Magic Box Of Joy

Sulieman was an 8-year-old boy, thin, pale, and with sad eyes. He had no friends and sat alone in the corner of his class. His mother often worried about him, she tried talking to his teachers but Sulieman did not respond to their efforts as well. Days passed and Sulieman’s face started getting sadder each passing day. It looked as if he did not know how to smile. Then one day, right before Sulieman’s 9th birthday his mother decided to give him a gift. She went to the market and brought Sulieman a gift wrapped in glittery paper. Sad faced Sulieman unwrapped it at 12 a.m and found a bright yellow box. When he was about to open it his mother said, “Sulieman, this is a magic box, it contains a miraculous seed that will bring your smile back, but the only condition is that you must not open it until it is touched by 3 happy people while you too are smiling.” Sulieman grew sadder. But he was curious to find out the miraculous seed of happiness.

Next morning Sulieman went to his school, he saw the group of chirpy kids playing and thought they might help, he went to them and sheepishly said, “h-hello, I am Sulieman, today is my birthday and I want you to touch this box as it contains the seed of my happiness and you all seem happy can you help me?” Everyone ignored him but Vikram with doe shaped eyes came forward and smiled and touched the box, Sulieman smiled back. Vikram offered him his lunchbox and they both sat together.

Next Sulieman saw his teacher she smiled often and beautifully, he went to her and requested her the same thing that he did to Vikram and chirpy kids. The teacher smiled wider and asked Sulieman that she would surely touch the magic box if he sat on the first bench and answered the questions asked in the class. Sulieman did as he was told and found out that he actually enjoyed the English lecture, he gave prompt answers and was well appreciated by the teacher. By the end of the class, he already had a smile and the teacher as she had promised smiled back and touched the box.

Sulieman on returning back felt lighter and happier, the long-forgotten curve of a smile around his lips seemed to make a comeback, now only one person was left to touch the magic box and he would soon get the magic seed of happiness. He went to his mother and seeing him with a smile she too felt happy. She cooked his favorite meal and to her surprise Sulieman had invited Vikram too to join him for dinner. Sulieman’s mother had tears in her eyes, three of them enjoyed the dinner and dessert. They shared jokes and laughed and played games.

At night, Sulieman went to his mother and asked her to touch the box, his smile widened and mother’s eyes filled with tears of happiness. She touched the box and Sulieman took the box and put it away. His mother was concerned and asked, “Why you kept it away? Don’t you want the seed of happiness?” To which Sulieman replied, “Mother, I made a friend today, I enjoyed in class and I made you smile, this is enough for me, this really is the magic box of happiness and I want to keep it with myself forever, I have got what i always wanted and now i am no more Sulieman with a sad face, I am Sulieman with a magic box of happiness right in my heart.” Having said that he hugged his mother and from then on he never forgot to Smile.