“So, did you do the exercise we talked about in our last session?” the shrink asked, “What decisions did you make?”
Sabeel handed over a list to her. It was a list of possible career tracks she may or may not pursue in the
upcoming years. There was plan A and plan B. Sabeel was confused! Chances are, it would be too late to go after plan B by the time she has found out if plan A had worked out for her life or not.
But the shrink, Professor Shaheen dismissed the list right away, “No, no, this is not what I was talking about! These are not decisions! Tell me about the decisions you took since last week.”
“But these are the decisions I took!”, Sabeel was clearly surprised.
“No, they are not. Okay, let’s talk about today. What decisions did you make today?”
“None.”
“Of course, you did! What is the first thing you did when you woke up?”
“I made a cup of tea.”
“See, you decided to make a cup of tea.” Professor Shaheen nodded her head.
“What?!”, Sabeel said, “How can that be a decision? I have to have a cup of tea every morning; otherwise, I cannot function – I cannot proceed with the day! Besides, it helps me…” Sabeel fidgeted as she felt greatly embarrassed, “it helps me with my constipation. If I have a strong cup of tea with milk after I have drunk a glass of water every morning, it helps with my bowel movement. Otherwise, I would feel so…so…
uncomfortable…”
She rubbed her right ringer on her left palm and left cheek over her shoulder as she laid out her morning
routine in front of the shrink.
“See”, Professor Shaheen gleamed, “you chose to have bowel movement easily. You could choose to live with your discomfort.”
Sabeel stared at her in disbelief! Is she for real? Or is Professor Shaheen very subtly trying to drive her away with such non-sense?

Ten years later.

Sabeel now lives in Canada. She is in her mid thirties and still does not know what to do with her life. She is doing her job alright, but it does not give her the fulfillment of a career; her job is nowhere near her
credentials. Should she go back to her homeland? No! No!! No!!! How could she go back? After all, all her indecisions started there… At least, Canada has brought peace in other aspects of her life – well, most of it. She still makes a cup of tea first thing in the morning. As each sip of caffeine alleviates every cell in her body from last night’s sound (or sometimes, not so sound!) sleep, she sinks into a day dream…she hopes her life will find a purpose very soon. Tea always transports her to a fantasy world.
Sabeel takes the last sip from her cup. This is the one thing that has not changed in the last decade of her life.
And now she has to rush to the toilet before she can face the day.