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"Amma, tell me that story again today.."

"Which story beta?" She asked hugging him close. 

"The one you always tell. About that little kid who couldn't find his way back home?" The five year old blinked his eyes innocently. 

"Phir say? (again)?"

"Yes, every time you tell me the story, it feels like a new one." He sat up eagerly waiting for amma to start the fable. 

"Once upon a time, there lived a kid with his father on the near start of a dense jungle. His village, his school was located at the other end of the small but dense jungle. When he grew up older, his father told him to start going to the school alone. The kid, at first, was very excited at the idea of being empowered and going alone. On the first day, he happily set out, confident in going to the school alone. He managed quite well and reached the school on time. However, on his way back, whistling and singing, he lost his way mid jungle. He searched and couldn't find the way back to his house. Finally, after hours of exploring the unknown, he got back on the track and reached home late. 

His father was worried. The kid seemed scared too. He did not want to go alone the next day. So, smiling and patting his back, the father suggested to leave a mark on the route which he could trace back after school. "That way, you won't lose track of your Home" The father exclaimed. 

Next day, the son set out again. This time, happily equipped with little bread crumbs, dropping little by little on his way to the school. Sadly, however, on his way back, he couldn't find those bread crumbs. The birds had all eaten them up. Hence, he was lost again. He explored. He searched. He couldn't find. Yet again, it took him hours of exploring the unknown. 

Finally, when he was back Home, he hugged his father tight and decided never to venture out alone again. However, the father smiled again this time, and motivated the kid to try something else instead of the bread crumbs. So the kid decided to drop little pebbles on his way. However, this time, on his way back, the pebbles were half there, half not there. The kid was disappointed. While almost near his Home, he again lost his way. He explored. Searched. Sensed. Fortunately, by now, he had been accustomed to the dense but small jungle. He was not as afraid of losing track as he was on the first day. Perhaps, because he had began trusting the fact that eventually, he will find his way back home.

He happily reached Home that day. For the next day, He ventured into the forest, enjoyed the rain on the way, spoke a little to the birds he had made friends with during the first few days when he had lost his way. He knew the joy of Finding his way back Home."

We often lose our way. We often find ourselves in a maze. We often realize that we're standing far from Home. Far from Him. Each time when we do find the Home, we hug Him and tell Him not to let us lose our tracks again. Only to find Him patting our back and telling us to go back into the thick jungle. He sends us, makes us lose our way, makes us explore more. He calls us back. Then He sends us again. It repeats. Until we become accustomed to the jungle. Until we truly realize to find our way back in any and every way..back to Him. Back Home.