DREAM'S ON WHEEL'S

Episode 18: The Weight of Silence

Episode 18: The Weight of Silence

Zain sat in the park the next day, his phone still in his hand, but no words came out. He had been dialing Imran’s number repeatedly but hesitated each time before pressing the call button. The silence between them felt like an impenetrable wall. Was this what it meant to grow up? To carry the weight of everyone’s expectations, even when you didn’t know where you were going?

Finally, the call connected.

“Zain? What’s up?”

Zain could hear the casual tone in Imran’s voice, but he could also sense the underlying concern. Imran was always straightforward, never one to sugarcoat his thoughts.

“Imran, I’m lost,” Zain confessed quietly, his voice shaking slightly. “I don’t know what to do anymore. Everyone thinks I have it figured out, but I don’t.”

Imran was silent for a long moment. Zain could hear the sounds of the city in the background, the hum of life that felt so distant.

“You’re not alone, you know that, right?” Imran finally said. “You don’t have to have it all figured out right now. But you can’t keep waiting. At some point, you have to step into the world and make your own choices.”

Zain felt the weight of those words settle in his chest. Imran was right. He had been waiting, hoping for a sign that would tell him exactly what to do. But life didn’t work that way. There were no perfect answers, no guarantees. It was about making the choices, even when the future seemed uncertain.

“You’re right,” Zain whispered. “Thanks, Imran. I needed to hear that.”