Nilah's juice stall

It was hot. The kind of hot where even the ground looked sleepy. Nilah decided it was the perfect day to open a juice shop. She found an old plastic table, a couple of steel tumblers, and lined up three bottles: rose syrup, lemon juice, and plain water. She even made a tiny price board with chalk. “Lemon Splash – ₹2, Rose Twist – ₹3, Special Mix – Free for Appa,” she wrote. She folded a towel across her shoulder like Amma did at her pickle stall and stood behind the table proudly. “Shop open!” she announced to nobody.
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At first, no one came. The butterflies weren’t interested. Puli, her cat, sniffed the table and walked off. But then… a customer. A big black crow landed on the guava tree and stared right at her. “Welcome!” Nilah called, pretending to bow. The crow cawed once, tilted its head, and then swooped down—straight at the lemon bottle. “Hey!” she shouted. It tapped the lid with its beak, then flew off. “That’s not how you pay!” Nilah scolded. She tightened the cap and stood guard. But five minutes later, the crow came back—this time with a friend. 
They both sat on the fence like they were reading the menu. Nilah squinted at them. “I see what this is. You want free samples.” She poured a few drops of lemon juice into a tiny leaf cup and placed it on the ground. The crow hopped down, pecked once, and flew away with the leaf. “You thief!” Nilah yelled. “You didn’t even say thank you!” She grabbed a spoon and pointed it at the fence. “This shop does not serve rude birds!”
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By afternoon, she had served exactly zero human customers, lost one leaf cup, and spilled rose syrup all over her foot. But she was still standing. “Some shops are slow in the beginning,” she told herself. Appa walked out just then, wiping his hands on a towel. “Can I get a Special Mix?” he asked. Nilah grinned. She poured water, a splash of rose, a few drops of lemon, and stirred it with a spoon. Appa took a sip and smiled. “Tastes like... effort.” Nilah handed him a napkin and looked up at the fence. The crows were back. “Sorry,” she said firmly, “this is a people-only place now.” The crows cawed loudly—probably to argue—but Nilah just sipped her own drink and smiled. Shop closed.