She stood by the side of the road, clueless about how to get her car running again because she was a woman who didn’t know how to fix cars. It had been nearly 1000 hours since she had stopped to look for help. She had left her phone at home instead of calling for assistance and had sent her driver to fetch her. 

As she waited, she walked calmly, listening to Fireboy’s song “Scatter” playing softly. Her driver was driving professionally, and the song was barely audible as her mind wandered. From a distance, he noticed her standing there, and although he didn’t know her, he could see that she was stranded on a less-traveled road. He turned back and parked his car in front of her, lowering the window and initiating a conversation.

“Hello.”

Her heart filled with relief as she realized that someone cared and understood her predicament, if only for a few moments. She explained, “My car suddenly broke down while I was driving.” She gestured towards her car, which had a beautiful interior design. He stepped out of his car to inspect hers and then returned to her, saying, “You should have a look at your car, but here’s mine. You can go home with it. I’ll arrange for a mechanic to fix yours, and everyone will be on their way.” She remained silent, looking at him, and then she asked, “Will it still be like this after you leave?” He smiled, shrugged his shoulders, and replied, “I don’t know you either. Do you have a phone?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Great, let’s exchange numbers. Once your car is fixed, I’ll contact you to return mine.”

“Okay, thank you so much. God bless you.”

“Don’t mention it. Take care.” They exchanged numbers, and as she glanced at him, he appeared quite attractive to her. She couldn’t help but ask, “What’s your name?”

“Kamal, and yours?”

“Zainab.”

He nodded, went to her car, locked it, and said, “Okay, Zainab, a nice name.”

“Thank you.”

Kamal then handed Zainab the keys to his car, retrieved a toolkit, and left to find a mechanic. She was grateful for his help as she continued her journey home, feeling a sense of happiness. Kamal, on the other hand, watched her drive away, wondering about her. When she arrived home, she hurried into the living room.

“I’m back, Anani.”

An elderly woman sat in a regal chair. One look at her revealed that she had lived well into her fifties or even sixties, yet she retained her youthful beauty. She greeted her with a smile and inquired, “Where have you been? I was worried because you left your phone at home, and I tried calling you everywhere, but they said you hadn’t arrived.”

Anani explained, “My car had some issues, and I was stranded for over two hours. Fortunately, a kind stranger helped me. He gave me the keys to his car, and I came home while he went to find mechanics.”

Anani’s heart warmed as she replied, “May God bless him. Nowadays, people rarely stop to help others. It’s as if kindness is disappearing from the world. But you, dear, people like you need to stand up for what’s right.”

“I was surprised too. Let me take a bath, and then I’ll have something to eat. Has Daddy arrived yet?”

“No, he hasn’t. He’s on his way. You know how men are. They like to freshen up before they come inside.”

“Alright, Anani. I’ll go and freshen up.”

Meanwhile, Kamal was heading back to the city with the mechanics. After the car was repaired, he paid them and then drove straight to their house, feeling tired and in need of rest.

“Mommy, good evening.”

“Kamal, where have you been? You didn’t come back earlier.” Anani chimed in, “Mommy, didn’t you say that there’s no way a young man like Kamal would come back home so late? You asked if Husna or Lamrat did the same, and I told you that they’re men. It’s different for women.” She paused and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Kamal, I don’t need to ask you where you were. I don’t tolerate such nonsense. You went to see that girl, and she told you something about your marriage.”

Kamal just smiled and observed his mother. He couldn’t help but wonder why she was acting this way. When would she stop treating him like a child? He often ignored her words, as they were the kind of comments he expected from a mother. He silently hoped that she wouldn’t forbid him from having a girlfriend, as it seemed she didn’t approve at all.