The Boy Who Didn’t Belong
Kabir had always felt like the odd one out. While his classmates were busy with football games and video games, he was drawn to books. The city library became his second home, a place where he could disappear into stories and forget how lonely he often felt.
One afternoon, Kabir wandered into a forgotten corner of the library. The air was thick with the scent of old paper. There, on a shelf that looked like it hadn’t been touched in years, he spotted a book that seemed out of place. Its cover was faded, and there was no title, just a strange symbol.
Intrigued, he pulled the book off the shelf and flipped it open. But to his disappointment, the pages were blank. Confused, he almost put it back, but something about the book made him slip it into his backpack instead.
That night, Kabir sat on his bed and opened the book again. To his surprise, words began to appear on the first page: Once upon a time, there was a boy named Kabir who felt like he didn’t belong.
Kabir blinked in disbelief. The book was describing him, his feelings, his thoughts, his sadness. He continued reading, and the book told a story of a boy who, like Kabir, struggled to find his place in the world. But as the story unfolded, the boy in the book found friends, faced challenges, and grew stronger.
The more Kabir read, the more he saw himself in the story. It was as if the book was speaking to him, showing him a path forward. He started to notice changes in himself too. The next day at school, when a classmate invited him to sit with them at lunch, Kabir hesitated, then remembered the boy in the book who took a chance on friendship. He smiled and joined them.
Over the weeks, Kabir became braver, more open. He started participating in class and sharing his thoughts. He realized that the book wasn’t just telling a story; it was helping him live it.
By the time he reached the final chapter, Kabir hardly recognized the boy he had been when he first found the book. The last page read: And as the boy found his courage, he discovered that he had belonged all along.
Kabir closed the book, feeling a warm and happy. The pages were no longer blank, filled instead with a story of hope and newfound belonging. He had written his own story, and it was just beginning.
By: AARADHYA PARASHAR
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