The Naughtiest Boy in the Village
In a small village in West Bengal, there lived a ten-year-old boy named Rahul.
Rahul was very naughty. Climbing trees all day, fighting with friends, hiding someone's books—these were his favorite activities.
At school, he never sat quietly in class. Sometimes he poked his friends from behind, sometimes he secretly threw paper balls. He did not like studying at all. Whenever he opened his notebook, he felt sleepy.
The teachers would say,
— "Rahul, if you study with attention, you can do very well."
But Rahul would laugh and reply,
— "What's the use of studying, Sir? I will become a player when I grow up!"
At home, his mother scolded him,
— "Son, please study a little. Otherwise, you will suffer in the future."
But Rahul did not listen to anyone. To him, life meant only fun and mischief.
An Unexpected Incident
One day, a sudden mathematics test was announced at school.
Everyone studied very seriously, but Rahul was busy playing.
On the day of the exam, he sat with his answer sheet in hand. Seeing the question paper, his eyes widened! He could not answer even one question properly.
His friend Suman whispered,
— "You didn't study at all. What will you do now?"
Rahul sat silently with his head down.
A few days later, the results were published. Rahul got the lowest marks in the entire class. The teacher did not scold him in front of everyone but called him separately and said,
— "You are not a bad boy, Rahul. But if you don't try, no one can help you."
That day, when Rahul returned home, he saw his mother sitting quietly. The school had informed her. Seeing tears in his mother's eyes, his heart trembled.
For the first time, he realized that his mischief was causing pain to others.
The Beginning of Change
That night, Rahul decided—he would change himself.
From the next day, he started going to school a little earlier. He listened carefully in class. If he did not understand something, he asked the teacher.
His friends were surprised and said,
— "Why are you so quiet these days?"
Rahul smiled and replied,
— "Now I will focus on my studies."
At first, it was very difficult. Whenever he opened his books, he felt restless. But he did not give up.
His mother sat beside him every night. His father, after returning from work, would say,
— "My son will become a great man one day."
Gradually, Rahul's results began to improve. The teachers encouraged him.
The naughty Rahul was slowly becoming everyone's favorite student.
The Smile of Success
The final exam results were announced.
Everyone gathered at school. Rahul's heart was beating fast.
The Headmaster declared,
— "The student who has shown the most improvement this year is Rahul!"
Everyone clapped. Tears filled Rahul's eyes.
He realized that mischief gives temporary happiness, but hard work brings true joy.
At home, he handed the result sheet to his mother. She hugged him and said,
— "Today, you have given me the greatest gift."
From that day on, Rahul was no longer the same naughty boy. He still played and had fun, but he also studied sincerely.