“Truth or dare?”
“Dare!”
“Perfect!” exclaimed Dania. “Now text your mother in Karachi and say….”

“Write, ‘Emergency!’” Haya interrupted.

Miraal had come all the way from Karachi to Islamabad to study at a university. She found it exciting to live on her own in the university hostel. Inside the hostel room at midnight, Miraal and three of her friends were playing the game ‘truth or dare.’

Though Miraal felt guilty of texting her mother at midnight, she had to do it. It was a chance for her to show that she was brave and bold. The game continued and later the girls kept chatting for hours before sleeping late at night.

In between their conversation, Miraal’s phone started to beep. It got bombarded with tonnes of messages. All the girls got curious. Miraal picked up her phone to see who it was. At the same moment, her mother called her. Miraal wondered why she was calling her at 4 a.m.

“Don’t pick up!” Maira prompted. “It’s part of your dare, remember?” Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Fine, I won’t,” Miraal said, trying to seem unconcerned.

Her phone kept ringing, but she didn’t pick up. Soon after, she began receiving calls and texts from her father too.

“What’s the emergency, darling?” the texts went on, “Please respond.”

Miraal now began to worry, but tried her best not to show it in front of her friends. She had to win her dare. If she responded to any of her parents’ messages, everyone would laugh at her for not fulfilling the dare. So she powered off her phone and slept.

The following day, it was a usual morning. Maira was getting ready for the university. Maira, while scrolling through her phone, said, “Guys, did you all get to know about the plane crash this morning? That’s so sad. Only four people survived, but they too are severely injured.”

Others moaned on the sad news too, then they all left for the university.

While sitting in the library, the television caught Miraal’s eyes suddenly. Her parents’ names were being called out amongst the injured ones from the plane crash! She felt as if someone had dropped a bombshell on her. She grabbed her bag, rushed outside and took a cab to the hospital where they were admitted.

Upon reaching there, she found that her mother had got minor injuries, but her father had been admitted to the special care unit due to serious wounds.

Miraal was ashamed of herself. She regretted her decision to do such a childish act last night. Just because of her foolishness, her parents were suffering. She felt helpless for her poor father. She also realised that she should not have listened to the girls, for good friends would never urge you to play such a prank on your parents.

Upon seeing Miraal, her mother instantly ran towards her and hugged her tightly. She asked Miraal, while crying, “Are you okay, my child? What had happened to you? What was the emergency?”

Miraal began to sob. “I’m sorry mama. You ... you shouldn’t have come here,” and she started crying so hard that she could not speak.

Her mother consoled her, “It isn’t your fault. Your father and I were worried for you so much that we immediately took the first available flight and came. But who knew we would face such a tragedy?”

Miraal then confessed the truth to her mother, who was shocked that her daughter could be so silly and do such a serious prank. Pranking others isn’t fun, as it could cause serious harm to them as well. Miraal learnt her lesson, but she had to pay a high price for it.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 2nd, 2024