Title: The Missed Train
Rohan and Meera were excited. Their school had selected them to represent the district at the State Science Exhibition in Pune, and the train was to leave Solapur at 7 a.m. Their teacher had told them again and again to reach the station by 6.30.
The night before, the two friends chatted late on the phone about their model. In the morning Rohan switched off his alarm and slept again, and Meera waited for him at his house. By the time they caught an auto-rickshaw, the roads were crowded. They ran onto the platform at 7.05 – only to see the last coach of the train disappearing.
Their teacher, who had boarded with the other students, phoned them, sounding disappointed. The next train would reach Pune too late for registration. Their months of hard work were wasted, and another school got the chance to present in their place.
Sitting sadly on the platform bench, they realised that talent and hard work are not enough without discipline. From that day, they learnt a lesson to live with the thought “Be Punctual”.