Aisha And The Veggies

"Aisha come down for dinner dear" Vabna repeatedly screamed from the dining hall but she didn’t come down. Aisha was sitting in her room and grumping. Today she thought of boycotting the dinner. The reason is mom has prepared the same vegetable curry for the dinner which she hates the most. She likes egg or chicken or mutton curries the most but mom forces her everyday to eat vegetables. She knows Aisha’s choice but still always sticks to her point – Vegetables are important for Good Health.

Why vegetables are so important for humans? In the last Science class, Ms. Reema Chaturvedi has discussed on the chapter Food Chain i.e. All types of herbivorous animals eats grass and vegetables which in turn are eaten by carnivorous animals and in this way the goodness of vegetables goes to their body. So Aisha’s reasoning for not eating veggies is we too get the goodness of them by eating eggs chicken or mutton. Then why eat tasteless veggie soups or curries?

Aisha at last agreed to eat when her mom served her an omelette too in the dinner plate. After dinner she went to sleep.

Suddenly, Aisha woke up to the sound she felt she has heard at the back of the house. She opened her eyes and found the moon shining brightly in the night sky. So it’s still night, she thought. Then what was the source of the sound? Is there something inside her room? The moment this thought came in her mind she felt cold. She kept her eyes wide open but didn't move a bit. After a while she could understand that the source of the sound was outside her room. Who is making the sound? She was quite sure that the weird animal she had read about in the story book before going to sleep is moving around the house and maybe peeping through the window too. If she moves a bit on the bed it may notice her watching and will come inside the room. But the sound didn’t decrease rather increased bit by bit.

Now she couraged to get down from her bed and went out of the room. She peeped inside her parents’ room and found them sleeping. The sound was coming from downstairs and she felt the source was kitchen. She tiptoed down the stairs and peeped inside the dining hall. No one was there. Then she sneaked a look inside the kitchen and was surprised to find the vegetables fruits and meat stuffs which were inside the refrigerator were now sitting on the floor. Yes, sitting! She was shocked. How was it possible? She felt she is dreaming so pinched her left hand hard. And then she squealed “Uhh!” feeling pain in her hand. Her cry made the veggies look back towards the door. Cabbage said – "Who’s there?" She said, "It’s me, Aisha," and asked "How come you all are moving or talking? It is something abnormal to me."

Potato said – "It isn’t bizarre. And what is the reason of your coming here?"

Radish said – "Maybe the sound of our discussion has reached her ears."

Aisha now said – "Yes, I came here hearing a sound. So, what are you all discussing about?"

Cauliflower said – "Aisha, please have your seat and listen to our discussion then you will be aware of the topic on which we are debating."

Aisha sat on the floor beside them and looked from one vegetable to another. Everyone’s face was very serious. She was amazed to see even fish, egg, meat have joined the meeting.

Onion said – "So what will we do now?"

Pumpkin shook his head sadly and said – "I feel we should accept their proposal."

Capsicum screamed – "Are you mad?"

"No, he isn’t," said Cabbage.

Carrot said – "I agree with pumpkin."

At this point, Aisha said, "May I ask a question?"

Radish – "Go ahead."

"What is the topic on which you all are discussing?"

Cauliflower – "The topic is should we leave earth and go to the new planet with them."

Potato – "Please say everything clearly, dear Cauli or she won’t understand."

Cauliflower – "Ok, I’m saying from beginning. For past few years, humans especially the children have turned away from vegetables and turned towards non veg items and love eating only them. We took the help of the doctors, dieticians, public figures and even some companies to make you understand the importance and necessity of vegetables and fruits but all went in vain. The important point that surfaced is humans and their children hate vegetables and fruits. We were sad at this fact and were thinking what can be done when last week an organism came to visit us. We were at first surprised to see it as he looked almost like human being but something differed in it from the human beings we see everyday. It came and made friendship with us. Then it gave us its’ or rather their proposal. It said it has come from another planet, not from our milky way but outside it. We asked the reason of its coming, then it said that they are collecting all the good things from the whole universe to make their planet beautiful place to live in for generations. It asked few of our samples to join it to go to their planet."

Potato said – "That’s when we thought, why send samples rather decided to join it to go its planet forever."

Aisha asked, "But why do you want to leave our planet?"

Carrot said – "No one loves us, so what’s left for us to stay back at that place where no one cares for us. So today we have joined for voting, should we send samples or should we join it with our families. Most have given their vote in favour leaving few, who opposed us. You be happy with eggs, chicken, mutton and dishes prepared from them. And of course burgers and pizzas and all sorts of fried food.”

At this point, a chicken popped out from one of the egg and said – "Oh no. Please don’t go. If you go away then what will we eat? How will our generation survive? And it’s the same with the goats, sheep, pigs and the other herbivorous animals, whose meat is eaten by humans."

Mutton said – "Yes, I agree with chicken."

Fish said – "Yes, we too eat plantations floating in water."

The burger was still now silent listening carefully to every word. Now it said – "If vegetables leave the planet, no one is going to eat us. We are tasteful because there is a combination of vegetables in my stuffing."

Pizza said – "I agree with burger."

Cabbage said – "But now we have taken our decision."

Capsicum said – "But you don’t understand, we took birth on earth so we know this planet. But the planet from where the organism has come is unknown to us and the atmosphere too."

There was sudden silence in the room. Everyone was thinking over Capsicum’s words.

Potato said – "But tomorrow, we have to express our decision to it."

Aisha too became worried. Until now she felt vegetables and fruits were the worst things parents force them to eat. But after listening to this discussion, she could understand their importance. She thought if the vegetables and fruits went away then what will the human beings eat? She felt she should try at least to convince them to stay back on mother earth. She requested every veggie to stay back. And she promised she will eat vegetables and fruits from now onwards, will share the importance and uniqueness of each one to her, the friends of hers and other children of their school and ask them to eat vegetables too.

Potato asked – "And what will we answer to it?"

She said, "Send some samples of yours with it as it has asked."

Suddenly someone shook her and said, "Get up Aisha and be ready for school quickly."

Aisha woke up to find herself on her bed. She didn’t understand when she returned from the kitchen. Was it a dream or reality, she thought. Her mom asked, "What are you going to take for school today dear?"

She said, "Veggie roll mummy!" and ran towards the bathroom. Vabna was both surprised and happy.