Deep in the lush, green jungle, where the trees swayed with the gentle breeze and birds chirped in harmony, a tiny baby monkey named Kavi clung to a low-hanging branch. His fur was soft, golden-brown, and his big, round eyes sparkled with innocence. But there was sadness in those eyes—an emptiness that no amount of sunlight could fill.
Kavi had just been born a few days ago, but his world was already filled with confusion and loneliness. He was supposed to be nestled in the warm embrace of his mother, Malika, the most beautiful and strong female in the troop. He should have been safe in her arms, drinking her milk, feeling her heartbeat as she groomed him lovingly.
But Malika… Malika refused to hold him.
Whenever Kavi reached for her, she turned away. When he cried out in hunger, she ignored him. She acted as if he did not exist.
The other monkeys in the troop noticed the heartbreaking sight. Some of the older females whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with pity. “Why doesn’t Malika care for her baby?” one asked. “Maybe she is too young to understand,” another guessed.
But the truth was more complicated.
Malika had always been independent, a free spirit among the troop. She had never been interested in raising a child. When Kavi was born, something inside her felt… disconnected. She looked at her tiny baby and felt no warmth, no bond. And so, she rejected him.
But Kavi, so small and fragile, didn’t understand.
He only knew one thing—he needed his mother.
Day after day, he crawled toward her, his tiny hands reaching for her fur. He tried to nuzzle into her chest, to hear the comforting rhythm of her heartbeat. But every time, she pushed him away.
One morning, Kavi was so weak from hunger that he barely had the energy to cry. He sat under a large tree, his tiny body trembling. His stomach ached, and his heart hurt even more.
The other mothers in the troop watched with concern. One of them, an older female named Rina, had lost her own baby a season ago. She saw Kavi’s suffering and felt a deep ache in her chest. She couldn’t bear to watch him struggle.
Slowly, she approached him. She scooped him up in her strong arms and held him close. Kavi’s eyes fluttered open, and for the first time, he felt warmth. Rina gently groomed his fur, soothing his tiny whimpers.
The troop watched in silence. Malika sat in a tree nearby, observing. She saw how Kavi instantly relaxed in Rina’s arms, how he clung to her the way he had always wanted to cling to his real mother.
Something inside Malika stirred—a strange, unfamiliar feeling. Was it guilt? Was it regret?
For the first time, she wondered if she had made a mistake.
That night, as Kavi slept safely in Rina’s embrace, Malika sat alone, staring at the moon. The jungle was quiet, except for the distant chirping of crickets. She thought about the bond between mother and child, a bond she had pushed away.
Would Kavi ever forgive her?
Would she ever be able to fix what she had broken?
The next morning, as the sun rose over the jungle, Malika hesitated for the first time. She watched as Kavi woke up, stretching his tiny arms, yawning softly. His eyes met hers, full of longing, but this time, without expectation.
Slowly, cautiously, Malika took a step toward him.
Maybe—just maybe—it wasn’t too late to give him the love he had always needed.
And maybe, just maybe, she could learn to be a mother after all.
