Shishukunj

Everyday – 1

Class XI

Ishita Jain, XI B

Sanjana Harkawat

Mitali Khatwani, XI B

Anushka Thamman, XI C

Prejudice

Tanya Thakur, Class VIII F

Do you even know how that person is,

Before you put him down with prejudice.

She’s black, she’s white, she’s oh my god!

Look at that dress she’s wearing, that’s so odd.

She’s not pretty, she’s so ugly.

So? She might be one of those who aren’t lovely.

Bad is her appearance, will bad be her soul?

Does it mean she hasn’t any important role?

Why is this that a person is judged,

When opportunities aren’t given much?

Our actions, good or bad, affect people,

Let’s do good, it’s just that simple!

Human beings, God’s most unique creation, are not meant to be perfect. In fact, our little flaws and mistakes make us more human than a robot. I am reminded of an incident which taught me the fact that we all make mistakes.

One day, I got up late and missed my school bus. I was severely reprimanded and got some respite only after I had promised to always be punctual. Only to find, the next day, my mother had overslept and reached office two hours late.

The whole day, she avoided me but in the end came to me and said, “It’s human nature to make mistakes. We all do. The better thing is to learn from them. I have learnt and I hope so have you.”

“I have”, I replied as I realized that we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. I take FAIL to be the ‘First Attempt In Learning’. I am therefore not afraid of making mistakes. I learn from them and correct them in no time.

The Day When Everything Went Wrong

Geetika Kutumbale, Class X E

In the summer of 2015, I visited my grandmother’s place in Delhi. It was a week-long visit including a family-get-together hosted by us. Everything was set – the venue, the guest list, the arrangements, the decoration, everything. The occasion was my grandmother’s 60^th birthday.

Everyone in the family had been assigned some or the other work. When responsibilities and work were distributed, I had eagerly said, “I will look after the guest accommodation at the hotel.”

This was a real big responsibility that I had invited upon my shoulders. To begin with, I had to allot rooms to everyone, for which I needed the guest list.

Mistake number 1 – I had left it at home in Indore and there was no way we could get it in Delhi. The list had to be made again from scratch.

Just before the event was to begin, I was still running around since (it seemed) everyone had to assign me some or the odd job at the last moment. In my hurry, I almost tripped over the stairs. Thankfully, I didn’t break any bone. But the heel of my sandal did not survive the fall.

That was mistake number 2. I had to do all the work, limping about here and there in front of some 200 guests with a broken heel. With the hustle-bustle and the rush all this had caused in my mind, I spilled a glass of juice on my baby cousin’s clothes.

Mistake number 3 was a big mistake. Having a crying baby at a party is the biggest trouble anyone can get into.

When the party finally got over, we left the venue and were on our way back to grandma’s house. Just as we were about to reach home after a 2 hour car ride through the Delhi traffic, my dad got a phone call from the hotel.

“Sir, I’m afraid you’ve forgotten the cake and the bag of gifts here at the hotel. When would you be able to collect it?”

I can never forget the expression on everyone’s face. It was again my responsibility to ensure that the cake and gifts were loaded onto the car. All I could say was, “We all make mistakes!”

A Second Chance

Prateeksha Jana, Class X D

As Phil stumbled upon a milk crate in the midst of a stranger’s run-down apartment, he wondered what he was doing with his life.

Phil needed money pretty badly. Having had a falling out with his family years ago, he couldn’t go back to them like a puppy. He was too proud to do that. He had been doing odd jobs for a while and this latest one required him to model for an artist. He figured, why not? He didn’t know yet that this was going to change his life completely.

The boy who stood in front of Phil was flecked with paint all over. “I’m Dan. You must have come here to pose for me,” he said, a lit cigarette dangling from his lips, a half-smirk on the face.

They didn’t become friends immediately. Dan was a sarcastic loner, Phil was a ray of sunshine. Complete opposites. But they were the closest either had to a family. With Phil around, Dan was a little less depressed and more himself. Initially, he had pushed Phil away, telling himself he didn’t need friends.

“Fine then! I don’t need you either! Do you take me to be a charity case?” Phil screamed.

After two hours, they happened to meet again. They apologized profusely because yes, they were a family. Family wasn’t supposed to be broken. They ordered Chinese and read poetry, all curled up in Dan’s blanket. They’d both been affected second chances and they weren’t about to let go.

We all make mistakes. But we also mend each other and heal.

An Unforgiveable Mistake

Anushka Mimani, Class X B

There she was, weeping silently near the fireplace. She looked so fragile, almost like a broken doll. He knelt next to her and raised her chin up. And then he saw it. Guilt. Her eyes, once fiery red, were lifeless, laden with guilt.

“Oh Bella, what did you do?” he whispered.

She looked away and barely audible, whispered back, “I….I drank a man’s blood.”

He tensed up and his fingers clenched. His eyes as black as midnight. She shut her eyes, awaiting his verdict.

Instead, she found two arms wrapped around her. “Shh!” he cooed sweetly. “Everyone makes mistakes.” She relaxed. Almost as if she had learnt to breathe again.

“But this one is unforgiveable!” and with that he plunged the steel into her unsuspecting heart.

We All Make Mistakes

Anoushka Patwardhan, Class X E

“We all make mistakes, don’t we?” said Theo.

“Yeah, we do. But the impact of our mistakes have to be borne by us. We have to face the consequences Theo.” Exclaimed Lydia, “You could have done better. Our entire batch is going to be a sophomore now and here you are, still a junior. I don’t think we can be friends anymore.”

Theo looked at his books with a wistful eye and said, “I am sorry that I procrastinated when I should have been studying. I have learnt my lesson. I will not let this happen again.”

“Still, it’ll be embarrassing to be seen anywhere near you. I am sorry,” and Lydia walked away.

Many years later…

Theo has become a successful businessman and Lydia approaches him for a job. After overcoming the initial hesitation, Lydia approached Theo and said, “Well, look at you Theo, you are doing great! I am sorry I broke our friendship. Please forgive me. We all make mistakes don’t we?”

Theo smiled at Lydia and said, “Yes, we do. But I am not making a mistake again,” and walked away.

Every mistake is also an opportunity

Khyati Vyas, Class X A

It was Sunday morning and Mrs. Verma was making breakfast while her husband was out gardening – something that verged almost on an obsession for him. He treated his plants like his own children, even softly conversing with them. His kitchen garden was his biggest pride, supplying fresh vegetables round the year.

This morning he was delighted to spot tiny tomatoes coming up and even the spinach growing rapidly. He quickly went to have his breakfast, planning to spend the rest of the morning planting some dahlias.

While he was happily dreaming about his garden with a mouthful of porridge, he was unaware that his maid’s nine year old son was wreaking havoc in his beloved garden.

When Mr. Verma returned to his garden his heart stopped for a moment when he saw tiny bits of tomatoes strewn everywhere amidst rose petals. As he stood there, heartbroken, his maid rushed to him begging for forgiveness. Her son stood at a distance, weeping, apparently already having received sever chiding from his mother.

Mr. Verma looked at them and said, “Everyone commits mistakes. I’m not angry. Instead, I propose to teach your son gardening. Learning to take care of plants will make him more responsible than beating him for his mistakes.”

Today, he proudly flaunts an amazing garden again, with great efforts from his pupil, their maid’s son!