“I can't stay here anymore," the young girl, Paroo, whispered to herself as she stood in the doorway of her home, her favourite backpack slung over her shoulder. With her eyes fixed on the horizon, she stepped out for a long trek into the vast wilderness beyond, hoping it would lead her to a life where she could just be herself. As the sun set and darkness spread, sounds and screams of wild animals and insects surrounded her. She muttered, "Okay, okay... I can do this. I have to." She then unlocked the flashlight on her phone with trembling hands, her only lifeline in the darkness and the only thing that was working on her phone in the dense jungle.

As the bright light cut through the dark, her keen eyes caught sight of a serpent coiled around a helpless frog beneath the branches of a twisted tree. "Oh my God, what have I done?" her lips quivered, and her heart sank as she realized the gravity of the situation she had put herself in. Her walk picked up pace when her phone notified her that the battery was about to die, and she turned to prayer, seeking immediate divine protection to get through the night in the jungle.

The night stretched endlessly, and she pressed on amidst haunting thoughts and rustling leaves until the light in her phone perished. And then a feminine voice echoed through the trees, “Are you lost, my dear?” Paroo froze, listening intently, then rushed towards the source of the voice and responded, "Help! Help!" But her desperate plea was abruptly halted when she collided with something slender yet incredibly long. As her eyes rose, she found herself staring directly into the gaze of a towering flamingo’s beak. Softly, it questioned, "Are you lost, my dear?" The terror-stricken Paroo collapsed instantly.

As the first light of dawn pierced through the thick jungle, Paroo opened her eyes and saw the flamingo nearby, unmoving.

“Stay away from me!" she cried, her voice trembling with fear. But the flamingo remained calm, its gentle eyes filled with understanding. "I meant you no harm," it said softly, its voice soothing like a melody. "I was simply here to guide you through this wilderness."

“How do I trust an elephant-sized talking bird ?” Paroo yelled.

Even though she was scared, torn between running away and giving in to her curiosity about the strange talking flamingo, she felt an inexplicable pull towards the enigmatic bird.

Realizing she couldn't navigate the jungle alone, she leaned on the flamingo for support and strength amidst the uncertainty. Slowly, cautiously, she approached it.

“What's your name?" Paroo inquired.

“You can call me by any name you want," replied the flamingo.

"Urmila. I will call you Urmila," declared Paroo.

“Why Urmila?" questioned the flamingo. "I'll tell that later… Okay now, let’s start walking," commanded Paroo.

Urmila laughed out loud and said, "When we could fly, why walk?"

“Come on, hop on, hop on” Urmila invited Paroo to grab a seat on her feathered back.

With a racing heart, Paroo hopped onto Urmila's soft and smooth back and with a graceful leap, Urmila took to the sky and her powerful wings sliced through the air with effortless ease.

Paroo marvelled at the breathtaking expanse of Mother Earth stretching out beneath them. She felt alive, more alive than she had ever felt before. She was at the top of the world in those incredible moments.

And then after a long breathtaking flight “Here comes your destination," announced the pilot Urmila and she gently dropped Paroo at the end of the jungle.

Paroo and Urmila both stood facing each other for a moment. Paroo knew that she had experienced something truly magical. She looked around, feeling a mixture of gratitude for the journey they had shared and a lot of sadness at the thought of parting ways with her newly found trustworthy jungle friend.

Paroo tearfully pleaded, “Please stay, Urmila, please stay.”

Urmila opened her colourful giant wings, enveloping Paroo in a gentle embrace. "You know I am a bird, and birds cannot be caged. My journey with you ends here, my dear," she explained softly before taking off.

Paroo waved goodbye, her heart heavy with longing, and then, suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. As the earth quaked, trees crashed around her and sent Paroo run for cover, a boulder from the mountain hurtled towards her and Urmila plummeted down from heaven and rescued Paroo from the impending doom.

Paroo once again was saved and soared above the chaos happening on the ground.

With hope shining in Paroo’s heart she gazed into Urmila's eyes and with gratitude and wonder she asked, “Hmm… so you are staying?"

Urmila smiled softly, "I believe you've left me with no choice." and then she reminded Paroo of her promise to reveal the meaning of Urmila.

Paroo's smile widened as she replied, "It means gentle, kind, and compassionate."

With Urmila's gentle wings as her shield and her compassionate spirit as her guide, Paroo passed through every twist and turn in her life’s journey with great courage.

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