Saleena was sitting sadly in a corner. I went to her and asked,
"Hi, Saleena! Are you coming to the annual function on Monday?"
"No! I wouldn't be able to attend that function."
"But why? Is everything OK?"
Tears rolled down from her eyes and she uttered.
"Is it my fault if I can't afford to wear expensive clothes? "
I couldn't understand her words so I asked her in detail. She told me how Rubab has tried to degrade her for her condition. So she has decided that she will not attend the function. Rubab was an arrogant girl with stern looks. She was used to look down upon Saleena. Saleena was our friend and she belonged to a deprived family. Everyone was aware of her condition as she was bearing her academic expenses with great difficulty. But Rubab was used to treating her differently.
"You know, how much she brag at every event about her expensive dresses. It is as if she is trying to degrade Saleena. So I just want to teach her a lesson."
"But how? Is there any way?"
"Yes! It's possible if we plan something of the same kind which she has been doing for years."
I said this to my other friend, as I was tired of the haughty behavior of Rubab. Not only me but she was also annoyed at Rubab. But all we wanted was to make Saleena feel comfortable and happy. So we decided to buy her a good dress to look better than Rubab. The next day we brought our savings to college and after off we went to the market to buy a dress. We saw a blue dress with big flares and shiny diamonds on it. But when we asked the price it was beyond our savings. We were holding $20 but the dress was $30. We looked at some other options but every dress we chose was not less than 30$.
"I think we should come tomorrow because it's already too late and our mother will be waiting for us at home," I said to my friend. So we left the market and headed towards our homes. On the way, we kept discussing the prices. My friend suggested that we should buy a pink dress which was 18$. But I refused because it was not looking good and I wanted to make Saleena look better than Rubab. So I made her realize that there is no rose without thorns. If today we will pay more, it will surely bring good results.
"I think we should ask our parents for some money and I am sure they wouldn't refuse as their daughters are doing something good," I said to her.
"Yes, I think you are right."
When I reached home I told my mother about the whole situation and she agreed to give me 5$. I was excited to receive that money. So the next day I woke up early and got ready for college with excitement. But when I was about to leave, my mother said to me that she would accompany me when I went to buy a dress.
"Perhaps, I make the seller accept even less than 30$."
I agreed to this so after the off from school, we went to the market with my mother and she truly made the seller agree to 25$ for that blue dress. We were excited, so the next day we gave that beautiful dress to Saleena and asked her to attend the function in the given dress. At first, she hesitated, but she agreed to wear it.
Finally, the day was here. We were desperately waiting for Saleena's arrival. She appeared in that blue dress and was truly looking beautiful. Rubab was also standing next to us. She got jealous to see Saleena as she was not expecting this. I saw, how her face color was changed, but we were excited to see the happiness of Saleena's face as our motive was achieved. In the end, Saleena thanked us and we went home happily.
The End!
Image source
https://unsplash.com/photos/a-woman-sitting-on-a-couch-covered-in-a-blue-and-gold-blanket-2tRNFQz4djs
This story carries a touching message about true friendship and the lengths we go to support those we care about. I really appreciated how you portrayed the bond between Saleena and her friends, showing the effort they put in to lift her spirits despite financial constraints. The way they stood up to Rubab's arrogance, not through confrontation but by uplifting Saleena, was both heartwarming and inspiring.
I also loved how the friends made sacrifices and showed persistence to ensure that Saleena could feel confident and proud at the event. It emphasizes that small acts of kindness can have a huge impact, especially when someone is feeling marginalized.
One suggestion I have is to add more depth to Saleena's emotions when she received the dress. Perhaps describing her initial surprise, hesitation, and how her demeanor changed after realizing the support her friends were giving her could make the emotional connection even stronger for readers. This would help emphasize how impactful their gesture was to her.
Great work on showing how kindness can outweigh arrogance and that even the smallest acts of compassion can have a big effect!
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It is very sad to see how some people with more resources make fun of or look down on the less fortunate. In this case, how nice that they were able to help Saleena to have a nice dress. Greetings