Abira- A special Child

Looking out of the window, Abira would observe the other children playing. She could feel their joy, in all her being. Then she would look at her feet. Abira had a crippled leg due to which she cannot play. Her crutches were her sole support after her mother. She would struggle to walk and as soon as she enters the classroom, students would make fun of her. Ignoring them, she would sit at her place. All such trivialities affected her mentally. She would come home and would ask her mom, Mum, why god has not made me normal? 

Her mother would pause and reply because you are unique and special. "But mom, everyone calls me names'', I don't like it". Her mom would simply put a hand on her face and console her, saying, "Everyone places attention on the special one, right". Abira would smile and hug her mother. She would trust her mother. Her mother would tell her that "if they would call her names the next time, she would say "thank you". Abira nodded and went to her room.

Her mother would hide her tears but would cry loudly in front of God. Abira would come home and often saw her room sitting in front of the temple. Watching Abira she would wipe off her tears and would cheer her up. The whole day Abira would study and in her idle time, she would paint. Going back to her school, she would not feel confident enough to answer her teacher's questions and would fumble. The whole class would make fun of her and she would simply stare at them. The teacher screams and everyone kept quiet. Abira's talent and intelligence found no room. Her mother would look at her paintings and could see how beautiful she would carve her feelings on the canvas. Her mother could feel her agony and thought of changing her school. But another thought would stop her from doing so as she thought it to be a scapegoat from one place to another. She often cursed her destiny and feared that Abira would fall into depression.

This had become a routine in their life. One day Abira's Hindi teacher was teaching them a story. It was about a poor man who got rich as he prayed to god without fail. God made him rich and deletes all his past sullen memories from his mind. Abira heard the story with so much enthusiasm. She recalled how her mother would sit in front of the temple and pray whenever she would arrive from school. The school got over and Abira returned home like any other day. She enthusiastically came home and asked her mother, Mum, "Can god heal my feet ?" 

Her mom says, "Of course, if you would pray to god and ask him, he will surely heal you". But Mom, it is god only, who has made me like this, then why would he heal me? " Her mother says, "No, god is very kind, he loves everyone, he can never do any wrong, he has not made you like this". Then, Mum, who has made me like this?

Her mother would pause and would say, " It is destiny, it is just the game of fate". "So, can I change my fate, mum", asks Abira. 

Her mother says, "Yes, you can". Abira smiles and goes into the room. The next day, when the school gets over, Abira walks out of the school gate and sees an idol of the god in front of her. She ran towards it and picks it up. Her mom's words rang in her ears, that she could change her destiny. She put the idol in her bag and ran home. She goes into the room and places the idol on the table. She picks up a flower from the temple and places it before the idol. She doesn't tell this to her mother. 

Abira comes from her room and asks her mother, Mum, how should we pray? Her mother laughs and says, Simply close your eyes and ask God whatever you want. Abira says but mom, my Hindi teacher narrated a story. A poor man becomes rich by chanting 10,000 names of God. Her mother laughs again, and asks, "Who told you that Abira?". She says, "Mom, I had asked my Hindi teacher and she says". Her mother says, "Then, she would be right". "Ok, Mom, will you tell me the names", Abira asks. Ok, "I will you tomorrow", replies her mother. The next day Abira comes from her school and went to her room. She would sit in front of the idol and would do the prayers daily. Days pass by her mother would see Abira sitting for hours closing her eyes and praying. One day, she completed her prayers and dozed off. A white light surpassed through her head giving her peace and calmness. She opened her eyes and felt a deep serenity. She felt a newness in her, her thoughts were positive, and she felt confident.

The next day, when she entered the classroom, the other students looked at her and smiled with a friendly gesture. She answered all the questions of the teacher without hesitation. The teachers started appreciating her talent. The same students who would call her names came to befriend her. Abira became popular slowly and steadily due to her amazing artwork. She would take part in art competitions and nobody could stand against her. Her mother could feel the massive change in her behaviour and thanked god. One day, Abira came back home and like any other day went to her home to pray. She found that the idol was missing. She searched it everywhere but everything went in vain. Years passed by but the sacred memories never faded. One night, she dreamt of that idol speaking to her, God told her, "Abira, my child, don't search for me outside, I am within you, I am always there with you guiding you". Abira wakes up from the dream with the feeling of never defeating strength within her.