Setting: A cozy café in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Two friends, Faisal (the superstitious one) and Omar (the rational thinker), are sipping Arabic coffee after work.
Faisal: (Holding up a shiny keychain shaped like a hand with an eye in the center)
You see this, bro? Khamsa. Just got it from that shop in Balad. Handmade, Moroccan silver. I swear, ever since I started carrying one, fewer problems in my life.
Omar: (Raises an eyebrow and smirks)
Fewer problems? Faisal, you literally tripped over your own shoelace yesterday and dropped your phone into the hummus.
Faisal:
Yeah, but it could’ve been worse. Without the Khamsa, maybe I’d have broken my nose and the phone. See? It protected me. Bad luck got diverted.
Omar: (Laughs)
Or maybe you were just lucky your face landed on the cushion and not the table. Come on, man. You really think a hand-shaped pendant controls the universe?
Faisal: (Leaning in, whispering dramatically)
Not controls, but protects. It’s ancient, bro. The Hand of Fatima. People have used it for centuries. Against evil eye, envy, jinn… you name it.
Omar:
And people also used to think the Earth was flat and that sneezing expelled your soul. Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s true.
Faisal:
So what, you’re saying millions of people across generations were wrong?
Omar:
Yes. That’s the beauty of learning and science. We get better at separating what feels true from what is true. Look, I get it—when things go wrong, it’s comforting to believe something protects us. But there’s never been any actual evidence that a metal charm wards off bad luck.
Faisal: (Playfully defensive)
You’re telling me it’s just coincidence that every time I forgot to wear it, something bad happened?
Omar:
Okay, let’s test your theory. When did you last forget to wear it?
Faisal:
Hmm… two weeks ago. I left it in my gym bag. That same day, my boss called me in and yelled about a typo in a report.
Omar:
So it had nothing to do with the fact that you wrote “public farting” instead of “public funding”?
Faisal: (Bursts out laughing)
Okay, okay, that one’s on me. Stupid autocorrect. But you get what I’m saying. Sometimes, I feel this energy around me, and the Khamsa just gives me peace.
Omar: (Nods thoughtfully)
And that’s valid. I’m not mocking your comfort. But it’s the feeling of control, not actual protection. Like a placebo. It’s powerful, but it’s not magic. If it helps you stay calm, fine. But if you think it’s going to stop your car from breaking down or your cat from peeing on your shoes…
Faisal: (Grinning)
You had to bring up Whiskers again?
Omar:
Whiskers is the real evil eye, my friend. No Khamsa can save your slippers from him.
Faisal:
Alright, Mr. Science. What do you do when you’re scared or unlucky?
Omar:
Honestly? I try to understand what’s causing the fear. If I’m feeling anxious, maybe I didn’t sleep well. If something goes wrong, I look at what I could’ve done differently. And sometimes, I just accept that life is unpredictable. No charm, no ritual—just facing it head-on.
Faisal: (Ponders for a second)
You make it sound like therapy.
Omar:
It kind of is. Except cheaper. And no need to hang jewelry from my rear-view mirror.
Faisal:
You’ll never convince me to throw away my Khamsa, you know.
Omar: (Shrugs)
I’m not asking you to. Just… maybe don’t give it all the credit when things go well. Give yourself some credit too.
Faisal: (Smiles, sipping his coffee)
Fair enough. But if I win the raffle tomorrow, I’m blessing your rational brain with this Khamsa.
Omar:
Deal. And if I win, I’m buying you a book titled “Why Superstition Isn’t Science”.
Faisal: (Laughs)
Make it an audiobook. I don’t read when Mercury’s in retrograde.
[They both burst into laughter, sipping their coffee, and the conversation shifts to football.]
End Scene.
Science Vs Superstition 
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