Fairy Grandmother

by Aaryan Totala

Grade 8

Today, I’ll discuss a very, very special person in our lives. GRANDMOTHERS!!

Firstly, I’ll make this clear that this is my point of view and I don’t think whatever I say will apply to everyone. So, don’t take anything seriously and enjoy yourself.

Honestly, I think that grandmothers are of only one type--sweet, loving, kind, and affectionate. They can be, of course, maternal and paternal. But you can’t differentiate between the two. But, the character of a grandmother can never be destroyed, because they will never stop loving their grandkids. Most authors have described a grandmother in the following ways - kind, gentle, sweet, hard-working, affectionate, gifted, wrinkled, extravagant, gray-haired. The list is endless because that’s how grandmas are. Their description is endless.

I guess authors never had a bad or awful experience with their grandmothers, neither did they ever know a bad, evil grandmother who tortured kids. They make sure not to ruin the grandmother’s character in their novel, because they know that their book will be a flop. So, they never dare to ruin a grandma’s character. I know there are a few books where grandmas portray the evil role, but in the end, it’s revealed how much they love their grandkids.

The role of a grandmother in a person’s life is very different than other people. A grandma is a gift for us which we take for granted.

Having a grandma is great because they bring a lot of joy in your life. Their love is always the same for you. It’ll never change. If you read English novels or Hindi novels, we always come across a grandma. Similarly, in real life too, wherever you go - India, England, the United States of America, Australia, or any other country, the love and affection grandmoms have for their grandchildren, is always the same. They love their grandkids even more than their kids! I know that’s not surprising at all!

The same thing happens with the kids. They love their grannies very much. I say not only grannies but both the grandparents. So much more than their parents! Even if grannies are angry and mad at their grandchildren (which I assure you is very rare and only happens if there is a serious mistake) they make up very quickly, come back to normal and kids and accept their mistake, which is unlikely when other adults like parents, uncles, aunts, and etcetera, scold them. I have never understood why that happens.

Our grandparents become younger staying with us. They enjoy themselves more with us grandkids way more than their kids.

If you read the word grandparents, grandfather, or grandmother, then you might notice the word grand. The word is attached because they are grand, which means they are special from everyone else and play a completely different role in your life. They love being grandparents, and it’s the most satisfying thing in their entire life.

If you ask me, then I’ll say that a grandmother is the sweetest person on EARTH!

I’ll take my grandmother as an example. She’s the sweetest person on earth. She’s the only person who’s never scolded me. I mean she must have some time, but I don’t even remember. She’s encouraged me to do stuff, like write this blog. I don’t want to brag, but my grandmother is seriously different from others.

People say that kids are a form of God, but they are wrong, it’s the grandmothers who are a form of God. I’d rather say, both grandparents are. Which means, I am calling everyone god!

Our bond with our grandparents is something we’d never understand. The bond is a gift to us for which we’ll be in debt forever.

 

 

One Sunset at a Time

by Sunita Raina

3rd year, University

 Iffat walked towards the window and threw open the silk curtain. It was almost time.

She looked at the maid and gave her a small nod. Instantly, melodious flute notes filled the tower top, vibrating through the walls of the stone-cold castle.

Iffat waited next to the open window.

A soft golden glow slowly travelled up and hit the whitewashed walls behind her. Soon after, a myriad of colours engulfed the room; scarlet red, violet and amber, reflecting in her eyes.

Iffat slowly began swaying with the music, her eyes closed. The flute kept increasing the tempo, and she twirled, keeping pace with its rhythm, until colours and music burst into a symphony so powerful the paintings in her room teared up.

The sunset reached its full glory; crimson red with honey splashes and bronze streaks painting the cold walls, while Iffat’s movements flowed smoothly, her long shadows cast against the room. The gold ornaments clinked out of tune, a heavy reminder of her duties towards the People.

She looked ethereal, a fragile fairy skipping into a cloud of sparkles.

A tear escaped the maid’s eyes. She loved Iffat dearly; having watched her grow under strict castle rules, she knew these few minutes of joy were precious to the young girl. But these stolen moments were also coming to an end.

The room turned dark. Blues and purples replaced the brighter colours, blurring the contours the dancing girl. As the music slowed down, Iffat swirled one last time, and dropped onto the soft carpet.

She laid there, panting, a smile playing on her lips.

She knew what would come next.

A light tap sounded at the door.

