One Monday morning, Mukur was especially excited. Her mother had made her favorite—vegetable paratha rolls with mango pickle! She tucked the lunchbox carefully into her school bag and marched off to school, humming her favorite tune.
Classes went by quickly. As soon as the lunch bell rang, Mukur reached into her bag—only to freeze.
“My lunchbox!” she gasped. “It’s gone!”
She turned the bag upside down. Out came books, pencils, crayons—but no lunchbox.
Her friend Pockets ran over.
“What’s wrong?” Pockets asked.
“My lunchbox is missing!” said Mukur. “I packed it this morning—I’m sure of it!”
Pockets thought for a moment. “Maybe you left it at home?”
Mukur shook her head. “No way! I even checked twice.”
Her heart pounded as she dug through her bag again, hoping for a miracle. “It has to be here!” she muttered to herself. The bell rang for lunch, and the other kids started gathering their bags, but Mukur was too distracted to notice.
She searched the edges of the bag, pulled out every notebook and pencil case, but still no lunchbox. Frustration began to bubble up. “Where is it?” she thought. “I packed it this morning, I’m sure of it!”
Pockets, seeing her growing panic, took a deep breath. “Let’s just check around the playground. Maybe you dropped it.”
The two of them walked around the schoolyard, scanning the benches, the fence, and even the bushes, but the lunchbox was nowhere to be found. Then, under the big guava tree, Mukur spotted something blue in the grass.
Her heart skipped a beat. There, sitting calmly with the lunchbox in his hands, was Sunny, a quiet boy from Class Four.
“That’s mine!” cried Mukur.
Sunny jumped, his face turning pale. “I—uh—I was just…” His voice trailed off, eyes wide with guilt.
The lid was open, and half a paratha roll lay inside. Sunny’s face turned red, and his eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I forgot my lunch today. I was so hungry. I thought I’d just take one roll, but then I ate more. I didn’t mean to steal it.”
Mukur felt her frustration melt away. She remembered her mother’s note: Be kind and stay curious.
“You could’ve asked me,” Mukur said gently. “I would’ve shared.”
Just then, Miss Linda, their teacher, walked by. Seeing their faces, she asked, “What’s happening here?”
Sunny took a deep breath and told the truth. Miss Linda listened carefully, then placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m proud of you for being honest,” she said. “It’s brave to admit when you’re wrong. But remember, Sunny—taking something without asking is never right.”
Then she turned to Mukur. “And you, Mukur—you didn’t get angry or jump to conclusions. You observed, thought carefully, and treated your friend kindly. That’s what real honesty and intelligence look like.”
Mukur smiled shyly. “I just wanted to understand the truth.”
Miss Linda nodded. “That’s how good people think.”
Sunny apologized again, and Mukur forgave him. The next day, Mukur brought an extra paratha roll just for Sunny.