As Beautiful As The Night Sky.

By Fathimath Zuhra

My best mate Archana always used to be bullied at school for being dark-skinned. They would call her ugly and foolish. But I would always wonder, ‘Why do they think she is ugly and foolish; she is like the most beautiful and intelligent person I`ve ever met.’ I would also feel the sadness in her mind when she was being called all these names because I used to be bullied for being tan-skinned. She was all sad and insecure about her skin when she was exposed to these negative comments.

One day on our lunch break, I asked her to sit with me after she finished her food. I decided to tell her the story my mum used to tell me when I felt insecure about my skin. I began,” Have you ever noticed how beautiful the night sky is?”

She nodded.

“Don`t you think the night sky is the same as your skin, charming and peaceful?  If the sky wasn`t dark at night, would the stars and the moon be visible?”

“No”, she said. ”

Now, I have something else to tell you, gold doesn`t shine on light skin as it does on dark skin. Likewise, Black Opal doesn`t shine on dark skin as it does on white skin. Every skin colour has its own uniqueness. It`s our duty to embrace ours.”

Archana smiled and hugged me tightly.

The next day I could see her rocking a blue dress.

I guess my mum`s advice helped not just me but also my best friend.

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