Feelings and emotions play a vital role in the well-being of our minds and thought processes, which influences our relationships on a personal and societal level. We use words to express our emotions, but sometimes, a smile alone can convey our mood and emotions. A smile cuts across all barriers of age and communication. Sometimes, a smile can start a friendship and dissolve differences.
In our day-to-day interactions with people around us, in the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes we miss out on acknowledging the watchman’s greetings or the wave of a passing neighbour’s hand. But with children, it is a different story. Children bond readily with each other and hold no grudges, be it their friends or elders.
Khushi was one such child in our society. True to her name, she was full of joy and always brought a smile to another face. Her playfulness and loving nature touched the heart of an old lady tenant staying in the building and broke her barriers of loneliness.
One day, the children were playing their favorite game of passing the ball when it landed on the balcony of the old lady’s flat. “Who’s there?” the old lady screamed when the doorbell rang.
The frightened children fled. Standing there, she trembled when the door flew open. Bravely putting on her cutest smile, she whispered, “Hello! Aunty, may I come in?”
Surprised by her request, the enraged lady stood still while the little girl quietly entered the house. The child saw the ball lying on the balcony but was afraid to pick it up.
“Why have you come here?” asked the grumpy old lady.
“I just came to say hello,” meekly answered the girl.
The lopsided smile on the sulking old face hinted that no one visited her, and she was surprised to see this little visitor.
“I will come again tomorrow,” the girl bravely said and left the house.
The next day, when the bell rang, there was no screaming. The door slowly opened as the old lady peeped out. She saw a pair of small hands holding a bouquet of lovely garden flowers. This time, a smile faintly lit the wrinkled face as she opened the door wider for the little visitor to enter.
“These flowers are for you,” the little girl smiled as she gave them.
To her surprise, the old lady asked her to sit and said, “What is your name?”
“Khushi,” replied a chirpy voice.
“May I call you Nani?” asked Khushi. Tears welled up in the old eyes. She held out a frail hand and drew Khushi closer to her. Hugging her tightly, she replied, “Yes, beta.”
Smiling through the tears, she continued, “Promise me, you will come to meet me again. Please ring my doorbell every day, and bring your friends also. I will give them biscuits and sweets.” Khushi happily nodded her head. From that day, the children were not afraid of the old lady. All the neighbours were also happy for her.
Our life is an intricate web of relationships. Lack of communication causes emotional blocks in this web. A kind word, hug, or warm smile makes some moments memorable to be cherished forever.
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– Munira Dalal
About the Author:
Munira Dalal holds a B.A. in Sociology and is a respected educator with nearly two decades of experience teaching across various schools and coaching students from all boards. She is also a Level 8 trained Abacus instructor. Munira’s creative flair extends to designing greeting cards, leading to the successful launch of her brand, SHABNAM, which offers a collection of exclusive, self-designed greeting cards. Her poetry, covering diverse themes, has been widely appreciated and awarded in renowned literary forums, including Asian Literary Society, POEMarium, Prose and Poetry with January Khan, StoryScrapers, Penmancy, Poetry Planet, and Beyond The Box. In recognition of her outstanding contribution to literature, she was honored with the SAMPOORNAM MEMORIAL AWARD 2018 by the Asian Literary Society.
Wow loved it, what a heartwarming tale of communication in relationships.