Arham was funny and confident, but he was also one of the naughtiest boys in school. He always had lots of friends around him, some admired him, while others stuck close to get favours. But his confidence and humour often came at someone else’s expense.

His favourite target was Rayan, a quiet boy with pimples on his face. Arham never missed a chance to tease him.

“Hey, pizza face!” he would taunt, and his friends would burst into laughter. Rayan would just lower his head, pretending not to care, though his eyes told a different story.

One day, during class presentations, Rayan stood at the front, trembling as he spoke.

Arham whispered loudly, “Careful, his face might explode!” Everyone laughed. Rayan’s face turned red; he couldn’t finish and ran out of the room.

That night, someone uploaded a video of the incident online. At first, Arham laughed too, but soon the comments started turning against him.

“That’s not funny.”

“This is so mean!”

“The bully should be taught a lesson.”

“Let this bully be treated the same way!”

“If I ever come across this bully, I’ll teach him a real lesson he’ll never forget!”

Reading these and many other such messages shocked Arham. For the first time, he felt uneasy.

The next day, Rayan didn’t come to school. Rumours spread that he had locked himself in his room, refusing to talk to anyone. Arham noticed that many kids now looked at him with anger and disgust. Guilt started creeping into his heart.

A week later, during basketball practice, Arham slipped and fell face-first on the court. His front tooth chipped from the bottom. It wasn’t serious, but it changed how people saw him — and how he saw himself. Some boys snickered and one even mocked his smile.

That night, looking at his reflection, Arham touched the chipped tooth and remembered Rayan’s face. He finally understood how badly words could hurt. Getting pimples is a normal part of growing up, but the way he had made Rayan feel filled him with shame.

The next morning, he saw Rayan sitting with his friends near the canteen. His heart pounded as he walked over.

“Rayan,” he said quietly, “I’m sorry. I made fun of you because I was insecure. It was wrong. I didn’t realise how hurt you must’ve felt.”

Rayan looked surprised but nodded slowly. “Thanks,” he said. “Just don’t do it again — to anyone.”

Arham nodded. He had learnt something important that day. Real strength isn’t in making others feel small, but in having the courage to be kind and admit your mistakes. And every time he saw the chip in his tooth, it reminded him never to hurt anyone with his words again.

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 8th, 2025