Not for Plants! .

- Aryan felt worried. He touched the dry leaves and looked up at Dadaji. 

- Nainil.J.Pandya

A ryan was a cheerful and energetic boy, loved by everyone around him. However, he had one bad habit-he drank too many soft drinks. Every day after school, he would ask for cola or soda. Water and milk made him unhappy, and he often pushed his glass aside.

"Just one more," Aryan would say with a smile.

Bright, colorful advertisements on television made those fizzy drinks look exciting, and Aryan always wanted the same thing.

His Dadaji noticed this habit quietly. But he never scolded Aryan or forced him to stop. He believed that lessons learned by seeing and experiencing are never forgotten.

One Sunday morning, Dadaji called Aryan into the garden.

"Our Tulsi plant looks very healthy today," Dadaji said gently. "Shall we do something interesting?"

Aryan's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "What is it, Dadaji?"

Dadaji brought two small pots, each with a Tulsi plant of the same size.

"From today," he explained, "one plant will get clean water, and the other will get your favourite soft drink."

Aryan laughed loudly. "That's easy! The plant will enjoy the soft drink-just like I do!"

On the first day, nothing seemed to change. Both plants looked fresh and green. Aryan felt proud.

"See, Dadaji!" he said confidently. "Nothing is wrong."

But after two days, the leaves of the second plant began to turn yellow. By the third day, some leaves had fallen to the ground. The plant looked weak, dull, and tired.

Aryan felt worried. He touched the dry leaves and looked up at Dadaji.

"Dadaji, why is only this plant dying?"

Dadaji replied calmly, "Because it is getting what it should never have."

That night, Aryan could not sleep. The image of the weak Tulsi plant stayed in his mind. He suddenly realized something important.

Early the next morning, Aryan quietly went into the garden. He poured clean water into the weak plant's pot and removed the soft drink bottle. He did this every day without telling anyone.

After a few days, tiny green leaves began to appear again.

Aryan ran to Dadaji with joy. "Dadaji! It's alive! I saved it!"

Dadaji smiled warmly and placed his hand on Aryan's head.

"Yes," he said, "and now save yourself too."

Aryan understood the lesson clearly. From that day onwards, he chose water, milk, and fresh fruits instead of soft drinks. He also shared the story of the Tulsi plant with his friends.

Soon, the garden looked greener-and Aryan grew healthier and happier. 

Moral:

What harms nature also harms us.