Let's Do It

“It’s so boring.” said Buttercup flower and granny heard it. She pushed her spectacles back in place on the bridge of her nose and said, “Oh! Do you know how the others feel?” She was loud enough and her voice was heard by the sun. 

“I’m tired of shinning and burning all the time. No one even comes next to me? It’s lonely for me,” said the sun.

“You always think about yourself when you shine. I have to stay quiet and hide. When you shine I can’t shine at the same place,” retorted the moon. 

“Dear, I give you my shine all the time and you can chose how much you want. Sometimes you are big sometimes you are small but I give you as much light as you want.” said the Sun. 

“What about us?” said the Stars. “We only shine and sprinkle our glitter when fairies ask or someone dreams.” 

“Then you should all think and come up with something new together!” Granny replied thoughtfully. She loved to talk with her plants & pets in the garden. It was good bonding time for all. With Noor & Neil, the grandkids at school and their parents at office, granny used to enjoy most in the garden. Grandpa was busy on his computer mostly. Hence nobody at home was bored or lonely. 

Granny’s words made the universe ponder.

“Let us all paint. You can paint on me! I can be your canvas,” the Sky said excitedly. 

“Oh! That’s a brilliant idea but how? Let me think,” said Granny. “We can use fruits, flowers and plants for your colours.”

“Yes, Yes.” chuckled Buttercup. 

“Ah! Yes.” said the plants.  

“But you all must work together as a team. I don’t want any fights or arguments,” warned Granny. Everybody nodded in agreement. “Will you mash my petals? I am the brightest red and I take pride in my colour.” Rose boasted.

 “Keep quiet Rose. Cherries and tomatoes also have red. And I, the great Neem tree, have the darkest green!” Neem said. 

“We are green too, just different shades! And we are not jealous of anyone and nor do we have any ego,” announced spinach and coriander.

“Oh, you can mash me up too, I don’t mind. I’ll give you a nice vibrant violet.” said Plum. 

“I’ll need help from Sunflower, I am too small to give all the yellow alone!” Buttercup said. 

“Sure,” said sunflower. “As long as I can be used in paint too!” Sunflower quickly added. 

“Of course you can! Everyone can help us make paint.” Granny replied cheerfully. “Which other colours can we use?” asked Granny. 

“You can use me for indigo, I will give you the darkest blue.” Indigofera Tinctoria shrub boasted loudly. 

“Don’t forget me! Even I give indigo. I want to give my colour too.” Lactarious Indigo Mushroom said. 

“You can give indigo too. We need as much indigo as we can get” Granny said. 

“I can make them darker.” Blueberry said proudly. 

“Forget- me-not flowers can make blue along with morning glory. My best friends ought to get a chance too,” Buttercup insisted. 

“Yes! Yes! We would love to!” they exclaimed. 

“We can give orange,” Calendula and Orange Pansy said together. 

“Hey, every Halloween you remove my pulp granny, and now you aren’t using me! Even I will give orange,” Pumpkin said eagerly. 

“Ahem! Ahem! I may be delicate but I can give you two colours. My petals can give you violet and my stigma can give you deep orange, favored by the kings,” said Saffron. 

“Well we’ve got many colours but who will paint?” Sunflower asked.

“Granny can splash the colours, my friends & I can rub it on Sky and give it shape,” Cloud suddenly said. 

“That’s an excellent idea,” Granny agreed.

So the next few days Granny kept busy washing, blending & pouring the flowers, fruits, vegetables and leave into several small separate containers.

On seeing the colourful jars, Grandpa asked, “Are you making fruit preserve or jam or chutney for my bun and toast?”  

“No dear, all this isn’t for you alone. It’s for everyone,” said Granny with a teasing smile. 

“Hurry up Granny we have to rain soon!” Cloud alerted one morning. 

“You can rain dear and then we can paint on the nice and clear sky. All the pollution and dust will get washed away with your water,” Granny said. 

“Very true Granny, it will all become clean. I will increase my heat so clouds become heavier quickly and it rains,” Sun said politely. 

The rain soon came and everything on and under the sky became clean. Granny took her big red vegetable basket and put all the jars in it. She picked it up and took it outside. The clouds came out and said “We’re ready Granny! Splash us with those colours and let’s paint.” 

“Well there are seven of you and several shades of seven colours. Each of you clouds can take one colour and spread it on the sky,” said Granny. I shall go to someplace high.

To splash the colours, Granny went on the atrium of the tallest building in her city. Everyone watched as Granny splashed the colours on the clouds, who eagerly began spreading it up and down. Soon there was one line of each colour, Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red. 

“Wow! That looks so pretty!” Buttercup said in awe. 

“I couldn’t agree more,” Sun said. 

“What are those big grey things?” Moon wondered softly. 

“Oh no! Those are the big grey clouds. It’s going to rain!” the clouds exclaimed. 

“Don’t worry I will shine so brightly that the water doesn’t fall in big drops. I will dry all the water in them so our painting doesn’t get spoiled,” Sun announced proudly. So while it was raining Sun was shining as brightly as possible. The painting was wet one moment and dry the next. 

Noor & Neil came out to see what all the noise was about. 

“Good heavens! What is this?” Grandpa asked. 

It had stopped raining and Sky was confused. “Why is the painting so light and why is it disappearing?” Sky asked. 

“I think when it was raining and Sun was trying to dry the painting quickly, Sun’s light went through the clear raindrops and the painting’s colour reflected on them,” Granny guessed.  “Do you know what this means? We’ve discovered something new,” Granny continued. 

“We should call it a rainbow!” Granny exclaimed. “Yes yes, I like the name,” Sky said. Everyone agreed. We did it, said everybody together. All felt happy, seeing the sky. There was freshness and joy all around.

 Thus the RAINBOW was discovered and every time it rains and the sun shines it’s visible again. Let us never forget that great things are only possible with good intent and team work.

   ---- Charu Rishi Mehra & Sukannya Mehra