There was once a 10 year old girl named Sheela. She was kind, honest, funny and a risk taker who loved to socialize. She lived in a small village, with her mother and father. A few months after Sheela’s tenth birthday, her mother died of lung cancer. This was the most heartbreaking incident for Sheela and she suddenly became a recluse. Three months after this miserable event, her father remarried a woman named Jhanvi. Sheela was never fond of her and would try to ignore her emotions when she saw that her father was in need of her financial help. After the wedding, Sheela shifted into a new house that belonged to Jhanvi’s ancestors. It was a part of her family heritage. It was a huge, creepy-looking, four-storied bungalow. On entering the house, she could feel a strange atmosphere surrounding her. There was a huge chandelier made of magnificent crystals on the ceiling. She walked up the stairs and saw a huge bedroom. Jhanvi told her that the room belonged to her grandmother when she was a child and that Sheela could now make it her own.
Sheela spent most of the day unpacking and hence could not explore the house. After dinner, she went back to her room and decided to go to sleep. After half an hour of continuously tossing and turning in her bed, she became restless. So she found a way to amuse herself by exploring the house, starting with her room. It was a humongous room with a large wooden closet. It happened to occupy a lot of space. Sheela opened it with a lot of effort. It was empty as well as very dusty. There was another door at the back of the closet and written on it in red ink were words that said “BEWARE! Once you enter you can’t come back. Once you breathe in, you can’t breathe out. Your future is in your hands, so choose wisely. Enter at your own risk.” Sheela, being an adventurous as well as curious little girl, pushed open the door to see beyond.
Sheela seemed to have entered into a different country. She could hear loud music of gongs going “Ding-Dong” and folk music playing everywhere. There were dancing dragons and lions swaying to the music and the streets were all decorated with lanterns. The smell of delicious Chinese cuisine was tickling her nose. Oh! It was all so wonderful and she felt like her senses were most bewildered. Although she was enjoying it, she wanted to scream and question, if she was indeed in China. Just then, a courteous, veiled woman approached Sheela and said, “Good morning Sheela! Isn’t China wonderful? I will be your guide here for a week and can take you to your hotel, which is the best in Beijing. I will make your stay here as luxurious and exciting as possible.” Sheela just followed the mysterious lady who looked familiar to her.
She reached one of the most glamorous and extravagant resorts she had ever seen. There were fountains and lush gardens with cherry blossoms. The woman gave her the keys to her room. There was a luxurious silk bed with fluffy pillows. There were mouthwatering snacks in a cabinet, a huge television set and lots more to keep going about. It was like a dream come true. She couldn’t understand how she was sad and lonely, tossing in her bed just a few minutes back and now she was in a new country enjoying life to the fullest! She had never been out of India but now she was in China, one of the most magnificent ancient countries ever. After eating a sumptuous meal, she explored the resort. She found out about the various tourist attractions in China from its benevolent citizens.
The familiar looking veiled lady arrived early the next day, to take her to see one of the largest manmade structures in the world, the Great Wall of China. She enjoyed her visit which was followed by an exquisite lunch. The lady seemed to know about all her favourite dishes. In the evening she went to a Buddha temple which was beautifully decorated with lanterns and incense sticks. Over the next few days she visited the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Chinese circus, street plays and restaurants and relaxed in the resort. On the seventh day, the mysterious lady told her that it was now her last day in China. She spent the day on the streets looking back at all the lovely memories. The lady also added- “Life is full of fascinating adventures, Sheela. You’re young, adventurous and a beautiful person; make sure to live to the fullest.”
At night, she held Sheela’s hand and took her to the garden. When the lady looked into Sheela’s eyes and smiled, she suddenly noticed her resemblance to her very own mother! She took a piece of cherry blossom and put it in front of her closed eyes. The lady told her to take a deep breath and open them at the count of three. One……two……three!!! Sheela opened her eyes and saw that she was back in front of the closet! She opened the closet again, but this time there was no door behind it. She went downstairs to check on her family. Everyone was fast asleep. It seemed as if time had just stopped during her marvellous visit to China.
The next morning she saw her family at the breakfast table. She stood below the chandelier which had caught her sight when she entered the house the day before. She then remembered the mysterious lady and how in the last few moments of her trip, she spotted the resemblance between her and her dearest mother….Maybe, she thought to herself, her mother was trying to convey something to her. Sheela deeply thought of the lesson, the fact that she should enjoy every moment of her life and cherish all that she has, instead of mourning over her painful past. However, Sheela never told anyone about her visit to China. After all, people would think she was crazy if she said, “CHINA IS IN MY CLOSET!”
The Great Wall of China
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