Your Secret is My Secret

By ASTRAZENECA
Plot & Major Themes
Narrator/ Syazy- the one introducing other characters, Airin and Putri. She
explains their behavior traits along with the story.
Airin: An introverted girl who is so into Korean entertainment and culture, but
still Malaysian by heart.

Putri: A real definition of Malay girl- enjoys P. Ramlee’s movies and songs,
surau or musolla is her favourite place.

Major Themes: Friendship, queerism and life-dilemma.

Scene 1
Narrator/Syazy: (In recording mode) *sighs* Where to begin? I have two
important figures in my campus life but I’m clueless. They have issues. Not to
each other, but within their personal selves. Round and round, this world is
not flat, so we keep running back and forth, up and down, then left to right,
every day- every night. I wish I have the courage to be honest and tell them
what to do, other than just listening, since spoken words is another factor of
effective communication. We are very best friends, three years old besties. So,
their story is my story.
Cont.
Airin: *sitting comfortably while watching her favourite Korean show* Aduhai… Why you are so pretty?! *eyes glistening* Probably, you don’t eat
belacan like us, so your skin is as white as snow? Or you’re actually an angel sent from heaven above? Perfect and flawless?

Putri: *listening to P.Ramlee’s “Nak Dara Rindu” while sitting next to Airin* Hayya, don’t say nonsense like that, would you? Later, you’ll be out of
Islam, murtad, you know? Those Korean chicks, they’re fake, ‘tak ori’, too much surgery lah, that’s why ‘putih melepak’. Don’t believe what you see.

Airin: Wei Putri, you one day no nagging, can ah? I love what I’m seeing, it is clearly nothing to do with you. Everyday P. Ramlee and Saloma, can I
say you’re not up to date? So ketinggalan zaman lah.

Putri: At least, I’m proud of original stuffs. P. Ramlee is way more better than any of those dancing girls. Showing butts, wiggling everywhere they
can, ish, so shameful!

Airin: *glaring* Okay-okay, you win, although all these girls are not like what you thought, you win. Puas hati? Now where is my nasi lemak and
kopi O?

Putri: *dropping a plastic bag consists of nasi lemak and kopi O on the table* Nah, your favourite nasi lemak and kopi O, even though I think you
want to order another spicy Korean chicken noodle like last time.

Airin: I might look expensive, like these Koreans, but my throat is so Malay.

Putri: Like Hang Tuah said, ‘’takkan Melayu hilang didunia”.

 Cont.
Narrator: If I’m sitting in the middle, I can feel the different air they’re breathing. Well, Airin is a happy
go lucky girl and I rarely see her being moody. While Putri, how to describe her? She’s a walking
traditional Malay girl we can find back in time. She speaks good Malay, with her own dialect and
sometimes she sounds funny. *smiling a little* It’s so unfortunate, due to Corona I have to stay so far
away from these two. I’m with my family at home, while they’re struggling together, differently.
Differently, I mean, different-different from what I can truly see and understand, probably? *Serious
face*Only, I’m the one keeping one of these two’s huge ass secret.
(In a room) Airin opens the door and walks straight to the bed. She sits and sighs deeply, looking at a
kpop female idol poster hanging on the wall. She smiles.
Airin:Is this a sin? *eyes turn gloomy*
(In a surau) Putri in her white telekung staring at the ticking clock as time passes. Alone.
Putri: You have to forgive me. You have to make me forgive my sins. So that, I can live. Don’t let my
past haunts me again, My Lord.
Scene 2
Airin, sitting alone outside. She tries to concentrate on the book she’s reading but stops in the middle. Zoning out, Airin
forgets everything for a moment until Putri greets her from the back.

Airin: Mak kau hijau! *trying to calm down to her senses due to the sudden shock* Putri! I could die of heart attack!

Putri: *laughing* Sorry-sorry la! I thought you can hear my footsteps coming? What were you doing? Daydreaming to the
moon?

Airin: *rolling her eyes* I was reading, you punk!

Putri: Really? This is my first time seeing someone reading while having eyes up to the sky? Isyak, yet or not yet?

Airin: I am not obliged to give you such a specific answer, Put. My grave is my grave.

Putri, in her disbelief look : *hands on the waist* I know, but you can’t bury yourself after you die, is it? Someone needs
to send you properly with kaffan and coffin. Airin, I’m your friend, just take this advice. Pray five times a day, I guarantee
all your worries go away.

Airin: Cuti. Is that good enough to say, my dear friend?

Putri: Oh, my apology. * She takes a seat next to Airin and they both fall into silence*
Narrator/Syazy: Airin, she has this one big burden on her shoulders. Spitting it out, or keeping it by herself, she’s in a big
dilemma, I can feel it.

Airin: Syazy,

Putri: Did Syazy,

Airin: Eh? I was about to ask how Syazy is doing.

Putri: Yes, same- same.

Airin: Did she text or call you?

Putri: Yesterday we talked, for hours.

Airin: About what? You guys gossipped without me?

