“Beta,” Ammi coaxed me out of my room. “Dinner is ready. Leave that phone for a while.”

“Fine,” I grumbled and got out of bed.

I had planned to go shopping with my friends. Finally, it was my first time out in a proper mall. I had been scrolling endlessly, searching for ideas about what to do and how to have a good time there (Google has very good advice sometimes). I felt a little conscious to go for a proper hangout at the age of 17, but I guess that doesn’t matter.

As I sat at the table, my dad asked, “So, are you going this weekend?”

I nodded.

“Mm, beta, you should check how your friends actually are, if they are good friends or not. You don’t know who is loyal these days….”

“Abbu, I know who is good for me. You don’t have to worry,” I said, trying to keep my irritation out of my voice. Everyone thought my friends weren’t good for me, but I knew better, didn’t I? I knew how good they were sometimes… or did I?

Ammi side-eyed Abbu, clearly saying, “We had to discuss this after dinner!”

I went to my room straight after. Nimrah had texted me: “Don’t wear anything cringe tomorrow, please!”

I stared at it, my was confused and sad. That’s what they thought of me? No, maybe they didn’t want to embarrass me; they were saving me from ridicule. I laughed a bit, trying to think they were being thoughtful. I knew I was kidding myself, but I was blinded. I wanted to be known, to be seen.

The next day, I met my friends at the mall. They were, as usual, dressed as nonchalantly as possible, but I had resisted my temptation to wear that orange kurta I love.

They looked at me approvingly, as though they had control over my choices as well. They had, to be honest.

“Where will we go?” I asked too eagerly.

“Well, just to the café, then we will go and have a bit of fun in the arcade,” Saira said, checking it off on her fingers.

“Cool!” I said.

“Don’t forget the new shop we have to go to!” Nimrah reminded us.

“Yeah, yeah, you and your shopping.” Bismah rolled her eyes.

“Remember the time when we went to the arcade last time and got glued to the same game and the manager had to pry us away?” Saira said.

I laughed loudly. They all looked at me and so did everyone else in the vicinity. I lowered my head as they looked at me with disgust. Why did I have to embarrass my friends when they are so nice to me and try to attract as little attention as possible?

We walked to the café in silence. After sitting down, I saw them taking selfies. I tried to make the same pose as them, but they told me to stay still and normal as the frame wasn’t big enough. They took four photos with me, me being in the left corner. That was enough, wasn’t it?

I forced myself to drink the bitter coffee they all ordered. I usually drink ones that are sweeter, but I didn’t want to be left out. They chatted about school and gossiped about the latest celebrities (who even cared about these people?) while I just nodded. I didn’t want to interrupt.

We headed to the arcade. The lights loomed at me, more like haunting me than making me feel hyped up like the kid who was next to me in line. They headed to the claw machine because they wanted to win a teddy bear. I stood in the corner, watching. They started playing. They tried twice, but failed. They tried for the third time, but as the claw didn’t pick up the teddy, Nimrah punched the machine. It turned off, even its happy music. Everyone stared.

An employee came over.

“Is there a problem?”

“Um, yeah, the machine turned off,” Saira said.

“Did you do anything to it?”

“Someone just punched it.”

“Who?”

They looked at each other.

“She did,” Nimrah said, pointing at me.

Silence.

“What?” I stammered. “I didn’t! You guys were playing!”

“Oh, come on, don’t lie…” Saira said, eyebrows raised, and they quickly left the spot, leaving me alone with the staff.

“Follow me,” the employee said, her eyes kind. I followed, a lump forming in my throat. I couldn’t believe that they betrayed me!

The lady took me to the “Employees Only” room.

“Now, tell me, were they your friends?”

I nodded.

“I know you didn’t do it. You were standing far apart from the group. Be careful who you choose to be your friends. I don’t want to say anything else,” she gently said to me.

I nodded, with an embarrassed expression.

“That’s all, you’re free to go,” she smiled, her face radiating a warmth that made my heart relax.

“Thank you,” I said.

I quickly left the mall without event bothering to see where my friends were and hurried home. I wanted my bed and peace.

I closed the front door with a soft click and tiptoed to my room.

“Beta, everything all right?” Ammi asked from the kitchen.

“Yep, everything’s good,” I said. I didn’t want to discuss it right now.

At night, I told everything to my mother — how I tried to blend in and how they blamed me. My mother comforted me.

Sometimes, you don’t need fables or big speeches to realise who is who. You just need the right perspective. Don’t blame the people who made your life miserable. Kind people make your life better, but bad people prepare you for times ahead. It’s far more embarrassing to turn up for people who won’t turn up for you.

Some people are the rewards of a claw machine, but some are just the claws themselves.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 21st, 2026