As a kid, I earned the nickname “flower thief” around the neighborhood. While other children were busy with their toys, I found myself enchanted by gardens bursting with jasmine, roses, and marigolds, petals that seemed to share secrets and scents that sparked my imagination. I’d tiptoe in with shaky hands, snatching my favorites while the amused neighbors would chuckle and half-heartedly scold me. Mrs. Jathar would shake her head with a smile, saying, “Child, we’re growing these for ourselves!” And Mr. Khan would laugh, “You’ll leave us with nothing but bare stems!”

But in their eyes, I sensed something deeper; what they probably overlooked was my love and appreciation for nature and its beauty.