Iftar with little people comes with a BIG smile

It was the first day of Ramadan and as per tradition, you should end the fast with your own family. But for brothers Akbar Ali and Mohammad Arshad, their respective families are back home in Pakistan and Mohammad Ramzan is yet to see his newborn baby girl in person. 
There was a tinge of loneliness in their hearts - of course, they all missed their families. But the moment I met them and shook their hands, there was a big smile on their faces, welcoming me to share with them a simple yet bountiful Iftar meal in their staff cafeteria at Ramada Downtown Dubai.
Barely standing four feet tall, Akbar, Arshad and Ramzan (their close friend who is the tallest among them is four feet and two inches), are what we call "little people" due to their medical condition called 'dwarfism'. But their disability is hardly a hindrance in living a full life. They are, actually, the epitome of what His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chose to call "people with determination." 
The trio could light up a room with their warm presence and their positive vibe is viral. "Back home, we would have sat down with our families to break the fast," the three of them said in chorus. "We miss them, yes. But we are happy that they are safe, in good health, and are also enjoying a warm Iftar meal. We may not be with our families, but we are surrounded by our friends and colleagues - we actually have a bigger family here," they added.
At the call of Adhan, the three of them finished the fast with dates, a pinch of salt, water, and fruit juice. They then joined their colleagues over a meal of pakora, samosa, grilled chicken and mutton biryani.
An earnest conversation ensued and Akbar, 36, who works as a coffee man at Ramada Downtown Dubai, shared stories of their Ramadan days in Pakistan with his younger brother Arshad, 24. In Lahore, ending the day's fast involves inviting relatives and friends for Iftar to their homes and vice versa. Arshad, a good cook, was in-charge of preparing the meals while Akbar would do the grocery shopping.
On some occasions, Arshad said, "Ramadan days were unbearable because of power blackouts at our village. We were sweating the whole day and the thirst was unbearable, but our family got to be together.
"Here in Dubai, Ramadan is somehow comfortable because everything is air-conditioned. We don't feel the thirst too much. But we are away from our families. So we just call them or have an online chat with them every day," he added.
Akbar is the father of two boys: Husnain Akbar, 6, and Mohsin Akbar, 4. His wife's name is Rihanna (she's also the same height as him) but his kids are normal statured. He loves cricket, his favourite cricketers being Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram, and he wants his boys to grow up like them.
Arshad's daughter is 10-month old Fatima. He and his Nimra hope that she studies to be a doctor.
The newest father of the three is Ramzan, 27. His wife, Humra, a full foot taller than him, gave birth to a bouncy baby girl named Fatma on May 25. Showing me a picture of his baby girl wrapped in a pink blanket, Ramzan said his dream for her is to become an engineer.
The three of them have been fasting since the age of 12. They said, normally it's the first two to three days that are hard when you fast. But eventually the body adjusts and it becomes comfortable.
They say their intention is to praise and honour God, first and foremost, then to ask God for good health and a good life for their respective families. They also offer prayers for their colleagues, their supervisors, the GM Shahzad Butt, and for good business at the hotel.
Kindness has no size and one's height is not important, it is how we deal with other people that counts and makes you stand tall in spirit, according to these guys.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
 
 

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