Saira was a girl with a caring nature. Not only did she care about everyone, but she also helped people when they were in need, without expecting anything in return.

One pleasant morning, when Saira entered her classroom, she saw everyone gathered around her classmate Zuha. Saira too quickly put her backpack on her seat and rushed to see why everyone was gathering around Zuha. She saw that it was a new special black pen with shiny glass over its top. It was mesmerising. Like others, she loved the pen, too.

Saira asked Zuha if she can have it in exchange of her new imported pencil box. But Zuha refused to give her pen. Soon the assembly bell rang, all the students made a queue and went to the assembly ground.

During the assembly, the teacher asked Saira to bring the chalk box from her class. She walked to her class and took the chalk box from the shelf, but before returning she thought to have a look at Zuha’s pen.

Saira opened Zuha’s bag and took it out to have a look. However, before she could put it back, she heard footsteps. She was afraid that it might be her teacher, so, without thinking, she put the pen in her pocket.

To her surprise, it was Fizza, her classmate, who had returned because she was feeling sick. Saira took a breath of relief and walked back to the ground.

After the assembly, when everyone returned to the class, Zuha was unable to find her pen. She complained to the teacher that the new pen she had brought that very morning had been stolen. The teacher asked the class and also investigated who came in the class during assembly. She then came to know that two girls had returned to the class, Saira and Fizza.

Saira had brought the chalks while Fizza, who was feeling sick, stayed in the classroom, so it was likely that she took the pen.

Fizza was shocked that she was being considered as the culprit. Miss Tooba, their teacher, had all her suspicions about her, so she scolded Fizza and gave her a day’s time to tell the truth. Fizza was crying her eyes out, telling Miss Tooba that she didn’t steal the pen. All this time, Saira felt sad, but she stayed quiet.

At home, Saira thought about what had happened at school. She stayed up the whole night and took frequent glances at the pen, which no longer semmed special to her. She decided to put the pen back in Zuha’s bag quietly.

The next morning the teacher again questioned Fizza, before Fizza could say anything, Saira stood up and told that during the assembly when she came to take the chalk box, she wanted to have a look at the pen. And as she was looking at it, she heard footsteps, she felt nervous and out of confusion she put the pen in her pocket. She apologised that she didn’t admit it earlier as she was afraid.

Miss Tooba was impressed by Saira’s honesty, but she apologised to Fizza first, and asked the whole class to apologise as they also blamed Fizza for such a misdeed.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 26th, 2022