Zara loved the time just before bed, when the sun painted the sky in sleepy colours of orange and purple. Her favourite place was the small garden behind her house, filled with the sweet scent of jasmine flowers. Best of all were the fireflies that blinked awake as twilight deepened, like tiny stars fallen to earth.
She would sit very still on the cool grass, watching them dance. Most fireflies blinked with a gentle yellow-green light. But one evening, Zara saw something extraordinary. Hiding near the rose bushes was a firefly unlike any other. Its light wasn’t just yellow-green; it pulsed softly with all the colours of a rainbow!
Zara gasped softly. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Carefully, she cupped her hands around it. The little rainbow firefly crawled onto her finger, its light warm and magical. A thought popped into her head: 'This firefly is special. It's *my* secret.' She quickly found an empty glass jar, poked some holes in the lid, and gently placed the firefly inside. She would keep it safe in her room.
Just then, her friend Bilal peered over the garden wall. "Zara? Are you watching the fireflies? I haven't seen very many tonight," he said, sounding a little disappointed. Zara quickly hid the jar behind her back. Her heart felt tight. She wanted the rainbow firefly all to herself, but seeing Bilal looking sad made her feel uncomfortable.
She remembered something her Ami Jaan, her grandmother, always said: "Sharing happiness makes it grow bigger, little star." Was keeping the beautiful firefly hidden really making her happy? It felt more like a worried secret than a joyful discovery. She looked at the glowing jar behind her back, then at Bilal's hopeful face.
Taking a deep breath, Zara brought the jar out. "Bilal, look what I found!" she whispered, her voice full of excitement now that she wasn't hiding. Bilal's eyes grew wide as he saw the firefly gently glowing with red, blue, green, and gold light. "Wow!" he breathed. "It's like magic!"
They sat together, watching the firefly pulse with colour. Strangely, sharing the sight seemed to make the little light shine even brighter. It looked so alive, so brilliant. But it also looked a little lonely in the jar, unable to dance with the other lights flickering outside.
"It's beautiful," Bilal said softly. "But maybe... maybe it misses the other fireflies?" Zara knew he was right. Keeping something so wonderful locked away didn't feel kind, not to the firefly and not even to herself anymore. Sharing it with Bilal was nice, but the firefly deserved to be free.
Together, they carefully unscrewed the lid. The rainbow firefly rested on the rim for a moment, its colours pulsing thankfully. Then, it lifted into the air, a tiny jewel against the darkening sky. It flew towards the other blinking lights, joining their gentle dance, adding its unique rainbow sparkle to the garden.
Zara and Bilal watched, side-by-side, a shared smile on their faces. The garden seemed even more magical now, not because they owned the special firefly, but because they had let its beauty be free for everyone, and every other firefly, to enjoy. Sharing the wonder felt much, much better than keeping it secret. It felt warm and bright, just like the little lights dancing in the jasmine-scented night.