The wealthy man settled into his chair, his eyes gleaming with the anticipation of indulgence. Just as he was about to take his first bite, a firm knock echoed through the room, causing him to pause.
The beggar pleaded, "For the sake of God, please give me something. I am starving." Inside, the wife turned towards her husband, her expression soft with compassion. "God has blessed us with so much. Shall we give this poor man some food?"
"This food is for us. How can we give it to a beggar?" he scoffed. The wife clasped her hands, her voice a gentle plea. "God commands us to help the needy. Please, let us give him something."
"Leave! He’ll get nothing from me!" he thundered. As tears welled in the wife's eyes, she tried once more to reason with him. "For the sake of God, help him!" But her words fell on deaf ears as he pushed her out of the house. "Get out! And don’t ever return!"
Her new husband smiled warmly across the table. A knock at the door interrupted their meal. The beggar stood there once more, his voice weary yet hopeful. "For the sake of God, please give me something. I am starving."
"We can always cook more. Shall we give this to him?" Her husband nodded with a smile. "Of course! Give it to him gladly." As she opened the door to hand the food to the beggar, recognition struck her like a bolt of lightning. She froze, the plate trembling in her hands.
Her husband's face filled with concern. "What happened? Why are you crying?" She explained, her voice trembling with sorrow. "That beggar… he was once my husband. He was a wealthy man but miserly, refusing to help anyone."
"How do you know this?" The wife, wiping her tears, recounted the tale of the beggar who once stood at their door, pleading for food. "Once, a beggar came to our door, pleading for food. I begged my husband to help him, but he refused. That miser… now reduced to begging… is the same man!" Her husband looked thoughtful, a knowing smile on his lips. "That day, the beggar at your door… it was me."
