Marium seemed to have everything. She was very beautiful, wealthy and intelligent as well. She wore beautiful branded clothes, and had expensive stationary items and school bag. She always answered the questions before anyone else in the class and always came first in all the examinations.

However, there was one problem, Marium was very proud. She had no one to talk to her, not a single close friend. And so, with all her riches and brains, she remained a lonely girl; yet she did not care because she was always the best in everything.

In the same class was a boy named Ahmed, who came from a humble background and a family that struggled to make ends meet. However, he was determined to overcome the financial challenges. So he worked tirelessly, studied day and night, proving an unparalleled commitment to his education. His perseverance and dedication were fuelled by a strong desire to break free from the constraints of poverty. And there always seemed to be a tough competition between Ahmed and Marium.

As the end of term drew near, the students, including Marium, began to think about the most important prize of the year offered to the winner of the essay competition by the principal.

“I needn’t worry about that. I shall easily win; after all, my compositions are always better than the rest,” thought Marium, as the others began to prepare for the essay.

As it is rightly said, ‘Pride goes before a fall,’ and it certainly did in the case of poor Marium. The topic given for the essay competition was ‘Happiness and friendship,’ of which Marium knew nothing. But she wrote whatever came to her mind. She didn’t even have a single idea of how it feels like to have friendship and true happiness in one’s life.

Ahmed was popular and had many good friends, so his essay reflected his diligence, but also touched the hearts of his peers, teachers and, of course, the principal. The contrast between Marium’s privileged life and Ahmed’s hard-earned success served as a powerful reminder of the true values that lead to fulfilment and genuine accomplishments.

Ahmed had no money, nor a privileged life, so success for him was a milestone; and for Marium, it was just another feather in her cap, but this time, the feather was stolen from her, she realised that all her money and her cleverness couldn’t win her the prize.

The competition suddenly opened her eyes, and she became a much more pleasant person after that, and her fellow pupils became her friends soon. She still won many prizes, but she never forgot the valuable lesson that the one prize she lost had taught her.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 6th, 2024