“Princess Iffat, the Queen requested for you to get dressed. Prince Khalil will arrive soon”, says a timid voice.

Iffat sighs and turns towards the now dark sky. ‘Goodbye’, she thinks achingly.

“Inform the Queen I shall join them shortly”, she says and gets up, removing her maiden clothes, and changing into the bride’s gown.

 

 

 

-Sunita Raina

 

 

 

 

From Asha's Desk

My most talented girls and boys,                

Welcome to Glow-Worms, a space that I created just for you. I am thrilled to see so many of you responding with such enthusiasm and sending in your writings for this first issue.

From the many conversations I have had with children and their parents, I have noted that many youngsters these days ‘hate’ writing. Yes, I understand. Writing those magazine articles for school assignments and exams about repeated topics like pollution, climate change, traffic jams, importance of exercise, littering…..those diary entries and informal letter, the same old story prompts and such, all in 120 words can be very boring and uninspiring. But do you know, that’s not just what real creative writing is all about. Writing is about expressing yourself, for which you don’t get a chance at school.

That’s exactly why I started Glow-Worms, so that you can just be yourself and pour your heart out. No one here is better or worse than the other. We are all equals in our creative passion and effort. And I value every word you write. Just make sure you write sincerely, considering every piece you write as an honest expression of yourself and a fond offering to your readers.

Very often, what we lack is motivation which we misunderstand as ‘lack of skill’ or ‘inability’. We lack confidence and we fear being judged by others. It’s time to change it all.

Let go of all your fears and jump into Glow-Worms. It’s a great way to let the world know that you write!

In the maiden issue of August, 2020, we have four each of lovely poems and short stories, two interesting articles and a book review. You also have ‘From Asha’s Desk’, which will be a regular feature.

I am planning to slowly expand this blog into a children’s magazine. Let me know what you would like to see in it. Your suggestions will be considered duly. Write in with your views and we can have a 'Letters' section too added.

And yes, don’t forget to subscribe to this blog. Subscribing to it will make sure you receive notification in your mail box when the blog is updated every month (or whenever I have some announcement to make). You can then share it with your friends and relations. It’s also a great way to read other young writers like you. You will see the subscribe button on the right side of the blog’s home page.

Keep writing. May the Muse be with you.

Looking forward to your future submissions,

She

by Avanthika P Satheeshan

When she was recognized to be a girl in the womb

Her relatives created whirls as in a mysterious tomb.

When she was born into this beautiful earth,

She was neglected from the day of her birth.

When she was restricted from going to school,

Her powerful tool was destroyed.

When the world gave her miseries,

She pushed herself for fast recoveries.

When she was winked at by the devil’s eye,

She blinked her eyes with the fear that she may die.

When she was haunted by the world of darkness,

She wanted to fight it with goodness.

When she was forcefully forcefully enslaved in marriage,

Her anguished soul cried in rage.

When he to slap her,

She dared to teach him a lesson within a snap.

When hands were raised against her,

They were bruised by her.

When voices surged against her like a wave,

Her voice was raised like that of a wave.

When the country ran to become rich, 

She ran to kill the country’s witch.

When people shouted development,

She shouted women empowerment.

When few listened to her sorrows,

She devised plans to unearth the evil in burrows.

When she won hearts of thousands

By her warrior like actions,

Many built barriers of enmity against her.

When she was asked to act like a numbskull

She proudly said,” I am a woman, not a puppet

I am a woman, part of the human race”

🔆

(Avanthika P Satheeshan is a grade 11 student in Nirmalamatha Central School, Trissur, Kerala. She is trained in Indian classical dance and her hobbies include sketching, writing and making scrapbooks. She has a huge collection of newspaper cuttings chronicling current affairs.)

Book Review

by Nidhi George

'Divergent' is a dystopian YA novel series by Veronica Roth. It focuses on a girl named Tris, who lives in a world divided into factions. She was born into the Abnegation faction (with the factions being Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, and Candor), but on her 16th birthday, she takes a test to help her decide what faction to join (or stay in). She gets a very special result, where she is an even mix of 3 different factions, therefore making her a Divergent.

Tris chooses to leave Abnegation to become a Dauntless. Once she gets there, she gets caught in a storm of unrest between factions, and she finds personal connections to the problems they are facing. 

