Harmony among siblings

by Husna Inayathullah

Surangi was sitting beside the windowsill and she was whispering to herself, "I wish I had a brother and a sister to play with." She loved to have brothers and sisters as she did not have any siblings. While she saw the other siblings playing in the neighbourhood, tears started to pour down her cheeks.

She was always isolated in her room. All alone she was surrounded by a heap of story books, toys, cartoon CDs and games but none of them gave her happiness.

Surangi's parents were employed. Usually they go early in the morning to work and return home late in the evening. Her parents had bought her everything she wanted so that she could be occupied with them. Even though she had everything, she was not happy.

She dreamt of playing, fighting, sharing and caring with siblings as her neighbours do. She imagined her dolls to be her sisters and played the whole day with them. She even spoke to them.

Emptiness

Each day passed with her heart saddened by the emptiness. She never discussed it with her parents or never told them. She started to treat her friends in the neighbourhood as her own siblings. She cared a lot for them.

There was a house just opposite hers in which there were two siblings called Supun and Meenu. They fought a lot. Surangi even admired them fighting because she did not have anyone to fight with.

When Surangi's father bought some sweets, she ate them all alone as there was no one to share them with. When she saw the way the siblings in the neighbourhood fought for the sweets which their parents had brought, she thought it was interesting. "I wish I too had someone to fight with for the sweets," thought Surangi.

One fine day, the quarrel between the sister and brother in the neighborhood was terrible. It was so terrible that the whole village could hear it.

Chocolate

Surangi went towards their house to see what was going on. "I want two bars of chocolate. Please thaththi tell aiyya to give it, yesterday he ate two bars," cried Meenu. "No, no, I can't give her thaththi, day before yesterday she ate three bars," yelled Supun. "Please don't fight, share it among yourselves like good children," said the father.

Surangi was looking at it with happiness. She wished she too had someone to fight with in the

same manner. After the father left, Supun started to chase Meenu for the chocolates.

They were running around the house. It was as if they were playing 'run and catchers'. Surangi stood over there and enjoyed it.

Wound

In a little while they started to fight terribly by throwing and dashing things at each other.

Meenu slipped and fell on the floor and started bleeding. Surangi ran towards her and helped her get up. She helped her by treating her wound. After some time, Surangi bought Supun and Meenu towards her.

She explained to them her worries of not having a sibling. She explained the way she felt worried and depressed in isolation at home without anyone to play with.

"If you want to do really important things in life, you can't do them by yourself and your best teams are your friends and siblings. Siblings will be with you in all your sorrows and joys," said Surangi. She explained the importance and value of siblings. She said it is a God-given gift.

She said how lucky they were and how unlucky she was. Ultimately she advised and made them promise that they will not fight again in the future.