A Big Lesson

Some years ago, there was a girl named Aparna. She studied in class six in an English Medium School. She was very intelligent and always topped her class. All the teachers liked her. They were sure that one day she would bring a good name for the school and her family. Owing to her humble nature, she was very popular in school. Every student wanted to be her friend.

There was another girl in the class, Akanksha. She was jealous of Aparna and anyhow wanted to secure better marks than her in the exams and clinch the first position from her, but every time she had to satisfy only with the second position. Since she was not able to beat Aparna in the academics, she fell gradually into depression and started losing her confidence. Her parents were not satisfied with her performance in the school and wanted her anyhow to top her class. But she had realized that as long as Aparna was there, it was impossible for her to get the top position. This thought made a home in her mind and pushed her gradually into depression. Now she did not like to talk to anybody. At home also, she started keeping a distance from her parents and siblings. When her parents said anything to her, she simply hung her head. She also stopped talking to Tripti, who was her best friend. She, previously, sat with her on the same desk in the school and spent most of her time with her, but it seemed that she had lost her interest in everything.

Tripti was a clever girl and was very quick to read other’s minds. So she did not take long to understand that something was wrong with her friend. One evening, she went to her house pretending to borrow some notes from her, and getting her alone in her study, asked her what the reason was of her sadness and why she was keeping away from her in the school. At first, she refused to say anything, but when Tripti pestered her by reminding their friendship, she suddenly broke into tears and told her everything. After listening to her patiently, she assured to help her and said something into her ear.

The next day, Akanksha was a changed girl. She seemed more jovial than before. In the sports period, when all the children had gone out to the playground, she found Aparna alone and said to her, “ Aparna, would you be my best friend? I like you very much and want to be your best friend.” Aparna unaware of her hidden intent accepted her friendship. Now, she started spending most of her time together. They also started sitting together. One day, Akanksha told her that if she did not object, she and her old friend, Tripti, would like to visit her house after school and spend some time together. Aparna had no objection to it. So the next day, Akanksha and Aparna both went to her house after school and spent there for over two hours. Many times, she said that they should leave her now as it was her study time, but they did not leave her before evening. This became their daily routine. After school, both the girls arrived at her house and stayed there till evening. In the beginning, Aparna’s parents did not mind it, but when it became a daily routine of these girls they cautioned their daughter, but there was no effect on her.

After some days, the periodic test was held in her school in which Aparna’s marks were not satisfactory in any subject whereas Akanksha and Tripti scored much better marks than her. She was very sad to see her marks. She thought that their parents were right in their words when they had cautioned her against keeping the company of those shrewd girls. Now she had understood the purpose of their making friends with her. She remembered that after she accepted their friendship, she could never pay proper attention to her study and the consequence was before her.

In the half-yearly examination, Aparna again topped her class. Her parents were proud of their daughter. Akanksha secured only the fifth position and she was not happy with it.

After some days, the Annual Function was held in the school in which Aparna was awarded the Best Student’s Trophy. Her parents were also called to the stage and honored before all. After the function, when she was going home, she saw that Akanksha and Tripti were looking at her from some distance. She asked her parents to wait for her sometime and went to the girls and hugged them, and after that, she said that she would be very happy if they started working hard and win the award of the Best Student the next year. She also promised them of all possible help provided they pursued their study with sincerity and diligence.