the same for every couple out there.

Our last question to the couple was to share what they think life is. Not so surprisingly, both shared the same answer. Both feel life is meaningless if we live for ourselves. As humans, we need to spread love and live life for the people we love. When you share love, life is beautiful. Their unity and like-mindedness inspired us and affirmed a stronger belief in true love.

Conclusion

If not for today, we would have never learnt this side of Nadeem, a Cooperative acquaintance, A Loving Husband, A Caring father, and a Good Human Being. After spending some quality time with Nadeem and his family, we realized that humans' happiness does not just depend on the work we do, what we eat, or where we go. It also depends on the people we spend our time and energy with. 

You can watch our entire documentary about Nadem here: Behind The Tools | Episode 1 | Nadeem's Story | HomeTriangle Vendor Stories