Ritu was feeling very upset today. Her mother scolded her a lot. She couldn’t solve a very simple math problem no matter how hard she tried. Even after repeated explanations, she kept making the same mistake—dividing where she was supposed to multiply—causing the entire problem to be incorrect. Seeing this repeated mistake, her mother became very angry and said that if she continued to make such silly mistakes, there would be no celebration for her birthday this year.
Ritu's birthday was just a few days away, and this year she was turning ten. She wanted her birthday to be celebrated grandly. She dreamed of inviting all her friends and having a lot of fun with them.
But the thought of her birthday not being celebrated brought tears to her eyes.
Near Ritu’s house, there was a park. Next to the park was a large pond filled with lotuses and water lilies. Whenever Ritu felt very upset, she would go and sit in the park. The park had many beautiful flower plants, and during winter, the entire park would be covered with flowers. When the wind swayed the branches, it looked as if the trees were waving to her. Being in such a place always lifted her mood.
Ritu slowly asked her mother, "Mom, can I go to the park for a little while?"
Her mother, still angry, said, "Yes, go wherever you want! You can’t solve even a simple math problem after so many explanations. Just go!"
Ritu felt even worse hearing her mother’s words. She stood still for a moment and then quietly opened the door and stepped outside.
When she reached the park gate, she saw that there were very few people there, almost none. Just an old man sitting on a bench reading a newspaper and a street vendor selling snacks outside the park. Even there, there were hardly any customers.
Ritu slowly entered the park and sat on a bench. Near the bench was a large flower plant with beautiful pink and white flowers blooming on it.
She started thinking about why she couldn’t solve the math problem. Her mom said it was very simple, so why couldn’t she understand it? What if her parents really didn’t celebrate her birthday this year? What would happen then?
Lost in thought, Ritu suddenly heard a sound: "Meow!"
Startled, she looked around. But there was no one there! So who said, "Meow"?
Suddenly, she noticed a small kitten in the bushes next to her bench. Its fur was jet black except for its chest and paws, which were white, as if it was wearing socks. It was staring at Ritu with its tiny yellow eyes, looking surprised.
Ritu immediately liked the kitten. All her worries seemed to vanish in an instant, and her mood brightened up.
Ritu decided then and there that she would take the kitten home and keep it as a pet. She asked, "Hey, Meow, will you come to my house with me?"
The kitten responded, "Meow!"
Ritu picked up the kitten and went home. Slowly opening the door, she entered and said to her mother, "Mom, look who I’ve brought home! Isn’t the kitten adorable? Can we keep it as a pet, please?"
But her mother was still angry with her. She said, "First, you mess up simple math, and now you’re bringing home cats and dogs? Focus on your studies first, then think about these things. Take it back outside right now!"
Ritu felt terrible hearing this. Still, she quietly placed the kitten outside on the road. Whispering softly, she said, "Don’t be mad at me, please! I promise to visit you every evening at the park."
The kitten replied, "Meow!"
And that’s exactly what Ritu did. Every evening, she quietly went to the park to meet the kitten. She had even given it a name—Mitu, to rhyme with her own name.
But Ritu noticed something strange. Whenever she spent time with the kitten, her mind became much clearer, and her studies seemed easier. Now, she didn’t make mistakes in simple math problems. She multiplied where needed and divided where necessary. Whenever she encountered a difficult problem, she thought about Mitu and solved it correctly. No matter how busy her study schedule was, Ritu never forgot to visit Mitu at the park.
Two days later, Ritu had her math exam. She was quite nervous. If she didn’t do well, her parents wouldn’t celebrate her birthday! Even amidst all the studying, she made sure to visit Mitu for 10 minutes every evening.
Finally, the exam day arrived. Ritu did quite well and, upon returning home, said to Mitu, "Listen, Mitu, if I get good results, my birthday gift will be to keep you as my pet. What do you think?"
Ritu felt as if the kitten smiled at her words.
A few days later, the results were out. At school, Ritu held her report card in her hands and nervously went home. Her mother said, "What’s the point of looking at it? We already know it’ll be terrible."
But when they opened the report card, they saw that this year’s math topper was none other than Rittwika Ghosh—our very own Ritu!
Her parents were astonished. Even her mother, smiling broadly, said, "How did you manage to do so well, Ritu? I can’t believe it! Just a few days ago, you were making mistakes in simple math problems, and now you’re the topper!"