The classroom was empty, and Enaika sat there with a forlorn expression on her face. Her mind was still consumed by the anger and disappointment she had experienced from her mother. She had not intended to break the plate and ruin the food, but it had happened accidentally. However, her mother's sharp and scathing berating made her feel even worse. She wanted her mother to console her, to be gentle with her, to help her understand her mistake with kindness, and to correct her behavior. But instead, her mother had chosen to be rude and grumpy, tripling her guilt.
Even though she had forgiven her mother for the unpleasant incident the day before, she still couldn't forget about it. She had tried to distract herself with activities, but it didn't work. She knew she wasn't a bad girl, but she struggled to fix her attitude and behave courteously. Whenever she tried to be more mindful of her surroundings and less glued to her gadgets, she ended up hurting her mother with her inattentiveness.
At this delicate age, comprehending her mother's perspective wasn't easy for her because she was immature -- too young to understand the atrocities, adversities, and pain she always caused her mother through her impolite words and unappreciative demeanor.
Enaika lifted her tired, ragged school bag with a sense of resignation, knowing that she had to face her mother again. The thought of returning home filled her with a deep sense of dread, but she realized that she couldn't avoid the inevitable. She had been holding onto a grudge against her mother for too long, and it was time to let go. She understood that her current attitude was causing unbearable pain to her mother, and if she didn't change her behavior soon, it would affect her relationship with her father and grandmother as well. She knew that she had to learn the importance of being courteous, tolerant, and prudent, even if it meant swallowing her pride and apologizing to her mother. It was a difficult realization to come to terms with, but she was determined to make things right and restore harmony to her family.
The tranquil environment surrounding the playground was suddenly disrupted by the loud and rowdy voices of three older students, catching the attention of a young girl nearby. Enaika turned her head in curiosity and looked toward the source of the commotion. To her dismay, she noticed that the boys were tormenting someone she knew - it was Aradhya, standing alone next to the empty bench. His face was etched with humiliation, and tears streamed down his cheeks as he watched helplessly. The boys were rifling through his school bag and playing with his tiffin box, taking advantage of his vulnerability and laughing at his distress.
Her heart sank with the weight of empathy for the young, helpless boy who stood at some distance. He feebly pleaded with the group of heartless individuals to spare him, begging for mercy in the name of God. But these people were not moved by his distress. They belonged to a wealthy and influential family, which had spoiled them and given them the power to harass those who were weaker than them, including students like Aradhya. The uncivilized humans almost succeeded in shattering Aradhya's self-confidence with their disparaging remarks about his cowardly attitude and unattractive personality. Witnessing this made her feel disgusted with the cruelty that some people are capable of.
Enaika took no time to rush out of the classroom, reaching out to her favorite teacher, animatedly chatting with another lady of her age -- The little young girl was quick to have her attention by taking her name urgently, making four heads swerve in her direction.
"What happened?" Mrs.Poddar asked her student in a soft voice.
"Ma'am, some students are harassing Aradhya," Enaika said while panting heavily, her face soiled with sweat and agitation.
"Really? Where?" Mrs.Poddar was thoroughly astonished by the audacity of the young students of their school to humiliate an innocent boy.
"Playground," Enaika informed her teacher, gesturing to the rest of the people standing in the vicinity to follow her as she furiously approached the back door to reach out to those unmannerly humans, her amber eyes blazing with contempt and her small body making everyone else feel intimidated by her.
