The Wedding That Turned Into an Unexpected Adventure

The Unexpected Wedding Adventure

Khalid Mahmood

Five close friends—Saad, Talha Saeed, Abdul Muiz, Abdul Rafay, and Faizan Rasheed—studied at the same school and spent most of their free time together. They were inseparable, whether it was playing cricket, walking home, or simply chatting under the shade of the old trees near their school.

One day, Talha received a wedding invitation from one of his relatives. Without thinking much about it, he excitedly gave four extra wedding cards to his friends—Saad, Abdul Muiz, Abdul Rafay, and Faizan. He hadn’t asked permission from his relatives, but the joy of attending a wedding together was too tempting for him to resist.

The four friends were thrilled. They began making plans, talking about the food, the fun, and the adventure of traveling to Talha’s village. Finally, the long-awaited day arrived. The four boys packed their best clothes, combed their hair with extra care, and caught a bus heading toward Talha’s village.

The journey itself was exciting. The bus rattled along bumpy roads, and the friends laughed and joked about who would eat the most at the wedding. When they finally reached the bus stop near Talha’s village, they realized that they would still have to walk a long way to reach his house. But being young and full of energy, they didn’t mind. Singing and teasing each other, they walked until they reached Talha’s home.

Talha welcomed them warmly, though a flicker of worry appeared on his face. The wedding, as it turned out, was to be held in a very simple manner, unlike the grand feasts the boys had imagined. Still, Talha made them comfortable and asked them to wait while he brought food.

The friends waited eagerly. Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Then half an hour. But Talha did not return.

“Yaar, I’m starving!” Abdul Muiz groaned, clutching his stomach.

“He’ll be here soon,” Saad replied hopefully, though his voice lacked conviction.

Another thirty minutes passed, and still there was no sign of Talha. Anxiety began to creep in.

“Maybe something’s wrong. We should just leave,” Abdul Rafay suggested.

“Yes, let’s go,” agreed Faizan. The group finally decided to head back home without even seeing the wedding feast they had dreamed about.

By now, night had fallen. The path back to the bus stop looked darker and lonelier than before. As they walked, they suddenly noticed a dog sitting on the roadside, its glowing eyes fixed on them. Fear gripped them immediately.

“Run!” Saad shouted, and he, Abdul Rafay, and Abdul Muiz sprinted away in panic. In the confusion, Saad and Abdul Rafay stumbled into a water-filled ditch, their clothes splattered with mud and filth. They struggled out, trying to clean themselves with whatever water they could find.

Meanwhile, the dog began charging toward them. Everyone froze—everyone except Faizan. Known among his friends as brave and fearless, Faizan quickly picked up a piece of brick from the ground and hurled it at the dog. The dog yelped and ran off into the darkness.

“See? Nothing to be afraid of,” Faizan said confidently, brushing the dust from his hands.

The boys continued walking, but their troubles weren’t over yet. A little further ahead, Saad suddenly spotted a large, dark shape moving near the roadside.

“Ghost!” he screamed, trembling with fear.

But Faizan, as usual, refused to be scared. He threw another piece of brick toward the figure. To their surprise, the dark shape didn’t vanish—it let out a loud snort.

“Relax, you cowards,” Faizan laughed. “It’s just a donkey eating grass!”

The friends burst out laughing, their fear melting into amusement.

“Donkeys are useless animals,” Abdul Rafay commented. “All they ever do is eat grass.”

“Not so useless,” Abdul Muiz joked. “Hey donkey, why don’t you give us a ride to the bus stop?”

“But how will all four of us fit on one donkey?” Abdul Rafay pointed out skeptically.

Just then, Faizan noticed a rope tied around the donkey’s neck. “Look! There’s a rope hanging. We can lead him along.”

Without wasting time, Faizan grabbed the rope and guided the donkey toward the road. One by one, Saad, Abdul Rafay, and Abdul Muiz climbed onto the donkey’s back. Though the poor animal stumbled under the weight, it began walking toward the bus stop. Faizan, always the leader, walked beside them, holding the rope.

After a short journey, they finally reached the bus stop. From there, they managed to find a rickshaw that took them home. They were exhausted, hungry, and covered in mud, but also full of laughter. Despite not eating a single bite at the wedding, they had gathered memories that would last a lifetime.

Later, when they recalled the story, they laughed at their fear of the dog, their fall into the ditch, and their strange donkey ride. What had started as a plan to enjoy a wedding feast had turned into an unexpected adventure. And though things had not gone as planned, the journey itself had become a story they would tell again and again.

Sometimes, life doesn’t give us what we expect—but it often gives us a story worth remembering.