My First First Prize

All our parents are talking about Wuhan and some viruses. Yes, what is so special about it? Me Shreyashi and my best friend Manipriya were discussing. Aruna Ma'am has come, shhh! quiet.

Children tomorrow is a fancy dress competition, theme- Flora, and Fauna. Don't buy anything, try something interesting, like face makeup or masks and prepare your lines. Remember this is the last competition of this session, next session you all will be promoted to class 2.

I came back home and asked my father, "Papa will you attend my last PTM? " I will surely try, Shreyashi if anything urgent doesn't come. Nowadays we all doctors are busy studying and knowing more about this novel coronavirus. This is something new for all of us and being a doctor I should be prepared to serve.

Let us rehearse one more time, " I am Baghira........". Well done my princess. All the best for tomorrow. Sleep early, tomorrow makeup will take time. Okay papa, good night. Papa dropped me at school and left for the hospital. Aruna Ma'am appreciated my makeup. Evening my mother got two messages, first, Shreyashi won the first prize in a fancy dress competition and the second one school will be closed for an unknown period due to a novel coronavirus.

We all were very excited that I got the first prize but I want to share it with papa. Where is he, why didn't he come back? I asked mom to call papa, I want to inform him. Mom hold me in her arms and said sorry Papa will not be able to come back home for some days. He will stay in hospital quarters till they are able to handle this new disease.

I cried a lot, for the first time I ranked first but I will not get the certificate and prize because school got closed. I can't share this with my Papa because if he comes home we can get infected. In order to keep us safe, he is staying away from us and has advised us not to go out. It's been a year since Papa didn't come home, he makes video calls only. Though he got vaccinated but says safety is the best policy. He keeps sending us masks and hand sanitizers.

After a year when cases started decreasing, he came home and used to stay for a few days. "I miss you so much Papa, see I made so many miss you cards for you." Papa hugged her loving daughter tightly. This is a very difficult time for people across the country. We all are fighting. The only safety guard is our mask, never forget this. when you go out carry sanitizer.

Got it, Papa, don't worry. I am a big girl, Aruna Ma'am told us everything. We wash our hands after every 30 minutes and try not to go out until very necessary. But ma'am doesn't say when will I get my fancy dress competition's first prize.

Vaccines, masks, soap, and a hand sanitizer, are safety shields from coronavirus. This is the need of the hour. In your life, you will win many more prizes. Like Baghira stayed together with Moghli and other jungle animals, we all have to stay together and fight together to save humanity.