The Missing Notebook Mystery

The Missing Notebook Mystery

BY: Ubaid

Neha sat on her bed, her head buried in her hands. Tomorrow was an important math test, and just like the past few days, her math notebook was missing from her schoolbag.

Two days ago, it had been her Urdu notebook. She had searched the whole night, only to find it sitting quietly in her bag the next morning. At that time, she convinced herself it was her own mistake. Maybe she hadn’t looked properly. But today, as she opened her bag to revise her math lessons, the notebook had vanished again.

Tears of worry filled her eyes. She was still lost in thought when her elder brother, Saad, walked into the room.

“Saad bhai, have you seen my math notebook?” Neha asked anxiously.

Saad shook his head. “No. But honestly, Neha, how can your notebook go missing every single day? You need to be more careful.”

Neha looked up, distressed. “No, bhai. I clearly remember putting it inside my bag yesterday.”

Saad saw her worried face and softened. “Alright, don’t cry. Let’s search together.”

The two siblings turned the house upside down. They searched the bedroom, lounge, kitchen, and even their parents’ room. But the notebook was nowhere to be found.

Neha’s heart sank. Tomorrow, her strict teacher Miss Afroze would not forgive her. Just imagining her anger made Neha’s eyes well up again.

“There’s only one place left,” Saad finally said. “Let’s check Mali Baba’s room.” Mali Baba—whose real name was Saleem—worked as the gardener in their house. He lived with his wife, Salma, and their two mischievous sons, Ali and Hasan, in a small servant quarter behind the house.

But before they could go there, Saad noticed Neha had stopped walking. She was sitting on the sofa, quietly crying.

“Neha, don’t cry. Listen, crying never solves problems. If you want to come out of difficulty, you have to try. Problems are solved with effort, not tears.” Saad gently encouraged her, fulfilling his role as the elder brother.

Neha wiped her eyes, and Saad decided to first help her prepare for tomorrow’s test before continuing the search. Together, they went to the study room, and Saad patiently revised her math lessons with her. Afterward, leaving Neha to practice her tables, he went to his mother.

“Ammi, isn’t it strange? Every other day Neha’s notebook disappears, only to be found the next morning.”

His mother sighed. “Yes, beta. Even I am worried.”

“I think Ali and Hasan might be behind it,” Saad suggested. “Neha always fights with them, so maybe they hide her notebooks as a prank.”

Ammi thought for a moment and then nodded. “Go and ask them. But remember, speak gently.”

Saad went to the backyard, where he spotted Ali and Hasan near the servant quarter window, huddled together. They quickly straightened up when they saw him.

“What are you two doing here?” Saad asked suspiciously.

“Nothing, Saad bhai. Just talking,” Hasan replied nervously, standing in front of Ali as if to block him.

But Saad noticed Ali trying to push something through the window.

“Show me what’s in your hand,” Saad demanded.

Ali hesitated, but when Saad threatened to tell their father, he reluctantly held it out.

It was Neha’s missing math notebook.

Saad raised an eyebrow. “So my guess was right. This was your mischief all along.”

The boys stood with their heads down, too afraid to speak. Just then, their mother Salma appeared. “What’s going on here?” she asked.

Saad explained everything. Salma grew furious and raised her hand to punish the boys, but Saad’s mother and Neha arrived just in time.

Neha, on seeing her notebook in Ali’s hands, burst out angrily. She had never been fond of the two brothers, and this confirmed her dislike.

Ammi took the notebook and examined it. It was unharmed. The boys hadn’t torn or scribbled on it. So why were they taking her notebooks?

She looked at Ali sternly. “Tell me the truth. Why are you doing this?”

Ali looked nervous but then spoke, his voice trembling. “Aunty… we just wanted to study like Saad bhai and Neha baji. One day, we asked Neha baji to teach us what she learned in school. But she laughed at us and said, ‘What will you two do by studying? Just stick to your own work.’ She made fun of us.”

All eyes turned toward Neha, who now stood ashamed, her head lowered.

Ali continued, “So Hasan and I decided to learn ourselves. We would secretly take a notebook from Neha baji’s bag, copy everything onto our slate, and then put it back. We never damaged her notebooks. We just wanted to learn.”

Hearing this, Saad’s father—who had also joined them—was moved to tears. Salma and Saleem stood silently, their faces heavy with shame.

Ammi stepped forward and hugged the two boys, leaving everyone surprised.

“Neha beta,” her father said, calling her over. “Come here. Tell me, have we ever taught you that being wealthy makes us better than others? Didn’t we always tell you that all humans are equal before Allah? You have disappointed me today.”

Neha’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Baba.”

“Not to me,” he replied firmly. “Say sorry to Ali and Hasan. And your punishment is that from today, you will teach them every evening.”

Neha nodded, feeling guilty.

“And you two,” her father turned to Ali and Hasan, “what you did was also wrong. Taking someone’s things without permission is stealing, even if your intention was good. You must apologize too. And your punishment is that from tomorrow, you will go to school as well.”

The two boys’ eyes widened in disbelief. Then, overwhelmed with joy, they hugged each other.

That night, the house was filled with a new sense of understanding. Neha learned humility, Ali and Hasan gained a chance to study, and the family realized once again that education is every child’s right—whether rich or poor.