Seeds of Good Habits

At the community garden, the marigold seed packet was gone. Sumi checked the box twice. "I kept it right here," she said.

Arun kicked a pebble. "Maybe it fell," he shrugged.

Sumi wanted one thing: her marigolds to bloom before Pongal.

Teacher Anitha gave them a job list: water, weed, and note the plant height.

Sumi did it every day. Arun did it when he remembered. Some days, he forgot.

Plant good, grow good.

A week later, Arun pulled the missing seed packet from his bag. "I took it to show my cousin," he said, eyes down. "I forgot to bring it back."

Sumi felt upset, but she took a breath.

Anitha Ma'am said the kural:

Arun nodded. He had already seen the trouble in his droopy plants.

Arun started coming early. He watered, weeded, and wrote the heights next to Sumi. The patch slowly perked up.

Plant good, grow good.

By Pongal, Sumi's marigolds bloomed bright. Anitha Ma'am let Arun and Sumi make the first garland together.

Arun smiled. "Good habits feel like sunshine," he said.