The Different and The Same

It was a sunny morning. As it was a holiday for school, Kavya got up from bed a little later than her usual time. Kavya, a girl from 4th?standard, got up and waved goodbye to her mummy and daddy as they were leaving for their office. Now she was alone in the house. bored and confused about what to do. She decided to go and play in the garden downstairs. She started hitting a rock and decided to reach the society’s gate without missing the rock. She was very determined about it and her full concentration was on the rock. As she was just about to reach the society’s gate, suddenly the rock hit an uncle from her building.?

Little frightened, she looked up and saw him. He was wearing a black knee-length kurta, a salwar. With a big bag in his hand full with so many items, one could tell that he had been to the market. She got scared and tried to sneak out without getting noticed as she remembered her mom’s words. Her mom always warned her about not talking to that uncle, not going to his house, or playing with his son. Just when she was trying to leave silently, that's when uncle called her. Now nervous, Kavya just stood there without turning toward him. Thousands of thoughts went through her head in a flash of seconds.??She was finding explanations and how to cover up. He smiled and offered her chocolate.??Slowly she turned and raised her eyes to see her uncle. She was excited to see chocolate but she was in a dilemma whether to take it or not as she was told not to take anything from that uncle, but it was her favorite chocolate. How can she say no to her favorite chocolate?! But she can't accept it either. she kept glancing at him, wondering what is so wrong with this uncle that mom finds. He is just similar to other uncles. Except for a long beard and a skull cap.??Everything was similar. She simply continued staring.??

Then a small boy shouted from behind “Abba, Ammi ne khane pe bulaya hai”.??She looked behind and saw Rehman, a boy from her class. Uncle invited her for lunch with them, she hesitated but her mind was stuck on her chocolate. Instead of playing alone, she decided to go with them. As they were approaching the apartment all of her dilemmas went out the window as she smelled the delicious Sheer Khurma and Biryani.??

And what happened next was something no one can imagine.

They went inside, the uncle announced as they entered “Rehman ki aami, badhiya khana dena bacchi ko, aaj ghar mai dawat pe bada mehman aaya hai”.?

Kavya immediately remembered her grandfather’s words, he used to say the same words to her grandmother.??She smiled and took the chocolate from uncle’s hand.??as they went inside, Rehman and Kavya started playing. Kavya found the atmosphere perfectly fine and comfortable. And she forgot about her mom’s words.?

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As they were playing, uncle called Rehman to recite the afternoon Namaz. Rehman got up and started walking, he stopped midway and invited Kavya to come with him.??They both went inside. Rehman took his seat with his father, Kavya didn’t understand what to do.?

Rehman’s mom asked her to sit and told her that we pray to Allah just like you and your parents pray to Lord Krishna. Now Kavya was familiar with what they were going to do. She took her seat and asked aunty if she could wear the same dupatta similar to aunty.??Aunty smiled and wrapped the dupatta around her head. Now, uncle and aunty were curious about what she will do next, they sat there for a moment. The awkward silence was rising.??But to their surprise she started with the peace prayer she learned at school. Rehman was also confused, this was not a similar prayer he recites every day with Ammi and Abba. But since he knew the peace prayer by heart, he started saying it with Kavya. Uncle and aunty were mesmerized at the sight of the pure innocence of the two children. They too joined their little peace prayer with the brightest smiles on their faces.??

Kavya was very happy. After the prayer, she looked at aunty happily. She was happy that she knew the prayer they were going to recite. They all sat for lunch, completely busy eating and enjoying biryani.??The two innocent souls never understood what happened in those 15mins. These two children had done what the elders couldn’t do.?

Later that evening, Kavya told her mom and dad over dinner what happened in the afternoon. And Kavya told her mom all about the loving and kind gestures of Rehman’s parents. Struck with amazement, Kavya’s mother understood her mistake and smiled at the understanding of the message the children taught her unknowingly.?

In today’s time, where people from both communities spread hatred; when we all are finding reasons and excuses to divide and kill each other. These two children found a simple way that taught us to love the peace and humanity above every religion.???Agree, It's hard to believe in love when all you experience is hatred. But love goes beyond anything and everything. Love and kindness know no religion, no caste, no border, it's the purest of all things. and deep down we all want our India to be like this, where we are living in harmony with each other, so it's our responsibility to preserve and protect our idea of India.?