Little Sarika had no idea why this new place looked so festive and decorated. Snowcapped trees and houses everywhere with huge Santa Claus statues at various shops. It was all so exciting for a girl from a very different cultural background. She overheard a little boy asking his mom to buy him a sock that Santa Claus will drop gifts into during Christmas Eve. She too requested her mother to get her one such sock. She had already heard a lot of stories about Christmas and Santa Claus, and she too wanted to see for herself if Father Christmas would fulfil her only wish: for her father to come back and live with them.

On Christmas Eve, she hung the sock at the mantlepiece with great hope and went to bed. The next morning there was a nicely wrapped gift, which she opened eagerly. A beautiful doll with eyes as blue as the sea stared back at her. Oh! How overjoyed was the little girl! She hugged the doll tight, and just then the doorbell rang. Her mother went to answer the door, and to Sarika’s surprise, her dad was at the door! The girl couldn’t believe her eyes. She ran to hug her dad, not believing that Santa Claus had actually heard her secret wish and fulfilled it. For Sarika, this was the best Christmas gift ever!