A Feast of Lessons

Today was Hina's birthday. This year, Hina turned ten.

- Kusum Agrawal

Her parents decided, “This time we'll celebrate Hina’s birthday at home, and without too much of a crowd.”

Hina immediately started making a list. “Deepti, Nishtha, Manya, Riya, Shruti, Yama, Bhavya, Farhan, Pari, Saket, Navya …”

“Enough, enough, enough,” said her mother, stopping her. “We cannot invite more friends than this.”

“Mom, please! Just one more—Pulkit. Otherwise, he’ll get angry and won't even talk to me,” pleaded Hina.

“Fine, we'll invite Pulkit too. Five o’clock will be a good time,” Dad said.

“I will cook food at home,” Mom added, because she knew that outside food could be unhealthy.

“Okay,” said Hina. She had no objections because her mother always cooked delicious food.

By four in the evening, Hina’s mother had prepared everything. She had cooked many dishes, keeping in mind not only the taste but also nutrition.

As soon as she placed the food on the dining table, Hina came running after catching the tasty aroma. Seeing so many dishes, she exclaimed, “Wow! So many dishes! My friends will love them!”

On the table were noodles, papdi chaat, burgers, chips, palak-paneer, dal makhani and chapatis. There were also cakes, puddings and Hina’s mother’s special besan ki burfi.

Soon, Hina’s friends began to arrive. She welcomed each one happily.

“Before the cake-cutting, let us play some games,” said Dad. Hearing this, the children cheered with joy.

“Yes, Uncle! Let’s play! It will be so much fun!” they shouted.

In no time, the children were busy playing. The food on the table, however, waited impatiently. But the children were not yet ready to leave their games.

Just then, the plate of Noodles said, “You'll see, as soon as the game is over, the children will rush towards me. They like me the most!”