I love this book because it’s a great mix of different genres, and the characters are well developed. The series is a trilogy, and the third book switches perspectives in each chapter, which helps you understand the story even better. Each book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I constantly wanted to know what happened next. This is a great read for kids and teens around ages 11-16.

🔆

(Nidhi George is a grade 8 student in Northshore Middle School, Hartland, Wisconsin. She is a voracious reader, plays violin with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra and is a robotics enthusiast.)

Science, God and their Polarity

by Kanaka Pednekar

The world isn’t always black and white, it’s a million shades of grey, each hue defined relative to another. The human race in itself is a good example of it. We are all different and have our own opinions, thoughts and views of the world. This large spectrum of ideas cannot be judged as purely right or wrong. In order to avoid conflicts based on the difference of ideas and opinions and to coexist in peace with our own kind, understanding and accepting the intentions behind the ideas which spark these beliefs and opinions of others is needed. 

Yet, we struggle with it. We chain ourselves down to our differences.  

It’s no wonder then that things will move towards chaos than peace if effort is not taken to change it. One such example which has been creating conflicts between two groups of people for centuries and has persisted till the modern day is between facts and beliefs, that is, science and religion. Though we have progressed enough to not witness riots in our daily life and be able to practice both and coexist, there still lies a hint of hostility which needs to be eradicated.

 Some scientists don’t believe in the existence of God and yet they believe in our understanding of the structure of an atom, when it too is completely out of our visible sight. Our belief of its existence stems only from the conclusions made on the basis of inferences of experiments, with multiple loopholes. We even live on the chance or the probability of knowing the position of its electrons. It’s like saying we don’t exactly know where but we do know that it exists. Isn’t that the same as believing in God? Albert Einstein once proclaimed, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Even the gift of life itself is thought of as the manifestation of God. Yet, even this isn’t enough to convince people of God’s presence.

 When the question of the beginning of the universe is raised, the theist leaves it in the hands of God, while scientists are determined to explain it. That’s all well and good, but why is it that when everything is created from or of another, the universe itself came into being completely by itself, that is, it had no constituent actions which lead to its creation, or genesis, as it's called. How different is it from the belief that the common being holds of the universe being created by God? 

Nature, thought to be a creation of God, has been proved time and again to not be confined to the boxes that we try to categorize it into. We have tried to classify things which wouldn’t be factionalized. An example of this would be how after painstakingly crafting the five-kingdom classification, the Platypus confused biologists with its reptilian and bird-like features. Or, how even light keeps baffling scientists by being a wave and a particle… both at the same time! 

 Some say that it is energy that drives the living, others say it is the soul. But what is this energy, or even soul for that matter? If energy is known to exist all around us then why is it that organisms die without it? Why can’t a simple energy transfer be enough to revive them? And after seeking the right medical assistance, why, when even that fails, do the doctors themselves tell us that it now lies in the hands of the Almighty?  

Religion is nothing but dharma, and dharma means the right way of living. It’s devised for the benefit of people to live a life without conflicts, that is, to allow everyone to coexist in harmony. On the other hand, science bridges the gap between what we understand and what we don’t. It attempts to explain the unknown through the known with the futile hope of understanding the truth. It tries to solve the puzzle of our existence without having all the pieces. And isn’t that the beauty of it? 

It is these very contradictions amongst and between the ideas of science and of God which highlights their flaws but also brings new strengths to light. It portrays how polar opposite they are. 

And yet, maybe because of their differences, they seem to attract each other. In order to be able to explain our daily observations, we need science. Belief in God provides people hope and a source of faith. It gives them the solace of knowing that they are not alone and encourages them to live a loving and peaceful life. It is this polarity which makes people compete, judge, reprimand and therefore, flourish. It is the reason for the progression of these ideas.  

Religion was the invention of man and science is a constant discovery (then again, who’s to say that God too won’t be a discovery?) And yet, the path that appeals to us is ours to choose. The conflict arises due to a lack of acceptance. What we fail to understand is that both of them, science and the belief in God have arisen due to the natural inclination of human beings towards them. To question and ask for proof and to look for solace and a source to hinge our faith on is our human nature. 

Science requires an innate sense of curiosity. Curiosity is the thirst for knowledge and is the rightful reason we ask for an explanation. Lack of trust or ignorance is the other major reason which makes us challenge the explanation provided. While the former is beneficial, the latter is a toxic habit that may lead to our harm. Science should not be restricted to our beliefs, for there can be science in everything, if only one is curious enough to find it. The pursuit of science in the name of peace, progress and knowledge can be called the right way of going about it. In other words, the dharma of science is curiosity (and so should it be for humanity).  