Putri: We didn’t think you’re going to show interest about life lessons and religion? It’s part of our usrah, that’s all.

Airin: Okay. Now I know, I’m not part of the usrah line, so just leave me out?

Putri: What’s wrong with you? I did ask you to join us but you said you can’t commit?

Another silence between them.

Narrator: Airin thought, we are keeping so much secrets from her, like all the time. Usrah is like a
friendly circle or gathering we have every weekend and our focus is always about motivation and
faith. To rejuvenate our iman, to be precise? Airin did not show any interest from the start, maybe
because she’s half Chinese and half-Malay?She spends too much time in her room so we didn’t get a
chance to introduce her into our circle. Between Putri and I, Putri is one loyal and consistent friend,
who always tries to pull everyone towards kindness.
Airin: By the way. Is it because of my blood? I’m not good in mengaji al-Quran so you guys dissed me?
Because I’m half Chinese and my tongue is twisted?
Putri: Excuse me, we are not approving racism here, makcik oi. I like your identity. Doesn’t matter,
half-Chinese, half-Korean or even half- Afghanistan, you’re still our friend, Airin. Malaysian, that
exactly who we are, right?
Airin *staring at Putri curiously*: Fullamak, sounds like ustazah in my kafa school lah!
Putri: *flinching* See? You are this type of typical Malay girl who is so prejudice about getting
adjusted. Especially on self-development.
Airin: Is this how our friendship ends?
Putri: No, never, in your dream. You can think of me and Syazy as the most conservative duo you
met, but we won’t let you go.
Narrator: I’m glad actually, because knowing these two, I can reflect a lot with myself. Sometimes,
unrelatable, but they help me to view things differently. Airin and her endless curiosities. Meanwhile,
Putri and her endless consistencies.

Airin: Put, in your eyes, do I look like… some other Malay-Chinese girl?

Putri: Okay, that’s the strangest question I’ve ever heard from you.

Airin: I’m serious. Sometimes, I want to be like you. So feminine, so obedient and so Malay like.

Putri: So far that I can understand you like nasi lemak with kopi o, you love durian to death and you
can’t smell colok in your ama’s house because it stings your nose.

Airin:They are all my Malaysian traits, not much and too common. Is it because I’m into kpop, you’re
into P. Ramlee and Saloma, and Syazy into Malay soft-rock bands?

Putri: Wait. *sighs* I’m sorry if I complained a lot about your hobby listening and watching kpop but
this is nothing to do with being Malay, you know?

Airin: Alright. Then, tell me what the real thing to be Malay and importantly, Muslim is.

Putri is speechless.
Scene 3
Syazy is studying inside her room. Her concentration is invaded by the chiming
sound from her cellphone and receives a long text from Putri.
Putri’s voice reading the message”
“Syazy, I can’t reveal everything. I can’t be honest, yet. Don’t you think I’m a hypocrite? I
can’t be true with my feelings and emotions? If my parents, my family, know about us, I
can be killed. They might get rid of me. Tell me you don’t spill this secret to Airin? She can’t
know about us, Syazy. Promise me, whatever comes, you stay? If Airin knows, her faith to
us will be gone. I might ruin our image, as Malaysian, as Muslims,”
Syazy doesn’t reply right away. She put down her cellphone and releases an amount
of air from her mouth.
Airin and Putri in a surau, just finish their Isyak prayers. They shake hands and laugh at each
other’s face.
Airin: I’m sorry okay, I lied to you. I’m not cuti, just used to skip prayers. On and off, but still
I’m a Malaysian Muslim.
Putri: Yes you are. Syazy kirim salam, she said she can’t wait to see you joining our online
usrah next week.
Airin: Yes, this morning she told me the same thing. *folding the praying mat carefully* Now
I feel like a real Malaysian girl. Thanks to you.
Putri: For your information, you can continue liking those kpop idols, and just don’t try to
skip prayers, again, okay? *trying not to laugh*
Airin makes ‘okay’ sign with her fingers. She rises from the floor then.
Airin: Reminder, I’m going to buy us roti canai for tomorrow. Call me before Subuh, please.
Putri: Alright, ukhti, amoi ku. Since it’s on you, I’ll wake up at 4 a.m!
Airin slaps Putri’s back playfully with a groan before she excuses herself and leaves surau.
Putri is still on the praying mat, with her full praying outfits. She reaches for her cellphone and
checks the inbox message.
It’s from her long time special friend, named Najwa.
She reads the text:
“You can forget me, Putri. But you can’t lie to yourself. You love me, you still love me, deep down you
know. You can fool everyone but not to me, and not to Him”.
Putri throws her cellphone aside and quickly sujud.

Narrator/Syazy: That is her secret I’m keeping. A secret which is crushing every bit of my friend’s
emotions and feelings. She told me once, it’s a sin. So she has to play the role. As a real Malaysian
girl where Airin can always look forward to. It’s complicated. But I see her as a human. I’m neutral.
Promise is a promise. And I can keep convincing Putri that ‘your secret is my secret’.

THE END