THE FLYING IMAGINATION

Sanchita was a ten-year old girl. She studied in class V. She was quite good student. She got good grades in every subject. But, she was comparatively weak in English language. Her English teacher Mr. Rajan told her to practice English grammar regularly. He told his every student to make sentences as many as they could. He also told them to read many story books and rewrite them with their own words and imagination. He believed that the perfection lies in practice. Sanchita loved him very much. She listened to him very heedfully and heartily. He lovingly called Sanchita as Sanchu' and always told her to read stories and write them in her own words since he found an excellent innovative bent of mind in her. He also knew that Sanchu loved to paint. He told her to try to see the unpainted picture of the story she read. All other children in the same class could not understand what Mr. Rajan actually wanted to say, but it was Sanchu who understood from the very depth of her emotion. She started to read many stories and tried to paint those characters with guided ambience and the events of the stories. She also started rewriting those stories in her own words. She showed her all the paintings and rewritten stories to Mr. Rajan and got applauded and encouraged all the time.

Day by day, Sanchita improved her writing skill in English and remarkably developed her knowledge on English grammar too. She was going to be an inspiring icon for others in the class. She gradually became very happy and confident. She started spending her leisure by writing stories with her own imagination and the facts she experienced day to day. She started writing stories for the children and read many children's magazines. She followed the instructions and suggestions thoroughly and heartily that Mr. Rajan gave her. He also told her to be a voracious reader of children's novels and stories just to be a good writer.

"You've to be a good reader first before you want to be a good writer." Mr. Rajan told his loving Sanchu gently but boomingly. Sanchu nodded her head with a great acceptance.

She started buying novels, magazines and spent more and more time to read and read, and to write too. She also started contributing her stories to various children's magazines. But she was not getting any reply from any of them. After certain period of time she became sad and stopped sending her stories. She also stopped writing with great grief. She could not concentrate on her studies and did not do her homework properly. She started spending more time on computer games and watching television. In the meantime, her annual examination was knocking at her door, and her parents got very worried because of the sudden fall of their daughter on studies. Her mom met Mr. Rajan and explained what happened to Sanchu.

"Don't worry; she will certainly do well in her annual examination. She is deeply hurt. She is too child to accept the facts. But I must take care of this." Mr. Rajan told these modestly and assured her not to get worried.

It was the next day of Sanchu's mom met Mr. Rajan. He asked Sanchu about her writing stories. She did not want to say anything but Mr. Rajan continued to poke at her in a very friendly manner. She then told what happened to her and why she was sad.

"Yeah, I got your probs. And with the deepest respect to the vulnerability of your emotion, I plead you to continue your writing and must take a fierce preparation for your forthcoming examination. Your God must get you drenched with heavy shower of smiles one day. He sometimes throws some troubles ahead of us just to make us perfect by the process of solving the hardest problems. He wants us to try and practice again and again." Mr. Rajan said gently and smilingly. Sanchu sighed and nodded her head. He then, moved forward towards her, and smilingly patted on her back saying:

Oh, my dear you don't need to bear your hidden fear,

The day will be there and the dark clouds will be clear,

You'll then find yourself very fair with your writing of far flair!!!

Sanchu then looked at him and smiled with her honest glow of innocence. She then promised to fight back again and must do her studies. Since then, she studied most of the time and worked hard to get the best result. At last, her annual examination came and went away. She gave her examination as happily as she either did painting, or, writing stories smilingly, or else, she did watching cartoons with pure grins and cheers. On the very next day of her examination finished, she pleadingly wanted to visit her maternal uncle's house in Assam.

It was Sunday morning. Sanchu and her parents were getting ready to leave for Assam. She was very happy that day. She was planning on how to enjoy at her maternal uncle's house. Her cousin Rinki was also waiting there to meet her and they both would be enjoying joyously. They were very good friends and studied in the same standard. She thought to take all her paintings and her own stories to show her cousin. Her parents were also busy in bagging and packing. They were in hurry to leave as they would have to reach the station on time to catch the train. Suddenly, their door bell rang. Sanchu rushed to open the door. She was then surprised to see her Principal Ma'am standing in front of her with smiling gesture. Another woman was also there with her standing beside. She was surely a stranger to Sanchu. Her parents were also surprised and looked at each other. Then they welcomed Principal Ma'am and the stranger lady. They requested them to have their seat. Sanchu became speechless with wonder and a bit of fear. She thought that she did something very wrong. Her parents were also edgy to get to know what had happened. Before they wanted to ask anything, Principal Ma'am gently and smilingly told that a few stories written by Sanchu had been selected by The Flying Imagination", a Children's Magazine house. She also continued saying that the owner and Chief Editor of that magazine was her well-known person and she was no one else but that stranger lady who was sitting beside her. Sanchu then giggled and looked at her parents. She then touched the feet of her Principal Ma'am and the stranger. They hugged and blessed her. They praised her writing too. It was the force of an immense amazement that she could not control and hugged her parents joyously. She then remembered of the words told by Mr. Rajan. She found an unexpected joy hid behind the defeat and saluted the spirit of fighting back.