As far as progress is concerned, science refuses to trust without tests of verification. While the concept of 'God' demands absolute faith which is then verified through tests (that are in the form of challenges in our life). Similarly religion dictates a code of conduct to be followed to become the ideal human being, that is, dharma . Though today, the interpretation of it is at a risk of being changed since its essence was long forgotten. Its ancient knowledge has been exploited and the morale of it, long left behind. At this point in time, a careful understanding of the ancient texts must be undertaken to ensure the recovery of its sacred soul. 

 Keeping all of this in mind, we can conclude that earlier, the conflict was between science and religion. Today, the times have changed and so have people’s mindsets. Now, the conflict lies not so much in the hostility among these two groups but more so in the individuals themselves. While earlier, one only had the binary choice of choosing one over the other, we are raised today with an equal influence of both, science and spirituality. This has made the surface seem calm while deep inside our minds, a tempest rages on. From a third perspective, it is a sign of evolution of humankind and although the times are turbulent, we can be sure that, this time too, we shall rise out of it, stronger than ever.

🔆

(Kanaka Pednekar is a grade 10 student in Nalanda Public School, Mumbai. Her core interest lies in science, viz. Physics and Chemistry. She enjoys writing poetry, prose and parodies of songs, apart from listening to music and painting.)

A Victim to Life

by Malini Tarakad Seshu

Why do people hurt? 

I don’t think satisfaction can be brought on

By seeing someone in pain.

I’m slowly losing faith in humanity.

We picture ourselves in chains, 

We think we’ll never be rescued,

We take drastic steps without much thought,

And affect the hopeful people similar to us.

They repeatedly insult us, 

Say things that we end up believing.

If you don’t love yourself, who will?

You don’t need anyone to support you,

You are a pillar of strength,

You cannot be hammered down,

You might not know it, but it’s true.

Maybe, bullying can’t be stopped.

Maybe, they won’t listen.

But maybe, we shouldn’t listen,

We shouldn’t let them affect our perspective,

Our unique perspective 

which the world doesn’t understand.

It doesn’t have to understand. 

Only we do.

🔆 

(Malini Tharakad Seshu is a grade 8 student in GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai. Her hobbies include reading, singing and sketching.)

The Day Waffles Spoke

by Pavithra Nair

     I woke up from sleep rubbing my eye and found myself on the floor. I only had one eye because I lost my other in an accident. I perceived that my owner had kicked me down. She wouldn’t do it on purpose as   she loves and cares for me a lot. She shares everything with me, all her tears and happiness. If anything bad happened to her, she would immediately run to me and cry on my shoulder. She has that little devil’s laugh which very adorable. She basically brightens up my day! 

The little chatter box talks to me all day, not even giving me a little gap to breathe and understand what she is trying to say. It’s both cute and annoying at the same time, and I desperately want to respond to her because in our world I am exactly like her, a blabber mouthed and playful teddy. If I were a human we would make a really great friendship that would last for long.

To be honest, I can talk and have feelings too, but in every doll’s life  it has only one chance to talk to their owner, but no one knows how long it will last. May be you could only speak a word or you will only get a minute and I have been yearning for that very day to come. But in that very minute I should let her know how much I love and care for her.

Thinking of all these, I looked at her, who was rolling like a pig in mud as she couldn’t find me on the bed. I slowly got up and laid on the bed, and as soon as she felt my presence, she squished me like a marshmallow. I felt suffocated and started breathing heavily and began to coughing. At that very moment, she got up and sat on the bed and looked around and then at me. She saw me coughing and was dumb struck! She was knocked out of her socks! I realized what I just did and gave her a nervous smile.

‘Waffles, did you just cough and smile at me?’ She shouted.

I was also surprised at her reaction and asked her, ‘Kid, did you hear me? Did you? Did you?’

She just stood there with her mouth open as wide as a cave and with eyes which would pop out any second. She then pinched herself to check whether she was dreaming, but she wasn’t.

‘Waffles, you can talk?’

I nodded and recognized that my time was here. I jumped in excitement and started running around the room. I shook her but she still had the same surprised look.

“Look kid, what you are seeing now is absolutely real. I know it’s shocking and unbelievable but we have no time to waste. Now let’s go, have some fun!’ saying this, I pulled her so that we could go to the park.

