Thank You (A story of gratitude)

   (Published in Chhatraprabodhan)


It was a beautiful summer morning. Jay woke up in a happy mood. He had been looking forward to this day. It was his 13th birthday, a milestone! He had already made several plans. As he entered the dining room for breakfast, an appetizing aroma of freshly baked cake greeted him. 

‘Happy Birthday, Dada!’ His little sister came running down the stairs and flung her arms around him. ‘Here! I made you a greeting card,’ she said, handing him a colourful piece of paper. 

‘Listen, Neha, my friends are coming today. I don’t want you to disturb us with your silly antics. Understood?’ 

Neha just gaped at this, and before she could respond, Jay was off.

The whole day, Jay was pampered silly with gifts. His grandparents came with special sweets and his uncle gifted him a shirt. A long cherished dream of owning a mountain bike was fulfilled as his parents got him one. In the evening, his friends came along and they had a blast. They ordered pizza and cut the cake.

Even so, at the end of the day, Jay had a weird feeling as if something was missing.  He looked back at the day gone by. What was bothering him? He had had a lot of fun with his friends. But Jay was disappointed that his best friend couldn’t come to the party. How could he have missed it! 

Come to think of it, even the gifts were just average. The shirt was the wrong colour and the bike was not of his choice. And didn’t Grandpa remember how much he disliked sweets? On top of that, he was irritated with his mother’s constant prying and his father’s instructions. He was grown up now, a teenager no less! Why did they treat him like a baby? He went to bed later than usual, bothered to no end by these questions.

The following morning, a voice rang out loudly, jerking him out of sleep. “Jay! Jay!!” He trudged lazily down to the door, only to see that Sanmay was standing on the doorstep. “There you are,” he exclaimed when he saw Jay, and added with a frown, “Don’t tell me you forgot our trekking plan! Come on, get ready quickly. And hey, sorry again for not coming yesterday. I had no choice!” Nitya, Rehan and Bela too were waiting for Jay.

Jay’s mother appeared from the kitchen. She said, “Jay hasn’t had breakfast. Why don’t you all join him? First have some sabudana khichadi, then you can go on to your trek.” Who could say no to that? Everyone loved Jay’s mom’s cooking and they couldn’t resist staying. In any case, they had plenty of time to trek as it was their summer break, after all.

When they reached the hill, the sun was already up. Apart from a bunch of scruffy kids playing cricket, there was not a soul in sight. The air was pleasantly cool. They could hear the sounds of the city in a distance. The friends sat in the shade of a banyan tree, chatting.

Cheers and whoops from the kids caught Jay’s attention. He started observing them. They had a broken bat and a torn ball. Their shoes were in shambles. One of the children was even barefoot. But they were laughing and shouting with abandon. Idly, Jay started following their game. Their enthusiasm was infectious. At one point, the barefoot kid made such a great catch that Jay’s face broke into a grin.

He stood up and approached the group, meaning to join them in their game. His friends came along with him. By the time they stopped playing, it was late afternoon. They were drenched in sweat, their faces glowing red with exertion, and a cool breeze was blowing through their hair. They parted, promising to meet again. 

On the way back, Jay’s heart felt light. As they walked home, he looked up, noticing the dazzling blue sky and the rich green canopy of trees. He listened intently to the sweet chirping of the birds, as though for the first time. Glancing at his laughing friends, he didn't know why, but it felt as if a burden had lifted off his mind. He came home in a happy mood.

In the front yard, he saw his new bike, still untouched. He wondered how exciting it would be to take this out on a ride. 

“Jay, don’t you like this model?” His father asked him anxiously. “You didn’t seem happy with our surprise yesterday. Don’t worry. We can get it exchanged if you want. I have already spoken to the dealer.”

“Uh?” Jay felt a twinge of guilt. “No, it’s nice. I will try it out first and then we will see.” 

At dinner, Neha was unusually quiet. In an attempt to cheer her up, Jay said to her, “Neha, your greeting card is awesome! Bela’s birthday is coming up. Can you make a card for her? You know how terrible I am at art!” Jay said. 

The effect of his words was instantaneous. Neha laughed and happily agreed.

That night, as Jay lay in bed, he mused on the wonderful day he’d had. The hill, the match, the dazzling sun, it was all imprinted on his mind. What a lot of fun those kids were, though they were completely different from Jay and his friends. He had never thought he would enjoy playing cricket this much, that too with a broken bat! He was tired beyond belief! Jay was once again unable to sleep. But this time, it was not disappointment, rather a new nagging feeling that kept him up.

He thought of his displeasure last night, which had actually been for no particular reason. He had been in such a bad mood! He recalled how rude he was with Neha. How he had dismissed the loving gestures of his family! He wondered what had changed in a day.

He realized the kids on the hill had inadvertently wrought a change in him, and taught him to appreciate the little joys in life. That night, Jay gratefully thought of his warm family and vibrant school. He remembered the piles of gifts he had received. And how lucky he was to have a best friend who always supported him! There was no reason to grumble really! He let out a sigh of relief and said “Thank You!” to no one in particular. He fell asleep with his heart brimming with happiness and gratitude.