SHORT STORY

It’s been only a week since Preethi moved into a new town. She was in her bedroom doing math homework. Something hit the window. It was a small ball. It came from the street. She saw kids playing with that ball earlier. So, she took the ball, went downstairs, and gave it back to the kids. She also wanted to play with them, but she didn’t know who they were. So, she came back and resumed her homework.

It was Sunday, so she made chicken biryani. The kids who were playing outside got the whiff of biryani. They knocked on Preethi’s door. They requested her to share biryani. Preethi was thinking, why are they asking me for food? Don’t they have their own kitchens?

The kids seemed to have read Preethi’s mind. They said, “We don’t have parents. We just go around begging others for food.”

Preethi was distressed at their plight. But she was also glad to help them by serving biryani. After the meal, she also served them some juice. The kids thanked her. The kids were ready to leave, but Preethi asked them to sit for a while. She has some questions. She asked them, “Do you go to school?”

They replied, “no, sister.”

“Okay, then where are you staying? Do you have a home?”

“Yeah, sort of. We live in a small hut at the end of this road.”

Then one of the girls said, “I got scared many times living alone without adults. I know nobody is going to help us. It’s very difficult to even find good food.”

Looking at them, Preethi felt even more sad. The kids left to play. The kid’s plight occupied Preethi’s mind for the rest of the day. She didn’t go back to the homework. She was thinking… She was thinking… She was thinking about how to make their life better, make their life beautiful.

After a few days

It was December 20, she thought give something beautiful for the kids. She started splurging money on them. Kids were coming to Preethi’s home every day, spending a lot of time with her. It went on till December 31. On that day, she took kids and went to the city centre. She took them to many shops, she bought them dresses, shoes, books, stationery. She also contacted a few well-known people and requested them to provide good accommodation for the kids. The mayor promised to enroll them in a good children’s shelter.

The kids were extremely grateful to Preethi’s help. They said, “we will never forget you sister.”

Preethi replied, “I don’t need your thanks. You go and become somebody in your life. Get out of poverty.“

by

Khyathi Sri Acha

Class VII

Written in February 2024