The lunch Box

 Children's love in school is expressed in many ways through their behaviour. Some situations bring a smile to the face, and some situations bring tears to the eyes. Kavitha was the sweetest girl in my first class. Studious, calm, and loving, Kavitha was always with me. When Chiku and Tillu were having a lot of fun, she was quietly doing something near me. In the afternoon, after giving mid-day meals to the students, we, along with the teacher, used to eat tiffin. Kavita used to bring a lunchbox from her house for me every day. I explained several times that I had my lunchbox. Then she would bring tears to her eyes. Finally, I used to distribute my lunch box to all the children and eat the lunch box she brought. This started regularly for almost a week. One day, Kavita came to me with a tearful face.'What happened?' I asked, seeing her fallen face.

'Madam, there was nothing left at home today,' she said, crying. I don't understand.

'What wasn't left?''Madam, all the cooking done by mother in the night was finished in the night. Nothing will be left.''Oh, that's good, isn't it? I explained to her that she didn't want to eat stale food. 'But then you couldn't even bring a lunch box!' She said. She was crying again. I still don't understand what exactly happened. I called Kavita nearby and asked again.

'Didn't you bring me a lunch box because the food finished last night?

'Yes, ma'am.' Kavita replied, wiping her eyes. ?''So you were bringing me stale food every day?' I asked again, holding back my anger.'Yes, ma'am. Kavita said it innocently. She didn't realize that she had done anything wrong, but I was very angry. The thought that I had been eating stale food for so long was getting annoying. I sat silent for a moment. Bracing myself. I wanted to know the reason behind Kavita's behaviour.'Dear, why do you bring me stale food in a box?'

"My mom doesn't cook in the morning," she said.

'Why?' I asked in surprise.'My father goes to the cotton mill in the morning. Mummy just bins them. The rest does not cook.'

'So, what do you eat in the morning?' My curiosity was growing. She had two younger siblings. My sister brings khichdi from Anganwadi, and both my brother and sister eat it. My mother gives me what is left at night, and she eats the rest. Kavita was talking, and I was looking at her dumbfounded.'How can I get the lunch box then?'

'I don't want to eat at home what Mummy used to give me. She used to fill it in a box and then bring that box to you'.'So what do you want to eat in the morning?.'

'I don't want to eat in the morning. I used to eat at school." She said it simply. But now I get angry myself. Just so that I could get the box, this little girl would starve till noon. I held her close. I got angry and felt ashamed of myself for giving me stale food. Eklavya had given Dronacharya a cut off his own thumb. I had read and heard many great Gurushishya traditions. But today I felt my Kavita as my guru. A 7-year-old girl who was starving herself and giving madam a lunch box was very superior to me. Today, whenever food is left, I see Kavita. After this incident, the rule that food should never be thrown on the plate was followed until today. Only a hungry person can know the value of food. Even in school, everyone is forced to finish their plate. That box left me forever indebted to Kavita.