Ravi was a boy with eyes as bright as a peacock's feather, living in a village painted with sunshine and stories. But lately, Ravi's sunshine had dimmed. Exams were coming, and the pressure felt heavy, like a backpack full of bricks.
His mother, a woman whose laughter chimed like temple bells, urged him to study. "Top marks, Ravi! You must outshine everyone!" His father, a man with a voice as booming as a tabla drum, agreed, "Success is all that matters, my boy!"
Ravi, lost in a sea of textbooks, felt like a tiny paper boat about to capsize. The weight of their expectations pressed down on him, heavier than a thousand mangoes. One night, overwhelmed, he crept out of his house, his heart a drum of worry.
He wandered to the mango grove, where fireflies winked like tiny stars. He wished he could fly away with them, escape the suffocating pressure. He thought about the exams, the disappointment, and a terrible thought bloomed in his heart.
"What's the point?" he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. He looked at the well, its dark mouth yawning in the night. "I'm a failure. Maybe it's better if…"
Suddenly, a voice chirped, "Better if what, little one?" A tiny, wise owl with eyes like amber beads perched on the well's edge. Ravi, startled, blurted out his worries, his voice thick with tears.
The owl listened patiently, then hooted softly, "Marks are like the colors of a rainbow, little one. Each one beautiful, but together they make something magnificent. Your worth is not a single color, but the entire spectrum!"
Ravi looked up at the night sky. The stars, he realized, weren't competing to be the brightest; they just shone, each one unique. The owl was right! His worth wasn't a test score, but his kindness, his laughter, his love for cricket.
He ran back home, a new lightness in his step. He hugged his parents, their faces etched with concern. "I need to talk to you," he said, his voice trembling but firm. He told them everything, his fears, his sadness, his realization.
His parents, their faces softening, looked at each other. Their eyes, usually shining with ambition, were filled with a new light - the light of understanding. They hugged Ravi tightly. "We just want you to be happy," his mother whispered.
From that day, the pressure lifted. Ravi studied, but not to outshine, just to learn. The exams came and went, and Ravi faced them with a smile. He didn't get the highest marks, but he discovered something more valuable.
He learned that life, like a rainbow, was a beautiful mix of colors, and every shade, every experience mattered. He learned that his worth came from within, from being the best Ravi he could be, shining brightly in his own unique way.
Reflection Questions