The Watchman's Condition

• "Please keep an eye on those two girls," she requested. "This paper tells you where our group will be. If they ask for help, please give it to them."
• JAHNAVI BHATIYA

O nce upon a time, there was a girl named Lisha. She was very lazy, rude to others, and never completed her classwork or homework. Her teacher often scolded her, but Lisha never paid attention.
One day, a new girl named Nina joined Lisha's class. She introduced herself to everyone. Soon, the teacher noticed that Nina also had the same bad habits. She was lazy, spoke rudely to others, and rarely completed her classwork or homework.
Before long, Lisha and Nina became best friends.
The teacher repeatedly advised both girls to work hard, behave politely, and respect everyone. But neither of them listened.
Several months passed.
One day, the teacher announced some exciting news.
"Children, next week we are going on a school trip to Lakhota Lake!"
The whole class cheered with excitement.
That evening, everyone eagerly packed their bags.
The next morning, the students reached school early.
The teacher said, "Please stand in a line, board the bus one by one, and sit according to your seat numbers."
Soon, the bus reached Lakhota Lake.
The children happily rushed into the park.
"You have thirty minutes to play," the teacher announced. "After that, we will visit the aquarium, the museum, and other places."
Everyone enjoyed themselves.
After thirty minutes, the teacher called out,
"Children, time is up. Let's go."
All the students returned except Lisha and Nina.
They were so busy playing that they ignored the teacher's calls.
The teacher called them twice, but they refused to come.
Finally, the teacher had to leave with the rest of the class. Before leaving, she handed a note to the park watchman.
"Please keep an eye on those two girls," she requested. "This paper tells you where our group will be. If they ask for help, please give it to them."
The watchman nodded.
After a while, Lisha looked around nervously.
"Nina… I think we've been playing for too long. Our class has gone!"
Nina's face turned pale.
"I know… and now we're lost."
Both girls began to cry.
Just then, the watchman walked towards them.
"I know where your teacher is," he said.
The girls looked up hopefully.
"Please tell us!" they pleaded.
"I will," the watchman replied, "but only on one condition."
"We agree!" they said together.
The watchman smiled.
"You must score more than 90% in your next examination. Otherwise, you won't be able to enjoy next year's school picnic."
The girls quickly promised.
The watchman handed them the note, and they soon found their teacher safely.
When they reached home, however, they forgot all about their promise.
They continued to waste time instead of studying.
Soon, the examinations arrived.
Even though they remembered the watchman's condition, they still did not take their studies seriously.
When the results were announced, both of them had scored only 53%.
They were happy simply because they had passed.
The following year, their teacher announced another picnic.
This time, the class was going to Junagadh - Lisha's and Nina's favourite place.
The two girls were thrilled.
But just before the trip, both of them fell sick and had to stay home.
As they watched their classmates leave without them, they suddenly remembered the watchman's condition.
They realised they had broken their promise.
From that day onward, everything changed.
Lisha and Nina studied sincerely, completed all their homework on time, behaved politely with everyone, and respected their teachers.
When the next examination results were declared, both girls scored above 90%.
Their hard work made them proud, and they enjoyed the next school picnic with great happiness.
That night, both girls had the same dream.
The watchman appeared before them with a gentle smile.
"I knew you would one day realise the importance of hard work," he said. "I made you miss the picnic so that you would learn an important lesson. I had only come to test you… and this time, you have passed."
When they woke up, they wondered if the watchman had really been an ordinary man.
Perhaps he had been sent by God to guide them.
From that day onward, Lisha and Nina never returned to their old habits.
They worked harder than ever before, treated everyone with kindness, respected their teachers, and eventually became the top students in their class.
Moral
Always work hard, speak politely, respect your teachers, and keep your promises. Sometimes, life's greatest lessons come in unexpected ways.