In a bustling city, a veritable forest of ancient banyan trees stood as the only lungs of the neighborhood. A greedy builder, known as a malefactor among the locals, had purchased the land. He planned to cut down every tree to build a shopping mall. The villagers protested agitatedly, their voices rising in futile anger.

One evening, the builder’s men arrived with axes. A young girl named Meera stood before the largest tree. “You cannot do this!” she shouted. The builder laughed and threw a brickbat at the tree, chipping its bark. “Watch me,” he sneered. Meera did not step back. She flung her arms around the trunk, trembling but unyielding.

The news spread. The media called the builder a malefactor who deserved to be expelled from the community. The city officials, who had initially supported him, now spoke agitatedly against him. The builder’s own workers laid down their axes. They had seen the pallor of fear on Meera’s face and the serenity of her courage.

The builder was expelled from the project. The forest was saved. Years later, a journalist asked Meera, “How did you find the strength?” She smiled. “I was despondently watching my city die. But then I realized that one person’s courage can stop a malefactor. A single brickbat of cruelty can be stopped by a single hug of love. Do not let the catastrophic greed of a few malefactors destroy our legacy. Stand. Even if you stand alone.”

The forest became a protected sanctuary. Meera’s story spread across the country, inspiring other sustainable movements. And every year, children would visit the tree with the scar from the brickbat — a scar that reminded them that even the smallest voice, when flung against injustice, can shake the world.

Seven-year-old Kiran was on a school picnic when he wandered away from the group. Within hours, he was lost in the dense, dark jungle. His friends had been expelled from the area by forest rangers due to a catastrophic storm warning. Kiran sat despondently under a giant tree, his small body trembling with fear.

He remembered his grandmother’s words: “When lost, do not sit despondently. Your tears will not find the way.” He stood up agitatedly, looking for any sign of a path. Suddenly, he heard a rustle. It was a wounded monkey, its leg trapped under a fallen branch. Kiran flung aside the smaller twigs and used a sharp stone to cut the branch. The monkey looked at him with gratitude.

The monkey did not run away. Instead, it tugged at Kiran’s shirt and began hopping. Kiran followed, his exhaustion melting away. The monkey led him to a stream. Then to a cave where fruits grew. For three days, the monkey and the boy survived together. On the third day, a search party found them. The lead rescuer asked, “How did you survive?” Kiran smiled despondently no more. “I helped a sufferer. And that sufferer helped me.”

When Kiran returned home, the whole village celebrated. The malefactor who had started the forest fire that had scared the animals was expelled from the community. Kiran’s story became a legacy of courage. Years later, a journalist asked him, “What was going through your mind when you were lost?” Kiran replied, “I was about to sit despondently and cry. But then I realized that a brickbat of despair cannot break the wall of hope. I flung my fear away and chose to act. Even a child can survive if they stop being a victim and start being a helper. Do not let fear be your malefactor. Stand up. Help someone. And the jungle will guide you home.”