My name is Rahul. I work for a small water supply agency in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of Delhi, India.
It’s hard work, but it helps me earn a living.
Among my regular customers, there was a 75-year-old man who left a deep mark on my life.
Every single day, without fail, he ordered 14 large 20-liter water cans.
The first time I saw the order, I assumed he might own a small eatery or was buying water for nearby families.
But when I arrived at his house, I was surprised to see that he lived alone, in an old, simple house at the end of a quiet lane.
What felt strange was that he never let me inside.
He would open the door just a little, hand me the money in an envelope, and gesture for me to leave the water cans outside.
I would place all 14 cans by the door and leave.
There was never a sound from inside the house.
I couldn’t stop wondering:
How could one person possibly use that much water every day?
After two weeks, my concern grew.
Even a large family usually uses only one or two water cans a week,
yet this man was ordering fourteen every day.
One day, I finally gathered the courage to ask him gently:
“Sir, may I ask why you need so much water every day?”