In a small village in India, there lived a man named Thimma. Thimma was known as a clever thief. He would sneak into people’s homes at night and steal their things. He stole whatever he could find—money, clothes, and even food. But one day, he decided to steal something very special.

In the heart of the village, there was a beautiful temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati. The villagers loved her and worshipped her with great devotion. One poor family had saved money for a long time to buy beautiful jewels for the goddess as a gift. They believed that these jewels would bring them happiness and blessings.

One night, Thimma crept into the temple. The moonlight shone on the jewels, making them sparkle like stars. Without thinking, Thimma took the jewels and ran away, feeling very proud of his theft. But little did he know, Goddess Parvati was watching him.

The next morning, when the villagers came to the temple, they found the jewels missing. They were heartbroken. The poor family cried, saying their gift was gone. Goddess Parvati felt their pain. She decided to teach Thimma a lesson he would never forget.

That night, as Thimma slept with the stolen jewels, he had a strange dream. In his dream, he saw Goddess Parvati standing before him, looking very angry. "Thimma," she said, "you have stolen not just jewels but the love and devotion of my people. You must understand the pain you have caused."

Thimma was scared and tried to run away, but he found himself trapped in a dark place filled with shadows. "You will feel the sadness of those you have harmed," Goddess Parvati continued. "Only then will you learn."

Suddenly, Thimma felt a heavy weight on his heart. He saw visions of the poor family crying for their lost gift and the villagers searching for the jewels. He felt their sorrow and guilt washed over him like a flood. When he woke up, he was very sad and understood how wrong he had been.

The next day, Thimma returned to the temple. He placed the jewels back where they belonged. He fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness. "I am truly sorry," he said. "I promise to change my ways."

Goddess Parvati, seeing his sincere regret, decided to forgive him. She whispered to him, "Remember, true happiness comes from love and kindness, not from stealing."

From that day on, Thimma became a better person. He helped the villagers and worked hard. He learned that sharing and giving brought him more joy than stealing ever could. And the villagers, seeing his change, welcomed him back into their hearts.

Thus, Thimma the thief became Thimma the helper, all thanks to the lesson taught by Goddess Parvati.
© Nishmitha Kotian