Sandhya’s Birthday of Freedom

The Daily Word # 32 : Freedom | 247 words | Day 5

Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash

It was Sandhya’s thirteenth birthday. At dawn, her parents and grandparents took her to the temple. Priests performed a grand puja, and the sound of bells echoed through the air. Afterward, the family arranged food for the poor. Sandhya joyfully helped, handing meals to children and elders with a smile.

On their way back, they strolled through the bustling market. Suddenly, Sandhya stopped. In a small shop, cages were stacked one over another. Inside, tiny birds were pressed together, unable to move. She looked at the old shopkeeper and asked, “Uncle, why have you put so many birds in one cage? How would you feel if someone locked you in such a tight place?” No reply.

Sandhya turned to her father. “Papa, I want to buy them.” With her birthday money and her parents’ support, she purchased six cages, she opened them. The birds flew out, wings wide, chirping loudly as if thanking her.

That evening, relatives and guests gathered for her birthday party. Later, Sandhya shared her experience. “Today I gave them freedom. It felt better than any gift. Will you also help?” Her words touched everyone. Inspired, her uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends went to the same shop. They bought more cages and freed the birds into the open sky.

The market filled with fluttering wings and joyful cries. Sandhya’s grandmother smiled, “This birthday will be remembered not for sweets or gifts, but for the freedom”. Sandhya looked up, her heart soaring with the birds.

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