Lapis Earrings and the Afghan I Never Knew

In exile, even the smallest gestures can hold a world of meaning. This is a short memory from a market in Islamabad—a story of lapis lazuli, kindness, and a quiet moment that still stays with me.

A few months ago, I visited a cultural exhibition at a large store in Islamabad. There were stalls filled with traditional clothes, colorful shawls, and jewelry from different regions. As I wandered through them, I thought to myself:

“I wish there was a stall representing Afghanistan…”

Just then, my eyes caught a glimpse of deep blue lapis lazuli stones at a nearby stall. Lapis! The very stone that comes from the mountains of Badakhshan—my homeland. For a moment, in the midst of all the unfamiliarity, I felt a connection to home.

I asked the vendor about the stones. He was born in Pakistan, yet his roots were Afghan. He had never seen his homeland, but these stones kept him connected to it.

I bought a pair of lapis earrings and asked,

"Do you have pearl drops shaped like tears?"

He didn’t—but without hesitation, he took two real pearls from a necklace and handed them to me. When I offered to pay, he simply smiled and said:

"Accept them as a gift from your fellow Afghan."

His heart was golden. But as I walked away, I turned back and quietly tucked some money into the ring display.

Now that the situation for Afghan migrants and refugees in Pakistan has become extremely difficult, I think of him—the one whose name I don’t even know. I think of the thousands like him who are living in fear and anxiety of forced deportation today.

These lapis earrings are not just jewelry.

They are a symbol of an unspoken bond—between those of us living in exile and those born into it.