Once upon a time, in a cheerful and creative school, there lived a girl named Sahira. She was an enthusiastic student who loved storytelling. One day, her school announced the Mazaya Festival 2025, an annual event that included many competitions such as Storytelling Duo, Speech, Swimming, Cupcake Decorating, and more. Sahira was very excited when she heard the announcement. She decided to join the Storytelling Duo competition because she loved telling stories in front of others.

Two weeks before the festival, the school held a socialization session to explain the event. Ms. Nenden, one of the committee members, presented a PowerPoint about the competition rules, guidelines, and schedules. After attending the session for the storytelling duo category, Sahira became even more interested—but she realized she didn’t have a partner yet. Later, her friend Salsa approached her and said, “Hey, Sahira! Do you already have a partner?” “Not yet,” Sahira replied. “Then let’s join together!” Salsa suggested. Sahira smiled happily and agreed. They immediately registered and decided to perform a story titled “The History of Al-Qarawiyyin University.”

In the following days, they practiced whenever they could. Since they were both busy, sometimes they rehearsed through video calls. As the event day approached, they grew more nervous but also more confident in their teamwork. On the day of the festival, Sahira and Salsa came to school early to practice before the event started. They went outside the competition room to rehearse their lines and expressions. “Let’s make this our best performance,” said Salsa. “We will!” replied Sahira with a smile. After practicing, the event officially began, and Salsa had to leave for another storytelling competition held outside the school. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Salsa said before leaving. Sahira stayed at school, waiting patiently while practicing alone. She felt nervous but kept believing that everything would go well.

After some time, Salsa returned. “I’m here!” she said, slightly out of breath. Sahira smiled in relief. “Perfect timing. Let’s practice once more before we perform.” They practiced one more time outside the competition room before entering. When the judges called their names, they walked onto the stage with mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness. The audience was noisy at first, but one of the judges stood up and said, “Please be quiet and pay attention to the performers.” When the room became silent, Sahira and Salsa began their storytelling performance. They spoke clearly, used expressive gestures, and performed with full emotion. The audience and judges watched attentively, and when the story ended, everyone cheered loudly.

A few days later, during the award ceremony, the host announced that the first place in the Storytelling Duo Competition went to Sahira and Salsa. They were overjoyed and hugged each other tightly. Their hard work and patience had finally paid off. From this experience, Sahira learned that teamwork, patience, and preparation are the keys to success. Even when things do not go as planned, true partners will always find a way to shine together.