Aavya and the Slow Secrets of Light

Kailash Baba adjusts his shawl, the firelight dancing in his milky eyes. He looks at the row of restless toddlers, their eyes darting toward the giant pots of sweet, steaming kheer. "Patience, my little lions!" he chuckles, his voice like the deep rumble of a temple drum. "The kheer is still dancing with the sugar. It isn't ready for your bellies yet. But listen... do you hear that? Ba-dum... ba-dum..." He taps his chest. "That is the sound of the little light inside you. And today, I will tell you the story of a girl named Aavya, who almost lost her glow on the very night of Shivaratri." Aavya’s room was very quiet. The moon was peeking through the window, round and white like a giant rasgulla. But under her blanket, Aavya felt a little bit sad. She put her hand on her chest. Usually, there was a bright, golden sun inside her that made her want to jump and play. But tonight? It felt like a tiny, tired firefly. Hiccup. The light almost went out! "Oh no," Aavya whispered. "My light is sleepy." 〔Put your hand on your heart, little ones. Can you feel yours? Thump-thump, thump-thump.〕 Suddenly, the air began to sparkle! From a cloud of incense smoke stepped Yogi Baba. He was no taller than a water jug, with a beard like silver clouds and eyes that twinkled like the stars on Lord Shiva's forehead. "Little Aavya," he whispered. "Your light hasn't gone away. It’s just hiding! Come, let’s find three Slow Secrets to wake it up." Secret Number One: The Quiet FlowerYogi Baba led Aavya to a tiny garden. In the middle was a blue hibiscus, shut tight like a fist. "Watch," said Yogi Baba. They waited. And waited. Aavya wanted to poke it! She wanted to yell, "Open up, flower!" But Yogi Baba put a finger to his lips. Shhh. > 〔Let’s count to three very slowly with Aavya: One... Two... Three...〕 POP! The flower opened with a sound like a tiny kiss. Inside, it was glowing with gold! That gold flew out and landed on Aavya’s chest. Her firefly light grew into a shiny gold coin. "First lesson," Yogi Baba smiled. "Waiting is just love wearing quiet shoes." Secret Number Two: The Paper Boat Next, Yogi Baba waved his hand, and Aavya’s blue rug turned into a shimmering silver river. He gave her a tiny paper boat. "Put it down," he said. Aavya put the boat on the water, but it didn't move. It just sat there. She wanted to blow on it—Whoosh!—to make it go fast. But Yogi Baba shook his head. "Wait for the river, Aavya." So she sat very still. Slowly, the water began to hum. The boat started to glide, drifting all the way around her slippers and back to her hand. It brought back a drop of blue river-light. Aavya tucked the drop into her heart. Now, her light was as big as an orange! "Second lesson," whispered Yogi Baba. "Love moves in its own time; we just have to make room for it." Secret Number Three: The Moon’s Drum Finally, the ceiling of the room rolled away like a curtain. The Moon reached down a ladder made of silver threads. Aavya climbed up, up, up! On the moon, she found a tiny silver drum. "Listen," said the Moon in a voice like a soft bell. Aavya put her ear to the drum. At first, she heard nothing. But because she had learned to be patient, she stayed still. Soon, she heard it. Boom... boom... boom... It was the sound of her own heart! The Moon caught that sound, turned it into a glowing silver ball, and tucked it under Aavya’s chin. The silver melted into her chest, and—Flash!—the orange light became a Bright Sun! "Third lesson," the Moon said. "Your light was never gone; it just wanted you to sit quietly with it." The Moral of the Story Kailash Baba looks at the children, who are now sitting very still, their eyes wide. "So you see," he says, pointing to the temple where the mothers are finishing the puja. "Aavya went back to bed with a heart full of sunshine. She learned that to be happy, you don't need to hurry. You just need to wait, breathe, and be kind." He leans in close, smelling the sweet kheer that is finally being scooped into bowls. "And just like Aavya’s flower, the kheer waited for the right time to be sweet. Now, who is ready for a taste of the Moon’s magic?" 〔Let’s take one big, slow breath together before we eat. In through the nose... and out through the mouth. Now, who wants the first bowl?〕