She came along and on the way she asked me a lot of questions like why I hadn’t talked to her all these years and where I had been till then. I explained her everything and she just nodded. We were playing in park but I noticed that she wasn’t as joyful as she was initially. I approached her and asked her what had happened. She looked at me with teary eyes and then said she didn’t have much time left.

 'So you will leave me any second? Can’t you stay forever with me like this and I would the happiest kid in the whole world.'

I let out a sigh and replied, ‘Look kid, don’t worry, I will always be by our side even if I don’t talk to you. I will always be here to listen to your stories, you will always have my chest to sleep on and I promise we will laugh, cry and experience everything together. I have waited for this moment to come for a very long time, just to thank you for cosseting me all your life , just to tell you that if you don’t have anybody and if I won’t be able to talk to you also, I will be here for you. I just wanted to tell you that I love and care about you as much as you care about me, and without you my life would be worthless’.

She hugged me and now we both were crying. Finally, I gave a small peck on her cheeks and I froze. She called me many times, I replied but she couldn’t hear me. I knew my time was over. She rested her head on my shoulder and said,’ I am really lucky to have someone like you beside me, I love and will love you forever!

I gave a little smile and said ‘I love you too, kid’.

🔆

(Pavithra Nair is a grade 8 student in Indian School, Al Ghubra, Muscat. She is a fine Bharatnatyam/Mohiniyattom/Kuchipudi dancer, and a huge fan of K-pop band, BTS.) 

My Idol - Rafael Nadal

by  Arjun Murali

Twenty-Time Grand Slam Winner, Roger Federer said, “Rafa really can hurt anybody on any surface. He’s that good. He’s not just a clay-court specialist.”

This perfectly sums up Rafael Nadal as a tennis player and why he is considered a legend in the sport. His dedication, the never-give up attitude and his humility is what makes him stand apart amongst other athletes.

Rafa was born in Manacor, a town in the island of Mallorca in Spain to parents Ana Maria Parera and Sebastian Nadal. From a young age, he developed an affinity towards sports, particularly Tennis and Football. His uncle, Miguel Angel Nadal, was a retired professional football player who played for teams like RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona. Recognizing in Rafa a natural talent, another uncle, Toni Nadal, a tennis coach, introduced him to the game. Though born as a right- handed, his uncle Toni encouraged him to play left-handed for a natural advantage on the court.

On 5^th June 2005, Rafael Nadal won his first Grand Slam, The French Open by defeating Argentinian player Mariano Puerta in the finals. As of 2020, Rafael Nadal has won 19 Grand Slams, 35 ATP 1000 Masters and 21 ATP 500 Masters along with an Olympic Gold Medal in Singles in the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. He has inspired and motivated people around the world as a tennis player but more importantly as a Human Being.

People, however, often overlook the struggles he has had to go through.  The Rafael Nadal whom we see today has achieved all of this through rigorous hard work and immense determination.

Though he has achieved monumental success in the sport of Tennis, injuries threatened to have a great impact on his career. He has suffered multiple injuries throughout his career, coercing him to withdraw from various prestigious tournaments and competitions. He has had to face constant criticism throughout his life with people always on the speculation that his career would come to an end and he would have to retire. However, despite all the setbacks, Rafa has managed to successfully overcome all the hurdles in front of him. His determination and fighting spirit is what really inspires me and my only hope is that I could imbibe these qualities within me. 

Rafa’s fighting attitude is something which is praised by almost everyone. He plays every point as if his life depends upon it. Till the ball doesn’t bounce of the court twice, you can be sure that Rafa would try everything in his power to successfully return the ball to the other side of the court. Even after an excruciating game, he won’t rest till he has completed his training. Even during training sessions, he plays every point with the same intensity and complete awareness. This encourages me to remain focused on a particular task and finish it, before taking on a new responsibility.

He has great admiration for his fellow athletes. In his words he describes Roger Federer as someone who was born to play the game. Rafa has great respect for him and describes Roger as a ‘complete player.’ Describing Novak Djokovic, he points out Novak’s insane mental toughness and his unparalled talent on the court.

One of his quotes has had a great, deep impact on me as a person which describes the challenges in life and how we should face it. In his words,” Enduring means accepting. Accepting things as they are and not as you would wish them to be, and then looking ahead, not behind.”

