By Aaqyb Ashraf

There was a time when Kashmir was called Peer Vear, the land of saints. People believed goodness was part of the air here, flowing through its markets and homes like the Jhelum through the valley. Courtesy shaped every interaction. Profit came after respect. That sense of moral grace once gave Kashmir its strength.

Today, that soul feels worn out. The change has not come overnight. It has crept into daily life, visible in how we speak, buy, sell, and treat one another. You can sense it in a simple exchange that should have been ordinary.

One September afternoon, I went to Maharaja Bazar in Srinagar to buy vegetables. The place was crowded, the air thick with the smell of coriander and chatter. Beside me stood an elderly man in a worn pheran, his face lined but calm. He pointed to a pile of beans and said to the vendor with politeness,“Please give me from that side, the vegetables look fresher there.”

The vendor didn't look up. He kept arranging his baskets and said coldly,“You will not get it even with money in your hand. If you want to take, take it, otherwise, don't buy.”

The old man paused for a few seconds. His eyes showed no anger, only the sadness of someone who had seen better times. He stepped back, sighed, and said,“We will eat dal.” Then he walked away.

That moment stayed with me long after I left the market. It was a small exchange, yet it revealed something larger about who we have become.

The old man's words carried defiance. He was choosing dignity over humiliation, a rare gesture in a time when self-respect often bows before arrogance.

In old Kashmir, trade rested on two principles: imaan (faith) and aakhlaaq (ethics). A shopkeeper greeted every customer like a guest. A neighbour's child could eat at any home. People trusted words more than receipts.

Today, we count every rupee and lose count of kindness. The markets that once echoed with warmth now carry the tone of impatience. Shopkeepers rarely smile. Customers rarely say thank you. Everyone seems in a hurry to win a bargain, even if it costs them grace.

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