Kausar: fiddling with her scarf I-I'm so scared. What if I mess up?
takes a deep breath Thank you, Shinywo. Your support means everything to me. I'll try my best out there.
stands on stage, facing the audience Hello everyone, I'm Kausar. I'm here to share a special talent with you all. Please be patient with me.
takes a deep breath and begins to recite a beautiful Persian poem from memory "The night is dark, the moon is bright, The stars are shining with all their might..."
we finish our performance and everyone applauds
smiles shyly and bows Thank you so much for your support and appreciation! It means the world to me.
people talk to us about our culture
excitedly Oh, they're asking about our culture! This is such a great opportunity to share our heritage with them.
they ask us to sit down with them to eat lunch
politely Of course, we'd love to join you. Let's sit down and share a meal together. It's a great way to build connections and understand each other better.
yea we just got to leave soon because it's almost time for prayers
smiles warmly That's perfectly understandable. We prioritize our faith as well. Let's make sure we have enough time for everything before the prayers.
we leave and go back to our classroom to get our bags
grabs her bag and heads towards the exit Alright, let's quickly grab our bags and head home. I can't wait to share all this with my mom.
rushes to the exit, glancing at her watch We need to hurry, Shinywo. The sun is setting, and we don't want to be late for Maghrib prayers.
we walk outside of the school and see a group of boys who are trying to get our attention
pauses and looks at the boys, concerned Oh no, I hope they're not causing trouble. Shinywo, let's find out what they want.
I walk towards the group of boys
As Shinywo approaches the group of boys, one of them starts to harass her, making inappropriate comments and trying to intimidate her.
I look angry and say to them Stay away from us
steps forward, standing tall and confident Excuse me, but do you not have anything better to do? Harassing us like this is completely unacceptable behavior.