My Guilty Feeling

“My Guilty Feeling” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by G.Dharshini, Sri Vageesha Vidyashram Senior Secondary School, India.

My Guilty Feeling

A few days before, when I finished my play, I came to my home. My house was full of children, because my mother was taking tuition class for school children.

“Oh! Dharshana, come, come”. Said my mother in a speed voice.

At that time I realised my mother was feeling very tired. But I can’t say any word.

I entered the hall and I tried to go to the kitchen.

“Dharshana, please help me ma. Take care of this girl who was studying in II STD.”Said my mother in sorrowful voice.

“Oh! Sure ma,” I replied.

Afterwards I fresh myself and I sat near that girl.

When I was teaching that girl, my eyes fell on her hair clips – a gleaming pink pair, with argyle pattern in light green, standing unoiled hair.

“Meena, where did you get these clips?” I asked in a raised voice.

“Oh, these, Amma bought to match my Deepavali skirt. Do you want them?” she offered, her hands, with pencil, reaching her head to remove the clips.

Without even answering her, I hurtled to the dressing stand in the bedroom and opened the draw, which had at least fifty pairs of clips, neatly pinned on grey card.

When I saw the same new pair of clips that meena wore, intact in the draw, my face flushed with shame. Thank god! I hadn’t rattled her shoulders and dragged her to my mom, ranting, “Thief! Thief! As if I was a child detective who had cracked a criminal case.

In my mind, I apologized to Meena for mean thought a 100 times, a 1000 times and in my dairy. I learnt life’s most valuable lessons that night: conclude negatively and hastily about anyone! Examine my accuse! My handwriting was shaky, shaky with the guilt of doubting an innocent, pure and poor soul who was eager to gift me, what was perhaps her only new Deepavali accessory.