SHORT STORY

There is a beautiful girl named Aranya, who lives with her beautiful family. Aranya’s grandmother tells stories at night. Aranya’s grandfather plays with her at weekends. Aranya’s father takes her wherever she wants. Aranya’s mother cooks whatever she wants to eat. Aranya likes everyone in their family. She is only 16 years old.

One day Aranya went to her uncle’s home. There she saw a beautiful puppy. She liked that puppy and went on walks with it. She spent a lot of time with it. One day she found that puppy was not feeling well. She asked her uncle what had happened. Aranya said that it was eating plastic on the roads. So, it got sick. She asked the uncle to take good care of it. She went back to her home.

When she visited her uncle’s home after two days, she couldn’t find the puppy anywhere. Her aunt informed her the puppy had died. Aranya felt very sad. She cried a lot. She thought not only of the puppy died many animals (like cows, dogs) are dying as they are eating plastic thrown on the roads. Those poor creatures mistake this toxic plastic for food. Humans are the culprits here.

Aranya determined to reduce plastic on the roads. An idea struck her. She worked for six months and made a plastic recycling machine. If anyone puts that machine, it pays the sender 10 rupees. Later, the machine recycles the plastic waste and sends it back to the industry. Though Aranya will not get her puppy back, she found a way to turn grief into action, with this machine.

by

Sivani Jajimoggala

Class VII

Written in February 2024