Maturity And Age

“I want kulfi and a balloon, Bhaiya“ Amit ignored what Heena was asking for. Irrespective of his Sister’s plea, Amit shouted at her to keep quiet. Little six year old girl got scolding from her elder brother.

Both reached home and Amit gave purchased groceries and remaining money to his mother. Heena was crying and sat quietly on chair still demanding for just one kulfi and a balloon. Its been 2 hours continuously but still crying, Amit shouted at her “Heena, we don’t have enough money, don’t yell for ice-cream and balloon“. Heena immediately stopped crying, not because her brother shouted at her but because that little girl understood her family’s condition.

Cream chocolate biscuits Heena’s friends were having, controlling her temptation for those biscuits, Heena ran away to a quiet place and ate simple one all alone. Looking at her friends using colourful pens pink, red, black, purple and all kind of ink and gel pens, Heena felt sad because she had just one ball pen to write. Now she was just 10 years old, but had learned to control her temptations .

It was Parent -Teacher meeting one day, both brother – sister were waiting for their mother to come to school. Their mother reached school taking some time out from her work, but Heena was feeling sad to see her friend’s coming with their father. She missed her father and but she didn’t let anybody know. By the age of 10, Heena had also learnt to control her emotions and how to keep fake smile.

It was the time when she visited her neighbour’s home, Heena found lovely nail paints there. She used one without asking . “From where did you get this nail paint? “ Heena’s mother asked . “It was there in aunt’s home“ Heena replied . She got scolding from her mother for using nail paint without asking, using anybody’s anything without permission is wrong . This incident led another impact on Heena, she realized her mistake and was regretting for her act. This little girl felt so wrong for her act that she made promise to God, “Dear God, Please forgive me, I will not do such things again. I will not use nail paint till the time I buy one with my own money, Please forgive me”. This poor little girl had learned to put pause on her desires and had found her own way to control.

This was not enough. She even controlled her tears when shopkeeper just took away a book from her hands just because she was short of 30 rupees to buy that. Now Heena was 12 years old, She had learned to hide her tears from her mother but above all she had also learned to tell lies from her. “Where is your book? “Her mother asked. “ It was not available at the shop“ Heena lied.

This time there was a different feeling in her, she already knew her economic conditions but this time she got to know that world needs money.

After this incident, she neither yelled to anyone for any materialistic thing nor felt bad but wanted to buy them herself.

With each passing year, her maturity was increasing. When other girls of her age were demanding for new dresses, hair accessories, make up kit, beautiful sandals . She used to just pass by cake shops, looking at her favourite cupcakes, standing there for sometime and thinking one day she would enter this shop, and would buy whatever she wished .

She was 17 then and used to walk 4-5 kilometres every day to reach her school and to save some money, she used to have only her lunch box when her friends were having stuff from canteen. She used to study day and night leaving all picnics or playing with friends because she knew that was the only thing, would give her whatever she desired for.

Days passed and she got graduated and also did post-graduation and started working where she wanted to. Now she was earning, she knew what money matters, she could buy things she wanted for her family. She was no longer standing outside shops or was nowhere controlling her desires.

“Life is tough for everyone, whatever the circumstances you are in, never blame them. Don’t indulge in wrong things, just because you haven’t got right things. Believe yourself and follow your dreams. It is tough but not impossible.“