How Mayank found the Real Happiness

Story

It was Mayank’s birthday! Balloons danced in the air, cakes smelled sweet, and gifts piled up like tiny mountains. He tore open the shiny wrapping papers one by one—inside were cars that could talk, robots that could dance, and gadgets that made funny sounds. “Wow!” everyone said. Mayank grinned proudly.

His friends came running to see his new toys. “Can we play with them too?” asked Kunal.

Mayank crossed his arms. “No! These are my special birthday gifts. You might break them.”

The friends looked disappointed. “But we’ll be careful,” said Meena softly.

Mayank shook his head. “No, no! Just watch while I play.”

He zoomed his race car across the floor, made his robot dance, and showed off his talking teddy. His friends clapped politely at first, but soon they got bored. One by one, they left.

The next day, Mayank called them again. “Come see my new game!” he said. But no one came. His room was full of toys… and silence.

Mayank sat on the floor, surrounded by all his birthday gifts. “I have so many toys,” he thought, “but why do I feel so lonely?”

Days passed. The toys didn’t talk anymore. The robot’s dance wasn’t funny without laughter around. Even the teddy bear looked a little sad.

One afternoon, while walking home from school, Mayank saw two kids sitting by the roadside. They had no fancy toys—just a few colourful marbles.

They rolled them on the ground, laughed when one marble bumped into another, and cheered like they had won a big race.

Mayank stopped and stared. “How can they be so happy?” he wondered. “Those are just marbles!”

That evening, he told his mother what he had seen. “Maa, those boys had nothing but a few marbles, yet they were smiling so much. How?”

His mother smiled gently. “Mayank, happiness doesn’t come from having big or expensive things. It comes from sharing and caring. Even a small toy becomes special when you share it with friends.”

Mayank thought about her words all night. The next morning, he had an idea.

He picked up his toys and cleaned them. Then he called his friends. “Hey, everyone! Come over to play! We will have fun!”

His friends were surprised but curious. When they arrived, Mayank smiled shyly. “Today, we’ll all play together. You can even take one toy home if you like.”

Kunal’s eyes lit up. Meena clapped in excitement. Soon, the room was filled with laughter again. The robot danced, cars raced, and teddy bears hugged everyone.

That evening, Mayank looked around at his friends playing together. His heart felt warm and light. “This,” he thought, “is what real happiness feels like.”

From that day on, Mayank never kept his toys to himself again. He learned that joy grows bigger when it’s shared—just like a smile that keeps spreading.