DRUM for the DUMB !

Hina and Ayesha became good friends as soon as they joined the university. Life was really so much fun at the university as they explored the joys of studying together with a satisfied heart and mind. Time went on like this till their semester exams started hovering above their heads. They spent their nights doing combine study over a steady supply of snacks and tea .There were times of chatting when they used to discuss about their future lives; graduation, jobs, marriage , kids etc, just to let go of the exam tension for sometime. On one of these nights as they were discussing their wedding dresses, Ayesha said, “Yaar! I don’t know why girls choose to wear only red color on their wedding day, it makes all of them look the same- nothing extraordinary. I really would like to wear a light blue gharara with dark blue borders!”  

Hina looked at her for a moment and said, with a crease on her forehead,“But Ayesha not everything is made for everyone. Just like not everybody should follow the same fashion whether they can carry it or not. I would advise you to stick to the typical dark red shade that suits your dusky skin tone. Afterall everyone must look the best on their special day. I prefer to wear a cream colored blouse tea pink bottom. It will bring out my fair hands very well!”. Ayesha’s heart skipped a beat.“Yaaa…ok. But these days they have such magnificent bridal make-up. We never get to see a dark bride on stage..sooo…everyone is free to choose the dress color…I guess…” She said, in an embarrassed tone, looking down on the floor.

Tomorrow was their exam. Ayesha came home to sleep, but she couldn’t rest her mind all night long. She tried to dismiss it as exam tension, but there was something that wasn’t going away. Next day the paper came out easy. Two weeks passed by till the last exam ended. They were sitting on the bench outside waiting for Ayesha’s car. Ayesha used to drop Hina everyday. They kept waiting for the driver. After one hour Ayesha’s mother informed on her mobile that that the car had an engine problem and she would have to come on her own. Disappointingly Ayesha suggested Hina that they walk to the main gate. Hina looked at Ayesha amazed, “For God’s sake yaar! I can’t imagine facing this scorching sun so how can u EVEN think about getting darker? Let’s wait here for a lift!” At that very moment Ayesha felt a surge of blood rushing to her face. She couldn’t believe someone had put her weakest point so straight in front of her. Quickly she gulped down the lump in her throat and uttered a short “OK!” .

She came back home. The excitement of having the exams ended had long gone. That night when she was lying on her bed, she started thinking in a much focused manner. The reason for the inexplicable restlessness she felt in the past days came to the fore; it was her dark complexion and the fact that her best friend was becoming a nuisance for her happiness.She had ignored comments from relatives and people over this issue, but this was a hard nut. She had to fight off someone with whom she spent each day and who she actually couldn’t fight off!  Most importantly Ayesha didn’t want to compromise her self respect by making Hina aware of her weakness. But at the same time letting the issue rest would have meant constant jerks to her ego. For days, Ayesha kept thinking of all other instances when Hina had deliberately hinted at her dusky complexion, recommended whitening creams, facials, treatments etc. an she had ignored it all along taking it lightly. She used to burn with resentment inside while putting on a smile as she spent time with her best friend.

One night as she was updating her notes her pen wavered and she drifted into the shadow of those remarks once again, and started making comparisons between Hina and herself. How truly fair Hina was, with a gifted skin and complexion- there was no way she could taunt her on that. Hina was lively, caring, intelligent and refined form head to toe. Even her feet were white and her heels looked so good on her,,,Aaah!! Suddenly, Ayesha got stuck at this point. Hina always used to wear high heels even if she had to limb the bus at times. OH GOD!! Hina was a short heighted girl and equally conscious about it so much that it was only platforms or heels or high pumps all the time in the university!! The fact struck her like a shock wave. Hina’s height was just 5’1”, while Ayesha stood hovering at 5’6”!! How can she miss such an obvious fact? As Ayesha began to concentrate more, her mind started noticing other instances when Hina had tried to hide her complex desperately. In all their photos together, she opted to sit. While giving presentations, she used to get the podium removed. Even her dresses were short or sleeveless to give a sleek, long look to her body! Ayesha couldn’t believe she had hit where it hurt the most. Hina had a closet-full of hidden complexes which Ayesha could use to her advantage, but basically Ayesha had a heart of gold and she did not believe in retaliation. She couldn’t taunt back Hina to get even, but there was one thing she could do. And she would like to share it with YOU !

With the pen still in her hands she picked a blank page and started listing down all the things that Hina had ever taunted her upon and the things that Hina herself fell short of. Ayesha had a chauffeur driven FX which Hina made fun of while she Hina had a Corolla car which her father took to office and she had to ask for lifts; she was plump and diet conscious; attention seeker from boys. Then she made another list of things where she was better than Hina including her height, good figure and a caring family. Strange enough the list of Hina’s negative points far exceeded Ayesha’s.She looked at the list for a long time, her own studies forgotten. Some connection was still missing. A new idea hit her!  This was the Encounter series where she countered each one of Hina’s points with her strong ones. And then VIOLA! She got the connection! A strange wave of satisfaction engulfed her agitated heart. After so many days of tension, that night she felt serene and slept with a smile on her face.
Each night after that she did the same practice. Her rival was the Dumb; the rectangle-the Drum, and the branches were the sound that came from it. The sounds of a dumb, complexed person who was most vocal. Each time she encountered all her invisible enemies from relatives and friends by targeting them in the Drum. She came out the winner. She was most capable afterall. She really wanted to tell this small yet wonderful and very effective technique to everyone.

Days passed by. One day their class had a party on the beach. Both of them were eager to go along. Hina was in the hut as usual advising Ayesha not to go under the sun. This time Ayesha did not listen and dragged her along. They walked on the beach barefoot, enjoying the cool breeze. The boys had just finished playing throwball and were standing in a group. They both joined them. Ayesha whispered something in Bilal’s years and handed him something. Everyone was standing in messy clothes when suddenly a flash clicked. “OYE!!” They all shouted at once and jumped in Bilal’s direction. By then he had taken 2 more snaps from Ayesha’s camera. Hina stood there aghast. She looked around desperately, but her shoes were in the hut and she was standing besides Ayesha and the boys. Everyone started hitting Bilal playfully. Ayesha looked at them smilingly and walked towards the hut as someone called out for lunch. Hina walked away, slowly and Ayesha noticed a faint tear in her eyes.That night as Ayesha slept she wrote in her diary,

“I kept silent over my misery, but God gave me this opportunity himself. I m sorry Hina…..but, there was no other way to make you realize how it feels!” And then she sat down to write this story that you are now scrolling over …..