In a small village called Riverside, there lived a woman named Maya. After her husband passed away, she worked as a daily laborer to support herself and her daughter, Priya, who attended the village school. While Maya toiled in the fields, Priya studied diligently, determined to build a better future.
Whenever Priya had free time, she accompanied her mother to work. If Maya found labor in neighboring villages, she would take Priya along. One afternoon, after completing their work in a distant village, Maya and Priya were returning home through the dense forest. Exhausted and hungry, they sat beneath a large tree to eat their meal.
“Come, Priya dear, let us eat first,” Maya said, unwrapping their simple lunch.
“Yes, Mother, I am very hungry too,” Priya replied eagerly.
They had just begun eating their chapatis when an elderly woman appeared before them, looking frail and desperate. “I am extremely hungry, dear child,” the old woman pleaded. “I have not eaten food for two days.”
Without hesitation, Maya invited her to join them. “Come, Mother, please have food with us.”
The old woman was so hungry that she quickly devoured the two chapatis Maya offered her. “I am still hungry. Give me more food,” she demanded.
Hearing her words, Maya gave her own portion of chapatis to the elderly woman, who ate them rapidly as well. Seeing this, young Priya spoke kindly to the stranger. “Grandmother, you seem very hungry. Please take my share of chapatis too.”
The old woman ate Priya’s chapatis without hesitation. Then she asked sharply, “Did you have only this many chapatis?”
Maya explained patiently, “Look, Mother, we were returning home after finishing our work. We had brought only six chapatis to eat on the way. Now nothing is left. But if you are very hungry, please come to our home with us. I will make as many chapatis as you want and feed you every day.”
“Will you really make and feed me as many chapatis as I want? Do not go back on your words, understand?” the old woman challenged.
“Mother, I give you my word that I will make and feed you as many chapatis as you want,” Maya promised solemnly.
Hearing her words, the old woman started laughing loudly and suddenly transformed into a terrifying demon. Priya, frightened, clung tightly to her mother. Though scared, Maya gathered her courage and addressed the demon calmly.
“Look, as I said, I will feed you chapatis every day. And the day I fail to feed you, my daughter and I will come on our own and surrender ourselves to you.”
The demon agreed to this arrangement, and Maya and Priya returned to their village. “Mother, you very cleverly saved both of us from that demon,” Priya said with relief.
“No, dear, I did not lie to that demon. I will truly start taking chapatis to her from tomorrow. I have given my promise,” Maya replied firmly.
From the next day, Maya began making numerous chapatis, filling them in a basket. Priya helped her mother, and together they carried the basket into the forest. The demon would smell the food from afar and demand, “Bring them quickly! I am very hungry!”
After devouring all the chapatis, the demon would warn, “Feed me such hot and tasty chapatis every day. Otherwise, I will eat both of you.”
Every single day, Maya and Priya made chapatis, filled the basket, and took them to the demon. The demon enjoyed eating hot chapatis daily, and some time passed this way.
One day, Priya said worriedly to her mother, “Mother, today we do not have even a little flour left to make chapatis, and all our money is also finished. What will we do now?”
“What can we do, child? We have given our word, so we must go. I do not know what will happen today. I am also scared,” Maya admitted.
At that very moment, the old woman in demon form came to Maya’s house. Maya welcomed her bravely. “Come, Mother, come. We were just talking about you. For so many days, I have worked hard to satisfy your hunger. But now we have no money left at all. Today you have saved us the trouble of coming to the forest. Today you may eat both of us.”
Saying this, Maya hugged her daughter tightly, ready to face their fate. Suddenly, the old woman transformed into a radiant goddess. Maya and Priya looked at each other in complete surprise.
“I heard everything when I saw you both in the forest,” the goddess explained. “You gave me the chapatis you had and even your own share. I was testing you. To test you, I turned into a demon. You never cursed me even once and fed me every day as promised. I am very pleased. I have never seen such kind people. You satisfied my hunger. From today, you will never lack anything.”
With a wave of her hand, the goddess created heaps of diamonds, money, and gold coins. Maya and Priya stood shocked at the abundance before them.
“Now you can live your entire life comfortably,” the goddess continued. “And I am giving you one more big responsibility.”
The goddess waved her hand again, and a magical stick appeared. Giving the stick to Maya, she explained, “Whenever you rotate this stick in a circle, many chapatis will be prepared here. Take those chapatis and distribute them among the poor. Help the poor and satisfy their hunger.”
With these words, the goddess blessed them and disappeared.
Maya kept the precious diamonds, jewelry, gold coins, and money safely in a cupboard. With some money, she built a new house and started living there comfortably. From the next day, with the help of the magical stick, Maya started making chapatis while Priya placed them in baskets.
Every day, Maya distributed those chapatis to the poor and also donated some at the temple. While distributing chapatis and helping others, she lived her life happily.
This story teaches us that we should always help others in life and always feed the hungry. We never know when our destiny might change. Therefore, do good deeds and do not expect anything in return.