Setting:
A cozy outdoor café in Jeddah. The Red Sea breeze flows gently as two old friends, Faisal (the superstitious one) and Tariq (the rational thinker), sip on Arabic coffee and munch on dates. A wedding is coming up in their extended family, and Faisal has just returned from a pre-wedding get-together.
Faisal: (grinning mischievously)
Bro, you won’t believe what just happened. I successfully pinched Layla, the bride-to-be! Just a small one—on her elbow. She didn’t even notice. That girl’s got all the luck now!
Tariq: (chokes slightly on his coffee)
You what? Faisal, please tell me you didn’t go around pinching people at a wedding party again.
Faisal:
It’s tradition, yaar! Haven’t you heard? “Pinch the bride, keep the evil eye at bay.” Auntie Muneera swears by it. She pinched three brides last year and all of them are still happily married—with babies!
Tariq: (raises an eyebrow)
You do realize that correlation doesn’t mean causation, right? That’s like saying drinking karak before your job interview causes you to get hired.
Faisal:
Hey! Karak does boost confidence.
Tariq:
Exactly. Confidence. A logical cause. Not magical pinches. You’re just reinforcing a superstition.
Faisal: (crossing his arms)
Look, I’m not saying it’s scientific. I’m saying it’s cultural—part of who we are. It’s like how grandma used to put a black dot on babies’ foreheads to protect them. Harmless rituals that make us feel safer.
Tariq:
But feeling safe isn’t the same as being safe. I get the emotional comfort, Faisal. But don’t you think we should stop passing down beliefs that have no basis? One day you’ll pinch the wrong bride and her mother-in-law will think you cursed the whole marriage.
Faisal:
Pfft. As long as I don’t leave a bruise, I’m good.
Tariq: (laughs)
Imagine if someone tried to scientifically measure bride pinch efficacy. “100 brides pinched, 98 still married, 2 divorced because their husbands couldn’t handle her luck.”
Faisal:
Exactly! That’s a good success rate.
Tariq: (smiling but serious)
But seriously, think about it. When you believe your pinch can ward off evil, you’re kind of dismissing the real efforts brides and grooms make—like counseling, communication, compromise. That’s what keeps a marriage strong, not a pinch from Cousin Faisal.
Faisal:
Okay, okay, you’ve got a point. But I’m not against all that. It’s just… weddings stress me out, man. So many things can go wrong. A tiny ritual gives me a sense of control. That’s not so bad, is it?
Tariq:
Not at all. Rituals are fine as long as we know they’re symbolic—not magical. Do it for fun, not because you think you’re casting some anti-curse spell.
Faisal: (grinning)
So I can still pinch… symbolically?
Tariq:
Symbolically, and with consent, please. We don’t need a “Pinching Scandal of 2025.”
Faisal: (laughing)
Deal! Next time, I’ll just bring her a lucky charm bracelet or something. Less risky.
Tariq:
Better yet, bring her a voucher for pre-marital counseling. That’s real good luck.
Faisal:
You’d ruin all the fun, scientist. But I love you anyway.
Tariq:
Love you too, pinchy.
[They clink their coffee cups in mock solemnity, the Red Sea glimmering behind them as superstition and science meet halfway—at friendship.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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