Near an old wooden bench in the school playground, a tiny plant was struggling to survive. Its leaves were dry, and its thin stem bent toward the ground under the hot sun.
Every ere talking with their friends, but hardly anyone noticed the little plant.
One morning, Ishita stopped near the bench. She looked at the plant carefully and felt sorry for it.
The next day, she brought a small bottle of water and gently watered it.
No teacher had asked her to do it.
No one was watching.
No one praised her.
But Ishita decided to make it a habit.
Every morning before going to class, she would stop by the plant and give it some water. Sometimes she even removed the dry leaves and cleared the weeds growing around it.
Days passed.
Then weeks turned into months.
Slowly, something wonderful began to happen. Tiny green leaves appeared on the plant. Its stem became stronger, and it grew a little taller every day.
Ishita was happy, but she never told anyone about what she was doing.
Then came summer.
The little plant had now grown into a beautiful young tree with wide, green branches. Its cool shade covered the old bench.
One hot afternoon, several students gathered beneath the tree. Some sat on the bench, some chatted with their friends, and others rested peacefully in the cool shade.
“It’s so nice to sit here!” one student said.
“I love this tree,” another replied.
Everyone appreciated the beautiful tree, but nobody knew how it had started—or who had cared for it when it was just a tiny, drying plant.
A little distance away, Ishita watched them quietly.
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