🔆

(Arjun Murali is a grade 10 student in Nalanda Public School, Mumbai. He loves to play football, watch tennis, listen to music and reading.) 

Veronica

by Hridhimaa Dasgupta

Clouds started gathering up. It looked like it was going to rain.

It was math class; Veronica couldn’t help but get distracted by the raindrops racing each other on the window.

” Veronica!”

She gasped as she snapped out of her imagination. Miss Judy looked as furious as the clouds outside.

Getting shouted at completely ruined her mood. Her two friends came to her table with their lunch boxes, but she just walked away.

“I know it’s her usual thing to do, but it hurts every time,”said Yuna looking towards veronica.

“Yea, but with this attitude she’ll only have us as her friends,” said Cherry. They both sighed.

 Veronica was stomping her way to the cafeteria, still holding a grudge on Miss Judy. 

“Hi.” a girl popped up in front of her. She got flustered.

“Hi, I’m Lia,” the girl said with a smile.

Veronica felt that she looked very similar to her mom. Her mom had passed away three years ago. Since then she has been a little different… maybe a lot different.

 “Hi, I’m Veronica,” she said in an annoyed tone.

“Are you going towards the cafeteria too? Let's go together.”

 “OK,” I murmured.

 On the way to the cafeteria there she spotted Jim.  Rolling her eyes, she walked away.

“Oo, what’s with that face miss depressed?” said Jim from behind.

 Before Veronica could say anything, Lia grabbed her hand and said, “Forget about him. He will go if you ignore him.”

Veronica clenched her fists and walked away.

They sat down away from the other kids in the cafeteria.

Lia asked, “Why don’t you go sit with them?” 

“They probably don’t want a bunch of losers like us.”

“Well, how do you know they think of us like that? They may just be a little afraid of being friends with us because we aren't so welcoming,” said Lia.

“Oh, please,” Veronica pleaded.

“I think you should approach them. Just be kind.”

After some thinking, Veronica agreed.

Lunch was over and Veronica was on her way back to class.

“Hey” Lia popped “How was it? Did you make any friends?”

“Yes, It did turned out they were pretty cool and kind. Johnny was quite funny.”

“See?” said Lia, “if you just keep a calm mind, be kind and approach other people, I bet no one will bully you”.

It was the next day at school.  

“Hey,” Lia popped up again from nowhere.

 “Today you are going to face your fears,” she said

Veronica was confused.

Right then she saw Jim approaching towards her. 

 “Was sup kiddo, let me guess… you’re going to walk away again.” He laughed.

Veronica looked at Lia, a little scared.

Lia whispered, “Keep calm. Say what's on your mind; don’t hide your feelings, let it all out and confront him and all the bad things he has done to you and make him realize his mistake”.

Veronica took a deep breath and confronted Jim. She said what a rude bully he was and how he was hurting other people. 

Jim replied, “Woah! I’m sorry. I thought you would take it as a joke.”

She replied with a little anger that it was not a joke to hurt other people and walked away.

 “Well done,” said Lia. “Now you won’t have to worry about him anymore. But what about you?”

 “What do you mean?”

“You know you have been rude before to most people. Don’t you feel bad about that?”

She sighed and went in her classroom and called for everyone’s attention.

 “Hey guys, I know, since the first day of this year I have been rude to everyone and I would like to apologise for my actions.”

She said sorry for everything she had felt guilty for.

“Wow, it feels like a huge burden got off my chest,” she said.

“Is there anyone else you want to personally apologize?” asked Lia.

Veronica smiled and nodded, and walked toward Yuna and Cherry.

She confessed on how rude she was to them and thanked them for being with her despite her behaviour.

“Oh My God! It feels so nice to see this side of you,” said Yuna.

 “I hope you stay like this forever,” said Cherry and they hugged it all out.

 It was lunchtime. Veronica looked around for Lia, but couldn’t find her. So she sat sitting alone.

“Mind if we sit here?” asked the group of friends she met the previous day.

Suddenly Lia popped up from far behind and said, “Just be yourself, try to open up, control your anger and listen to others and be friendly”. 

Days went by but there was no sign of Lia.

Veronica searched for her everywhere and she eventually gave up.

“I wish I could at least thank her for what she has done for me,” she thought thinking of Lia fondly.

🔆

(Hridhimaa Dasgupta is a grade 8 student in GEMS Modern Academy, Dubai. She loves to paint, play the guitar and shake a leg with K-pop.)