A Short Story: Do We Have a Choice

Short Story

‘Do we have a choice?’

Laying down on the Hostels Bed, the two best Friends -Zeba and Zaraa- remembered the time they have spent together. The have been friends since the age of five. The started school together, studied together, partied together and whatever they did did it together. Now they graduated together from King Edwards, a university in Lahore- Pakistan, and had to go back to their own homes. “Oh Zeba,” said Zaraa “do you remember the most famous mischievous act that we did in year four and that which everyone still remembers? The time when you kept a dead cockroach in Ms. Nadia Study book?”

“Yeah, that was in year four, right? Oh God, I envy those days so much. We were young at that time, we were like birds that have just gained their freedom, and there was no one to stop us, no one to tell us off, and no one who had control over us. We were all by our selves but now we have grown up and remembering those days would not help. Zaraa, you have to get over it, this had to happen someday and we were expecting this separation. I have to get married and settle down and so do you. I have to leave tonight; my family is waiting for me,” explained Zeba to Zaraa. They were now old enough to get married; their parents had selected their life partners for them and what they had to do was give their approval. The two were such a pair that one could show another the true meaning of friendship that true friends possess. They had been friends for as long as anyone could remember. The separation was not easy for the two. They wished to stay together their entire life. Now when they have to separate they are not willing to do so. Zeba had to leave today and Zaraa, tomorrow. They both belonged to completely different backgrounds and came from different places. Despite all the troubles between the two families, the two, Zeba and Zaraa, managed to survive their friendship.

All day long the two roamed around the room to work out a way in which they could stay together, forever. Flop after flop ideas popped into their heads but then Zaraa shrieked, “I have got an idea” and before Zeba could say anything she said “and I bet you this is a good one.” Zeba started nodding, as in a no, “you can not say no before you have even listened to it. You have to listen to it, Okay and now listen, why don’t we marry the SAME person? And let me tell you that it is NOT a bad idea at all. Yea, it might be a bit difficult but not impossible. What we can do is ask people if they are willing to marry the two of us and I am sure there are a lot of those people who would want to do that.” After ten minutes of complete silence. Zeba got up to get her bag and said “Get up; now we are on a mission, we need to save our friendship.” The two had full-size smiles on their faces because what they needed was just a spark of light to get out of this darkness and the idea Zaraa gave was that spark of light. Their job was to find the full sun to get back all the colours into their lives.

Roaming around helplessly, the two friends felt miserable. They ran across the town, from here to there, in search of their mystery man. There desperate need for this man increased as time raced by. In the past two hours, they were not capable of finding such a person that would satisfy their need. Nothing was going according to their plan. Their chance of saving their friendship was slipping out of their hand like quicksand, they felt dejectedly helpless. Tears started rolling down Zaraa’s cheeks as she faced her defeat. Then suddenly she felt a tap, from the back, on her shoulder. The two turned around thinking that someone was here to respond to their ad, thinking that is might be their mystery man however, that was not what destiny had in store for them. They felt extremely sad on seeing an old woman, instead of their mystery man, on turning around. The old woman needed some help in finding some direction, despite of their terrible conditions; the two directed the old woman. Subsequently, there was another tap, this time on Zeba’s shoulder. “WHAT IS IT?” shouted Zeba as she turned around. She was frowning now because she was incredibly distressed. It was a guy this time and he was shocked by Zeba’s aggressive behaviour and then he said “Erm…I read your ad about the marriage,” her frown slowly turned into a bright smile “Zaraa, Zaraa, Come here!” called Zeba. “What? What is it that you are so excited about?” asked Zaraa. Zeba, then, whispered something into her ear which made her really excited. She then asked the guy to continue with whatever he was saying. “My name is Ammar…and as I said earlier on, erm… I saw your ad…and I am...I mean I can marry you two?” The two friends could not control their excitement.

Before the two