“Who is he?” hissed one guest.
“Get him out!” muttered another.

The groom’s jaw tightened. The bride’s eyes widened in confusion. This was not part of the script.

The Unexpected Request

The man walked past the judgmental stares. His steps were unsteady but purposeful, carrying him toward the musicians’ stage. He lifted his hand, pointing to the microphone.

For a long, suspended moment, no one moved. “What does he want—money? Food?” people whispered.

But then, in a voice roughened by years in the cold, he spoke:
— “Today… I didn’t come to eat. I didn’t come to beg.”

The room gasped. All eyes were fixed on him.