Honesty begets Respect
It was a bright and sunny day. There was not even a speck of
cloud visible in the crisp blue sky. The sun was blazing in all its glory
squeezing the energy out of the people in the early hours of August morning.
Though it was just 8 ‘o clock in the morning, it felt like late afternoon. To
top it off, it was a Monday - the dreaded day for all especially the students.
Sunaina rushed out of the house in a fit of rage. She had
not had her breakfast, but it hardly mattered to her parents. They loved to
scold her from the time she woke up till the time she turned up for the bed at
night. Her constant violation of the rules and ill temperament did little good
to her present situation. But it was not always like this. There was a time
when few things mattered to her. She loved to pick up ladybugs from the
blooming daisies in her mother’s nursery, she always had time to stand, stare
and listen to the soft giggles of infants on the way to her school, she loved
to play in the rain, she enjoyed a hot cup tea in the chilly December evenings.
These things mattered to her because her mother was always there. She was in
class 7 when she passed away in her sleep after a long and painful battle with
cancer. To make matters worse, her father married within a year, and the moment
his new mother threw a scornful glance at her, she knew her life will never be
the same again.
It was a turning point in her life - a moment that changed
everything. She felt neglected and ignored all the time. Her stepmother had
little, or no concern for her and her busy businessman father hardly had a
minute to spare for her. But whenever he did, it was to scold or detain her for
her mischief. She started dreading their short meetings after that. She felt
like an outcast-alone, unwanted and unloved. She started losing her temper at
the slightest of pretexts. Suddenly the vivacious young girl transformed into a
cantankerous brat. She loved getting into fights, enjoyed disturbing the
classes and breaking the rules. Most of all, she loved to lie and cheat. It started
at home to save herself from her father’s fury, but gradually it became a part
of her life. Anyone, who knew her, hated her profusely. She lost respect, but she could not care less. It seemed that there was no hope for her, but life
is a mystery in itself.
She had developed a great liking for Biology in the 6th
grade and garnered hopes of becoming a doctor in the future. Moreover, her
Biology teacher, Mrs Gupta was a teacher par excellence. She was an excellent
teacher but more a friend and a motivator. Students loved her classes, and so
did Sunaina. Mrs Gupta talked to her politely and addressed all her queries
with patience and understanding. She felt a sense of respect for her teacher.
Her grades in Biology improved baffling the other teachers. Mrs Gupta heaped
praises on her while her colleagues applauded her achievement. Sunaina felt a
sense of victory. This incident made her realize her shortcomings. For the
first time in her life since the demise of her mother, she felt loved and
appreciated.
She became aware of the fact that the best feeling in the
world is that of being appreciated and respected for who you are. It took away
all her false pretences and negativity and made her honest and humble. The
dark clouds in her gloomy life had parted way for a bright sun to break through
with dazzling warm rays to lead her on in life. She smiled to herself
, remembering her favourite quote by P B Shelley, “If winter comes, can spring be
far behind?”
- Abhishek Rai <abhisacredheart3@gmail.com> for Odyssey at Sacred Heart School, Siliguri
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