Zoya was trying to choose, choosing was a tedious task for
her. She didn’t know which colour would best go with pink. She was musing this,
when she heard the loud commotion. Loud commotion meant loud voices and loud
voices equals fights. She hated when people fought. It always bought tears and uninvited
physiological warfare where she got to play the pawn. “Go ask your dad this. Go
tell your mum that.. Go look if your mum ate … go give this to you dad! “God! Her
work load as a kid definitely doubled during those days. Now who has done what?
She dusted herself and moved in to investigate.
The scene inviting her was quite unexpected. Her grandma
standing near her precious fish tank and tears running down her face. Which
made Zoya wanted to wage war. She rushed to Console her. Her hugs always worked.
There she saw, inside the tank most of the fish had died. But how could this happened?
Who dared to harm her grandma’s fishes? She had just fed those precious fishes.
That is when she heard Nani Shouting that someone had added soda into the
water. Uh??.. whatever that meant..
But why was Nani pointing at the fish food and calling it
Soda? As her thoughts were running laps something big like an asteroid hit Zoya’s
little brain. She had added that to the water thinking it was fish food. OH MY
GOD… she was responsible for the death of the fishes. She had bought tears into
her grandma’s eyes.. She had become a ruthless mass murderer. And just like
that the tears flowed with no halt. Now the whole house was trying to calm her
instead. What could she tell them? It was her? Her voice wouldn’t corporate with
her for that.
She didn’t know when she slept but she got up her tummy
rumbling. It was almost lunch time and they had made her favorite and just for
a second she forgot about the fishes and rushed to eat. While she was having
her food, Nani, forlorn, stood there staring at the tank. She could have no
more, she left. When she went out to play, there, they were cleaning the fish
tank. Once that flourished with life now seem scattered. She didn’t want to see
that. She decided to go back to sleep. But the fishes had followed her there
too. She had a nightmare of fishes eating her up. She was jolted awake and she
no longer could take it. The guilt has grown long like the shadow during forenoon.
She whisked around trying to find Nani, to confess and ready
to face her wrath. She atlas found her near the well and closed her eyes and
told her everything. How she had thought it was fish food and how she didn’t mean
to hurt anyone certainly not her. The tears accompanying her gave her the
courage she need, and finally she begged Nani for her forgiveness.
Her grandma was shocked. Shocked at how this little child
had so much of courage in her to own up to her mistake. How this little child
was brave enough to face the consequences? She was in awe of this little child
and being a wise lady, she took little Zoya in her hand and engulfed her in
the tightest hug she could give. And told its okay and forgave her. That moment
Zoya felt a relief as if a rock that was on her heart lifted. Her grandma also
praised her for the bravery and courage she showed. She also taught her that it’s
okay to mistakes but what is important is to own up to them and learn. The whole
point of making mistakes is to learn and all this learning would made her a
strong princess.
This was how Zoya first became acquainted with courage
and forgiveness. Little did she know she they would become her best friends later
in life.
