50 Percent

50 PERCENT

“She is not taking food properly and at all times wasting more than 50 percent of it.” worries a new mother of a baby girl.

 When the girl grew up and started growing to school, another piece has added to the long list of worries of her parents. Their words at the time revolve around her home work “Look at this girl, she never completes her homework and leaves 50 percent of it to be done after a dose of scolding.”

The word “50 percent” had never existed in a cheerful sentence from her parent’s lips. However she continues her unfurnished attitude because she enjoys the reprimand from her parents. She can sense the love hidden in their words and she loves it. She loves to go to school with her mother. She enjoys doing homework with her father. She sleeps comfortably on her mother’s lap. She feels safe when her father is around. She knows her life is complete with parents but has been taught to make 100 percent by her in everything she does if necessary.  She is the gem of her parents and she had never let them down. And yes, she is the heroine of this story and she is our dear “Maria.”

Maria born to a middle class family of a government employee was not a very beautiful girl. She doesn’t have the perfect curves of an attractive girl though cute. She is good neither in dance nor in sports and hopeless in acting. Many a times she was chosen for small roles in school drama but she never utter a single word and ultimately she was one of the spectators. It was like her lips had been glued with some imported product. In dance, she didn’t move even an inch from her allotted place and she was good enough to control her itchy sensations too. If she reacts, people will take otherwise, they will think she is dancing. And one should never forget about her talent in singing. She doesn’t even hum in bathroom. So it became the perfect indication that if a closed bathroom is in silent mode, Maria is inside.

Not much far away from other activities, she was very sound in academics, she still is. The entire prize she got during school days were for her excellent performance in academics and recitation. There was no competitor in the school as well as in her village. This may be due to the influencing words of her father “People love you because of your academic performance not because you are beautiful. Remember this is the only thing you have and be with it always.” She followed the golden words and remained distinct academically wherever she goes.