Every day, Anaya chose the last seat by the window in her classroom. Not because it was comfortable, but because from there she could see the old neem tree standing quietly outside the school boundary.
The tree had been there longer than anyone could remember. Its bark was rough, branches uneven, and leaves often fell without warning. Most students ignored it. Some even called it "boring."
Anaya didn't.
Whenever she felt tired, scared of exams, or unsure about her future, she looked at the tree. It stood through scorching summers, heavy rains, and cold winters—never moving, never complaining.
One afternoon, a storm hit the town. Strong winds, loud thunder. The next day, students rushed to the window.
One huge branch of the neem tree had fallen.
"Now it'll die," someone said.
But weeks passed, and something strange happened. From the broken branch grew new green leaves, brighter than before.
Anaya smiled.
She finally understood.
Life doesn't break us to end us.
Sometimes, it breaks us to help us grow in a new way.
From that day, whenever Anaya faced problems, she remembered the neem tree—and kept going.