Ajji sat at her gleaming kitchen counter, her iPad propped against the masala dabba while her granddaughter Nina slumped over her laptop nearby.

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"I can't do it, Ajji!" Nina groaned. "This coding project is impossible. Everyone else in class seems to get it except me."

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Ajji adjusted her glasses and smiled. "Ah, this reminds me of the story of the Clever Crow and the Startup. Would you like to hear it?"

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Nina looked up, curiosity briefly overtaking her frustration. "A crow in a startup? Ajji, you're mixing up your old stories again!"

"Am I?" Ajji's eyes twinkled as she began her tale...

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In the bustling tech hub of Bangalore, where ancient banyan trees shared space with glass-walled office buildings, lived a crow named Kaage. Unlike other crows who spent their days scavenging for scraps, Kaage was fascinated by the humans who sat for hours before glowing screens in their air-conditioned offices.

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Every day, Kaage would perch on the window ledge of TechMind Solutions, watching the young coders work. She particularly enjoyed watching Megha, a junior developer who always shared her lunch with the birds on the ledge.

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One day, Kaage overheard the CEO talking: "We need an algorithm to solve this problem by tomorrow's investor meeting, or we'll lose our funding!"

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The office buzzed with tension as coders typed frantically, but no one could crack the problem. Even as night fell and the other birds returned to their nests, Kaage stayed, watching Megha struggle alone at her desk.

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Kaage remembered how her grandmother had taught her to break hard problems into smaller ones, like how they would move large pieces of chapati by tearing them into smaller bits. She also recalled how the crow community worked together, sharing information about food sources through their calls.

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That gave Kaage an idea. She began tapping on the window in a pattern:

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tap-tap-pause-tap-pause-tap-tap

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Megha looked up, amused at first, then thoughtful. The crow's pattern sparked something in her mind.

"Of course!" Megha exclaimed. "We don't need one complex algorithm - we need multiple simple ones working together, like a murmuration of starlings!"

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Through the night, Megha worked, inspired by Kaage's wisdom. She broke down the massive problem into smaller, manageable pieces that could work together, just like how birds coordinate in flight, or how her Ajji, her grandmother's recipes, broke complex dishes into simple, sequential steps 

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By morning, Megha had solved the problem. The investors were impressed not just by the solution, but by its elegant simplicity. "This is brilliant!" they exclaimed. "It's inspired by nature itself!"

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When asked about her process, Megha glanced at the window where Kaage sat. "I had help from an unexpected mentor who reminded me that our ancient wisdom often holds the key to modern problems. Sometimes we just need to look at things from a different perspective."

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From that day on, TechMind Solutions adopted a new approach to problem-solving, inspired by both ancient wisdom and modern technology. They even changed their logo to include a crow, though few knew the real reason why.

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As for Kaage, she continued to visit the office, proud to see how her community's ancient wisdom had helped shape new technologies. Sometimes, the simplest solutions come from remembering the lessons our ajjis and tathas taught us - whether they're human elders or feathered ones.

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Nina sat up straighter, looking at her code with fresh eyes. "So... you're saying I should break my problem into smaller pieces?"

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"And remember that wisdom comes in many forms," Ajji added, sliding a plate of freshly made besan ladoo toward her granddaughter. "Just as we break down the making of ladoo into simple steps - roasting the besan, making the sugar syrup, combining them carefully - complex problems become simpler when broken down."

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Nina took a bite of the ladoo and turned back to her laptop with renewed energy. On the window ledge outside, a crow cawed softly.

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This story was co-created with Aanya from Pune and brought to life by KOKO the Pup and the magical streets of Bangalore.

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It could be anything - a holiday you loved, a cooking adventure that went a little messy, or even a fun day with your friends. I’d love to hear it!