It was Uttarayan, the day of the kite flying festival. Sahil had invited many of his school friends to the terrace at his home, and as the sun rose that morning, so did the school gang.
Sahil's neighbor, Manju aunty, would untangle the knots in the thread, and she helped by holding the reels of thread for the children. When the boys came to her for more kites, they took a piece of Manju aunty's homemade 'sesame ladoo' (a sweet snack) to munch on too.
By the evening, Sahil's friend Tarang brought chocolates, cakes, and cold drinks from the nearby bakery. Sahil offered a piece of cake to Manju aunty who asked, "But dear, this cake must have eggs. So, this must be non-vegetarian, right?"
Sahil laughed, "Aunty, cake tastes delicious with eggs. Anyways, eggs don't have life in them, so it’s vegetarian."
Manju aunty solemnly explained, "Sahil, in this world, nothing without life can be eaten. If there was no life in an egg, then an egg wouldn't be edible either."
"We should not kill, eat, or do anything to beings that feel harassment or fear. The life within the egg is in an unconscious state. When the egg hatches…” Before Manju aunty could finish, screams were heard from down below.
Sahil saw a bird in the tree entangled in thread from a kite. Unable to see the bird suffer, Sahil climbed up the tree. His heart was overwhelmed with emotion seeing it struggle. As he started untangling the thread, his gaze fell on the bird's nest and the small egg inside it.
Sahil's hard work paid off. The bird was free, and it immediately flew towards its egg. The bird's struggle and its attachment to its egg reminded Sahil of Manju aunty's words. He now understood. How can a person kill another being for his own happiness? How can we punish others for a moment of enjoyment?
Manju aunty witnessed the entire incident from the terrace. The cake was awaiting Sahil and his friends as they returned, but they attacked the box of 'ladoo' instead. Seeing this, Manju aunty's face lit up with a smile. Always be sure that no living being is being hurt by you!
