Humans Of Coffee World

Nameless

"He thought he was being so proactive. Pointing out that I hadn't filled in my surname. 'How can you be just Kainat?' he said. And I shut him down real quick. I said; 'Yeah well, that's on purpose, because I don't have a surname. I am adopted.' Ha! That showed him." 

The rosy-cheeked, brown-haired girl shrugs lightly, staring at Momo and me. 

I was keeping Momo company during a break from her winter session class. Political Economy. Or Economy Of Politics, was the course. I never remember. 

But I remember this story. It touched me. 

"You know I can't figure out if you're kidding." Momo squints at Kainat. 

"I'm not kidding, guys. I really don't have a surname." 

We check the student ID card hanging from her neck. 

Sure enough. Just Kainat. 

The adoptive parents wanted to follow all legal and Islamic rules, so they couldn't give her their own name. Islam doesn't believe in assuming a name that isn't a birthright. You can adopt kids as long as they know about their own parentage. And they own their own names; the real ones.  

So why doesn't Kainat have one? 

"The person who gave birth to me, left me at the hospital. She and her husband had registered under a fake name. Once I was born, they just vanished. Gone. Nobody knew their real names." 

"So then how did your Mom and Dad adopt you?" 

"Well, it's kinda bitter sweet. My Mom had a stillborn baby the same day I was abandoned. The moment they saw me, and got to know about me, my parents wanted to have me for themselves. So they applied for adoption..." 

Adoption is never simple. In a country like Pakistan, the legal and the Islamic get entangled to produce a set of extremely complicated and bureaucratic rules that pretty much discourage the legal adoption process.

"The nurse in-charge tried to dissuade them from the lengthy process. Told them it'd be easier if the hospital staff secretly switched the babies in their records. But Mom and Dad said they'd rather wait to have me the right way."

This absolutely melted my heart.

"That's pretty remarkable. You're so lucky that your parents chose you. They had a choice and they chose you. Unlike our parents who had no choice but to take us on face value. I hope you don't have any documentation troubles in the future though. Usually property ownership is a hassle for people without surnames." Momo remarked​.

Kainat grinned at that, pretty much stunning us.

"Oh no trouble. My grandpa already named one of his properties to me. Documentation troubles be damned."

It's very interesting.
Where there are shitbags who leave their new-born daughter on the mercy of strangers...There are angels among us, who draw her close, and treat her like a princess.

Hearing this story, really changed my appreciation for adoption. I really might be stoked to adopt someday. inshaAllah.

Are you an adopted kid? Or have you or your family ever adopted? Tell me your story!