In a small village nestled between hills and fields, lived a little girl named Meera. Her father was a farmer, and her mother stitched clothes to make ends meet. Meera didn’t have fancy shoes or a shiny bag—just a cracked slate and a piece of chalk tied with string.
Every morning, while other children rushed off with their bags, Meera would sit under the big banyan tree outside the school. She wasn’t allowed inside—her parents couldn’t pay the fees.
But she listened.
She listened so carefully that when she returned home, she would teach her younger brother everything she heard. A curious boy once asked, “Why do you study from behind the wall?”
Meera smiled, “Because knowledge doesn’t need a bench. It just needs a mind willing to learn.”
One day, the school teacher noticed Meera repeating his entire lesson from memory. Surprised, he spoke to the principal. A week later, Meera was given a seat in the front row—with a new slate, a few books, and most importantly, a chance.
Years later, Meera became the first girl from her village to become a teacher. The same banyan tree now had benches, and every child was welcome.
When asked what changed her life, Meera simply said:
“A cracked slate, a listening heart, and someone who believed in me.”
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