Jealousy

 Written by: Najia Nijat

Zahra was a girl living in a green village far from the city. Amina was Zahra’s small sister. Zahra was jealous of other girls. She had always a scissor in her hand and was cutting others' new dresses.

One day her mother embroidered two pairs of dresses for Zahra and Amina. When Amina saw her new dress, she became very happy.

Zahra’s mother said Zahra that she was going to the neighboring house and wanted her to take care of Amina.

Zahra assured her that she would do it. When her mother left the house, Zahra went to the other room and saw that Amina’s shirt had a pocket and red flowers are embroidered on her skirt.

She took a scissor and cut some flowers and the pocket from Amina’s shirt and she put Amina’s shirt back in its place and decided to sew the flowers and pocket to her shirt.

When Zahra’s father came home from the job in the evening, Zahra’s mother told her about the new dresses of Zahra and Amina.

Zahra’s mother went to the other room to bring Amina’s dress to show it to her husband but she found out that Amina’s shirt pocket and some flowers were cut.

Amina cried and said that she saw Zahra with a scissor in her hand. The mother asked Zahra that why she has cut the flowers and the pocket from Amina’s shirt. Zahra replied that she wanted to sew the pocket and flowers on her skirt.

Zahra’s parents got angry and warned her not to repeat this habit anymore.

One day Zahra’s friend, Nooria came to Zahra’s house wearing a new skirt and she said to Zahra that her mother has purchased it from a big store in the city.

Zahra showed her new dress to Nooria too. Nooria liked the design of Zahra’s shirt. Zahra brought the scissor and said to Nooria that she would design her skirt too. Nooria prevented but Zahra cut Nooria’s skirt. Nooria cried and went home. When Nooria’s mother got informed about the cutting of Nooria’s skirt, she went to Zahra’s house and shared the issue with Zahra’s mother.

Zahra’s mother asked Zahra about the issue. Zahra replied that she wanted to bring some changes in Nooria’s skirt.

Zahra's mother bought a new skirt for Nooria from the market.

The next day, Zahra’s father informed Zahra’s mother about the wedding ceremony of Zahra’s uncle and wanted his wife to get prepared the children for going to the wedding.

Zahra and Amina became very happy for hearing good news. Amina wore her new dress but when Zahra wanted to wear her new dress, she found that her new shirt was cut into pieces and suddenly she cried and murmured with herself that she had cut it by a mistake.

When Zahra’s mother asked Zahra that who cut her shirt, Zahra replied that she found the shirt in the living room and she thought that it was her mother’s shawl and she cut it to make a small shawl from it  for her new dress but now she realized that she had cut her new shirt’s skirt.

All members of Zahra’s family wore new dresses but Zahra wore her old dress. Zahra promised that she would never be jealous of others.