“We are planning a girls’ hangout this weekend. Don’t miss out on all the fun! Be there, you boring Aaira.”

Faiza sent this message last night, but since Aaira had slept early, she did not see the message, let alone respond to it.

Aaira had goals and deadlines to meet. She was confused and exhausted, sobbing on the prayer mat last night. After sharing her problems with God Almighty, she did not find the solution, yet but her heart found eternal peace.

This was supposed to be her ‘self-improvement’ week. She was fully aware of the power of the present moment. She knew she needed to embrace her imperfections, set aside her fear of failure and enjoy the process, regardless of the outcome. She was an aspiring artist and was participating in an art competition that week.

“If I fully dedicate four days to this piece of art, I might be able to perform my best. This way I would have the time to be a part of the girls’ meet-up too. Otherwise, my friends will mock me for being an old, lonely soul,” Aaira murmured to herself. But destiny had other plans this time.

She was over the moon when she successfully submitted her painting before the deadline. To her utter surprise, she was notified that she had qualified for the first round and now had to compete in the final round to win the prize.

“Final round?” she exclaimed in surprise.

“And the final round will be on Saturday, the artists must arrive at the art gallery. The winner will have her/his paintings from both rounds displayed at the gallery. They will also receive a cash prize, certificates and other benefits that will be valuable for their art career,” the email said, which Aaira kept reading over and over again.

Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Faiza calling.

Aaira responded, “Hello dear! I am sorry I couldn’t reply to your messages. I have been really busy these days. You know, I am finally getting the appreciation I deserve, so many exciting things are awaiting to welcome me…”

“Listen, we all are hanging out this weekend. Don’t forget to come with your guitar,” Faiza interrupted.

“No! I am not coming,” Aaira never knew how that “no” came out of her mouth. She had been a people-pleaser her whole life, and the audacity to disagree with her friends on anything was what she least expected from herself too. She felt guilty because she realised her friends would be upset with her.

“What happened, my child?” Aaira’s mother couldn’t resist herself from asking after seeing her disturbed face. Aaira finally discussed the whole matter with her mother.

“If any of your friends were in the same situation as you, what would they most likely do?” Her mother inquired.

“Well, Faiza is a writer. If she was busy this weekend, she wouldn’t have planned this meet-up. She prioritises herself, mama,” Aaira replied.

“That’s what I am trying to explain, child. Your friends just told you about the plan, they didn’t ask you even. And you tell me, they make fun of you at times as well when you talk about your art career and dreams. Is that what real friendship is? Friends are there to uplift each other, not to push you down,” her mother tried to explain the real essence of friendship to Aaira.

“But mum, if I don’t keep up with this friendship, I’ll be left alone,” Aaira was now really tense.

“That’s not what I taught you, child. Just because the thought of being alone scares you, you are willing to adjust in the wrong company too. That’s even scarier. Don’t ever feel guilty for prioritising yourself and your dreams. Just focus on winning your competition now. We’ll talk about everything after Saturday,” her mother told her as she gave Aaira a hug.

Soon Saturday arrived, and the art competition too. Aaira aced the last round brilliantly. The judges applauded her for her amazing talent. She won the prize and posted it on her social media accounts. But to her surprise, she received more appreciation and love from random strangers on the internet than her friends.

Destiny always teaches us lessons to let go of meaningless connections, yet we ignore our gut instincts when it comes to the people we love. We all have had friendships with whom we don’t connect on a deeper level, but we make them our life just because maybe we are too comfortable with them or scared of being alone.

But friendships are not merely about gossiping and spending time together. Real friendship is that deep bond which acts as a support system in achieving our goals.

Do your friends applaud you on your little achievements or do they cut you off by feeling insecure? Think about this and you will know who your real friends are.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 22nd, 2025