Scene: A cozy apartment in Berlin. It’s 9:30 PM. Riya is trimming her nails in the living room while a movie plays softly in the background. Anika walks in holding a mug of chamomile tea.
Anika:
(gasps) Riya! What on earth are you doing?
Riya:
(looks up) Uh… trimming my nails? Why?
Anika:
At night?! Seriously? Do you want to invite bad luck into this house?
Riya:
(laughs) Wait, what? Is that a thing?
Anika:
(sits down dramatically) Yes! It’s an old belief. My Oma used to say, “Schneide deine Nägel nachts und der Teufel lacht.” Cut your nails at night, and the devil laughs. Evil spirits, bad luck, misfortune—why risk it?
Riya:
(grinning) So you’re saying there’s a demonic creature out there just waiting for someone to take out their nail clippers after sunset?
Anika:
Don’t mock it! Strange things do happen when people ignore old wisdom. My cousin Julia once cut her nails at 10 PM. Next day, her bike tire burst, and she missed her university interview. Coincidence? I think not!
Riya:
(trying not to laugh) Anika, come on. That’s like saying sneezing when you leave the house causes traffic jams. The tire probably had a slow leak.
Anika:
(narrowing her eyes) You rationalists are so smug. Science doesn’t explain everything, you know. These traditions come from somewhere.
Riya:
Actually, this one does have a historical reason. In the past, before electric lights, trimming nails at night with knives or scissors was dangerous. People used to hurt themselves or misplace sharp tools. So families made it a “bad luck” thing to stop kids from slicing their fingers off.
Anika:
(blinks) Okay, that’s… reasonable. But maybe the superstition has spiritual roots too. What if it’s about energy or vibes?
Riya:
I’ll give you the vibe argument if you can measure the energy field around a clipped nail at 9:30 PM.
Anika:
(giggles) You’re impossible.
Riya:
No, I’m just a fan of logic and healthy fingernails. I’ve trimmed my nails at night for years—no ghosts, no broken mirrors, no missed trains. I even got promoted after a midnight manicure.
Anika:
(mock dramatic) Maybe you’re the source of all the bad luck, and you just don’t know it yet.
Riya:
Oh no, don’t curse me with your spooky Bavarian voodoo! Next you’ll tell me not to open umbrellas indoors or walk under ladders.
Anika:
(sips tea) Well… you shouldn’t do those either.
Riya:
(teasing) Is it okay if I clip your nails in your sleep tonight? Just to test the theory?
Anika:
Try it and I’ll burn sage around your bed for a week.
Riya:
(smiling) Deal. But let me ask you—if you ever have a daughter, will you tell her not to cut her nails at night too?
Anika:
Hmm… probably. Just in case. It’s a tradition, after all.
Riya:
What if she says, “Mama, I have biology class tomorrow, and germs under nails are scientifically proven to carry more bacteria than a toilet seat”?
Anika:
Then I’ll tell her to cut them before sunset like a good little scientist.
Riya:
(laughs) Fair enough. How about this: you light your incense, I trim my nails, and we both watch this movie without summoning any spirits?
Anika:
Deal. But if the lights flicker, I’m blaming you.
Riya:
Deal. But if my nails look fabulous tomorrow, I’m blaming me.
[They clink mugs, chuckle, and continue watching the movie—superstition and science in peaceful coexistence.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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