There lived a mischievous little girl named Anamika. Her playful antics often brought smiles to those around her, but her mother, Mrs. Singh, was less than amused. She scolded Anamika for her mischief and criticized her at every turn, leaving the young girl feeling rejected and alone.
Anamika’s father was a powerful man. He would accept her the way she was and that brought in the much-needed relief Anamika wanted. But he too was not successful to get his wife to change her ways.
Anamika longed for her mother’s love and approval, but no matter how hard she tried, Mrs. Singh’s rejection only pushed her further away. Desperate for attention, Anamika’s mischief grew more pronounced, fuelling a vicious cycle of rejection and rebellion.
One day, Anamika’s father, Mr. Singh, had to leave town for a couple of months due to work. Left alone with her mother’s harsh words and cold demeanour, Anamika felt the weight of rejection bearing down on her. With no solace to be found, she lost all sense of propriety and lashed out in unabashed rage.
But instead of softening her mother’s heart, Anamika’s rebellion only fuelled Mrs. Singh’s anger. The retribution that followed was swift and severe. Mrs. Singh confiscated Anamika’s toys, banned her from playing with her friends, and locked her in her room for hours on end.
Feeling trapped and desperate, Anamika plotted a reckless scheme in retaliation. One evening, when Mrs. Singh was busy in the kitchen, Anamika snuck outside and tampered with the brakes of her mother’s scooter.
The next morning, as Mrs. Singh set off on her scooter, disaster struck. The brakes failed, and the scooter careened out of control, sending Mrs. Singh crashing to the ground. As she lay injured in pain, Anamika’s heart filled up with guilt and remorse.
As news of the accident spread, Mr. Singh rushed home to be with his family. He was shocked and saddened by the pain and suffering they were enduring, but even in the midst of his own turmoil, he sensed something amiss in his daughter’s behaviour.
Sensing her father’s distress, Anamika melted under his gaze and tearfully confessed her wrongdoings. Shocked by her actions, Mr. Singh embraced his daughter with love and acceptance, caressing her tear-stained cheeks with tenderness.
In that moment of acceptance, Anamika felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had found solace in her father’s embrace, and she knew that she was no longer alone in her struggles.
With the feeling of empowerment, came in the feeling of judiciousness. The seriousness of the incident prompted her to do something to make amends. Like a powerful girl, instead of succumbing to guilt, she walked up to her mother and confessed to her about her mischief. It was a shock for Mrs. Singh but she learnt her lesson from it as well.
Anamika didn’t look back from there. She put in her heart and soul in caring for her mother during her recovery phase. Eventually, she won the heart of Mrs. Singh. At the behest of Mr. Singh and, having got the time to ponder over her past during the recovery phase, Mrs. Singh made quite a few adjustments in dealing with Anamika in future.
With renewed vigour and determination, Anamika now vowed to
face her challenges head-on, knowing that her father’s love and acceptance at
the time of her utmost need would always be her guiding light. And as she
looked towards the future, she knew that she had finally found the healing
power of acceptance and assertion.