Short Story: Vanaja’s Journey to Confidence

In this short story, Johny Takkedasila translates an inspiring tale of a young girl as she overcomes her fears.

Note: This story was originally written in Telugu by Sahitya Akademy Children’s Award winner Belagam Bheemeswara Rao and has been translated into English by  Sahitya Akademy Yuva Puraskar winner Johny Takkedasila.

Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Vanaja who lived in a remote village. She was a smart and talented student, but she found the city to be quite intimidating. Vanaja studied in the sixth standard and lived with her Uncle in the city. 

In her classroom, she always sat at the back bench, silently observing everything around her. Whenever the teacher asked questions after a lesson, Vanaja knew the answers, but she hesitated to speak up. She would stay quiet, doubting herself even though she knew the correct answers. 

The children in the city seemed lively and confident, with their impressive way of speaking, dressing and walking. Vanaja thought that she couldn’t fit in with them and became hesitant and reserved. Gradually, she gained the reputation of being a shy child in everyone’s eyes.