The wedding was the perfect opportunity. Or, at least, that’s how Arash had framed it to Kian as they rode together in the back seat of Kian’s dad’s car.
“You’re overthinking this,” Kian grumbled, adjusting his tie for the fifth time. “It’s just a wedding.”
“It’s not just a wedding,” Arash said with a mischievous grin. “It’s a rare chance to observe and maybe—just maybe—interact with the opposite gender.”
Kian gave him a sidelong glance. “You make it sound like we’re wildlife biologists studying a new species.”
“That’s kind of what we are,” Arash said. “Think about it. How often do we get to be in the same space as girls? This is our chance to see what they’re really like.”
“I already know what they’re like,” Kian muttered. “They’re terrifying.”
When they arrived at the venue, a sprawling garden decorated with fairy lights and elaborate floral arrangements, Arash’s excitement only grew. The air buzzed with music and laughter, and for once, the usual gender divide seemed slightly blurred. Sure, there were still groups of boys huddled on one side and girls chatting on the other, but the sheer size of the event meant there was some mingling.
“Alright,” Arash whispered as they stepped into the crowd. “Here’s the plan. We start with small talk. Something casual, like—”
“‘Hi, I’m Kian, and my friend dragged me here to embarrass myself,’” Kian interjected sarcastically.
“Exactly,” Arash said, ignoring the sarcasm. “And then we ease into deeper topics. You know, like their hopes and dreams.”
Kian groaned. “This is going to be a disaster.”
Their first opportunity came near the dessert table, where a group of girls about their age was giggling over a plate of baklava. Arash nudged Kian.
“Go on,” he whispered.
“What? No way!” Kian hissed. “You go first!”
Arash sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’ll lead, as always.”
He walked up to the group with a confidence that was about 90% fake.
“Hey,” he said, clearing his throat. “So… uh… great baklava, huh?”
The girls stopped giggling and stared at him.
“Yeah… it’s good,” one of them said cautiously.
Arash nodded vigorously. “Totally. I mean, who doesn’t love baklava, right? It’s like… the universal dessert.”
Kian, who was standing a few feet away, buried his face in his hands.
One of the girls, a tall one with curly hair, tilted her head. “Are you okay?”
“Me? Oh, yeah, totally fine,” Arash said, trying to sound casual. “Just… you know, making conversation. I’m Arash, by the way. And that’s my friend Kian.”
Kian gave a weak wave from behind a potted plant.
“Hi,” the tall girl said, clearly amused. “I’m Yasmin. These are my friends, Leila and Roya.”
“Cool, cool,” Arash said, nodding like a bobblehead. “So… uh… what do you guys… do for fun?”
“For fun?” Yasmin repeated, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, you know, like hobbies or whatever.”
Leila, a petite girl with glasses, smiled. “I like reading.”
“Cool! Same here,” Arash said eagerly. “What do you read? Like, textbooks? Fiction? Instruction manuals?”
Leila blinked. “Uh… mostly novels.”
“Right, right,” Arash said, his mind racing. “Novels are great. Love a good… novel.”
Meanwhile, Kian had finally worked up the courage to join the conversation, though his approach was slightly less refined.
“So, do you guys think aliens exist?” he blurted out.
The girls turned to him, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity.
“What?” Yasmin asked.
“I mean, statistically speaking, it’s pretty likely, right?” Kian said, gaining momentum. “Like, the universe is huge. There’s gotta be something out there.”
Arash stared at him in disbelief. “Kian, what are you doing?” he whispered.
“What? It’s an interesting topic!” Kian shot back.
To their surprise, Roya, who had been quiet until now, nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve always wondered about that. Do you think aliens would be friendly or hostile?”
Kian’s eyes lit up. “Exactly! That’s the big question! Like, would they come in peace, or would they see us as… I don’t know, snacks?”
The conversation took an unexpectedly lively turn, with Kian and Roya debating the finer points of alien diplomacy while the others watched in amusement.
Arash, meanwhile, found himself struggling to keep the conversation with Yasmin and Leila afloat.
“So… uh… do you guys play sports?” he asked.
“Not really,” Yasmin said.
“Oh,” Arash said, nodding. “Yeah, me neither. Sports are overrated, right?”
Yasmin smirked. “Didn’t I see you pretending to play soccer earlier?”
Arash’s face turned red. “That wasn’t… I mean… it’s more of a performance art.”
By the end of the evening, Arash and Kian were both mentally and emotionally exhausted. As they walked back to the car, Kian sighed.
“Well, that was a disaster.”
“Are you kidding?” Arash said. “That was amazing! We actually talked to girls!”
“Barely,” Kian muttered.
“Hey, progress is progress,” Arash said, grinning. “And besides, now we know something important.”
“What’s that?”
“Girls aren’t that different from us. Except they’re way better at small talk.”
Kian chuckled. “And they’re not aliens. That’s a relief.”
As the car pulled away from the venue, Arash couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, the so-called “mysterious other side” wasn’t so mysterious after all.