By: Munavvar Tlewbaeva

Night had fallen. Streetlights lit the road, but I didn’t want their artificial glow. I wanted real, shining stars. So I walked home through a darker street.
Above me, stars twinkled silently, watching the hurried lives below. My thoughts drifted to the future: studying abroad, buying a car, building a home, having children… Humans often chase tomorrow, forgetting today.
Then I heard a child crying:
“Mom… where are you? I’m lost…”
I paused, but walked on. Perhaps his mother would appear. Still, a heaviness settled in my chest.
Under a bush, a tiny cat meowed, its eyes shining like miniature stars. It trembled. A larger cat appeared—the mother. She stayed close, comforting the little one. Soon, more cats arrived, their meows echoing solidarity. The little one was not alone.
I glanced back at the child. Still crying. People passed, indifferent. No one stopped.
Even animals don’t abandon one another…
Yet humans sometimes fail to see another human in need.
I rushed forward to help—but a speeding car came too fast. A bright light blinded me…
Everything went silent.
Only the stars continued to shine