STORIES BY STUDENTS

National Library of India conducted an Online Creative Writing Workshop  "Telling Tales in the Times of a Pandemic - Workshop on Short Story Writing, Climate Fiction and Better Future" exclusively for school children on 21, 26 and 28 of April, 2020. Some of the best stories written by the participants of the said workshop are published below.

STORY ONE

                                    The Agreement 

Kshitika Biswas

 CLASS VIII, DPS RUBY PARK 

Rajnish had just shifted to Darjeeling for his new job assignment in a bank. He was temporarily staying in a small hotel and desperately looking for a new house for his permanent accommodation. Being a young guy in his early thirties he was physically sound and spirited too. Walking for him was  sheer pleasure and fun as well. He really enjoyed it. His budget was not too high, rather moderate.

Since he was alone and loved serenity, he was looking for a place a little away from the crowded locality. Like every other day he went out to scout for a decent place to live in. Wandering through the meandering hilly roads he suddenly stopped. In front of him, few metres away, loomed a beautiful bungalow located by the side of a small cliff. The gate of the bungalow had a large but old and tattered poster nailed on it indicating that the bungalow was available on rent. By the side of the bungalow, there was a small stream. Coming from the mountain top, it zig-zagged its way through the cliff and flowed downwards.

Rajnish always had dreamt about living in a house located by a riverside or by a water body. He loved the sound of rippling water. Elated, he made up his mind to rent this place. He started going around the house; calculating at the same time how much increase in his budget he would be able to afford. While going towards the back of the bungalow, he saw a small graveyard just a few yards away. He stopped for a moment and thought whether it would be a wise decision to stay here all alone. The nearest house was almost a kilometer away.

It was dusk, the surroundings were getting a bit shadowy and Rajnish knew well that with the sunset the area would plunge into darkness very soon. Without wasting any more time, he headed for the entrance and decided to go in for at least the initial discussion with the landlord.  The doorbell was a little old-fashioned buzzer with a lion’s face on top of it. The lion’s nose was the button to be pressed. The moment Rajnish put his finger on it, the wooden door flung open. As if someone inside knew that he was going to press the buzzer.

It was quite dark inside the house and his eyes took a few seconds to get accustomed to the darkness. A strange, musty smell gushed forth from inside. Slowly he could figure out an old man - short, muscular with a face full of pimples or skin inflammations. He also had a strange beard which came down from his cheeks from both sides but stopped after meeting his thick moustache. His chin had a big and deep scar, which probably explained the reason of such an unusual beard. In a strong baritone, he introduced himself as Alex Gomes, a retired judge of the Darjeeling District Court. He urged Rajnish to come inside and make himself comfortable.

Rajnish followed him, came inside and sat on an ancient rickety sofa-set which made a creaking sound. Mr. Gomes was still standing, keenly watching the young man. The first thing Rajnish noticed was the shabby look of the room, old and yellowing decor and cobwebs; so many of them clustered all around, hanging from the ceiling, clinging to the furniture. Also, there was no sign of electricity. The windows of the room were shut. The objects inside the room were hardly visible in the faint light coming inside from the open main entrance. After taking a look all around, his eyes met Mr. Gomes’s which looked unusually bright. He was still looking at Rajnish and waiting for him to finish with his inspection of the drawing room. Then he spoke,

`You can see that there is no electricity in this house. Apart from this space, there are two other rooms, one study and the other a bedroom. There is a kitchen, attached storeroom and a toilet. But there is no pipeline for water supply, and you have to fetch water from the nearby stream you noticed. It has water all around the year. You can use the stream water for every purpose. For drinking, however, you need to filter it. I have got one there.’

He pointed out to the corner of the drawing space which had a small rectangular box shaped water-filter placed on a high wooden stool. While Rajnish was looking at it, and thinking what a tough life it would be to stay here, Mr. Gomes remarked with a smile,

            `See young man; if you want your home in a dream location you have to make some adjustments and sacrifice some modern comforts.’

Rajnish was taken aback and before he could say something, the old man twitched his whisker and smirked,

`You might be thinking how I came to know about your search for a house.’

Mr. Gomes laughed out loudly and continued,

`Don't forget, I am a retired Judge; I have my own way of knowing things. You can have this place for yourself as long as you want. I will not charge any rent.’

Rajnish was utterly surprised again. He could not make out what that meant. Mr. Gomes added,

`But I have my own condition. The house will be handed over only after you spend one night alone here. Also, you cannot throw away anything from this house. All these are linked with a lot of my memories.’

`Of course, of course.’ Rajnish somehow managed to mutter.

After completing a stressful day in office, Rajnish started walking back to Mr. Gomes’s Bungalow. It was only ten past six, but it looked like midnight. Moonlight was flooding the mountains, and everything looked magical. As Rajnish climbed the stone-paved road and came in front of the bungalow, he noticed something from inside rush past him. It looked like a huge dog, but he could not say for sure. By nature, Rajnish was quite adventurous, yet an eerie sensation flowed down his spine! 

While coming he had got his dinner packed from a roadside eatery. Although Mr. Gomes promised that there would be filtered drinking water available, Rajnish took no risk and carried a 2-litre bottle of mineral water which possibly would see him through till next morning. He also carried his torch, a thriller of his liking and a fully charged power bank for his mobile. As the old man had promised, the door was open for him and a lantern was there just in front of the entrance and it needed to be lit up. From the look of the lantern Rajnish could well perceive that it belonged to an era when he was not born. He dangled it a bit to find out whether it had enough oil inside. The weight and sound assured him. The tank was full. There was also a glass bottle containing kerosene kept on the floor. When the lamp was lit the darkness inside was somewhat dispersed. Today, the house looked a bit cleaner than yesterday; the musty smell and the cobwebs were gone. Mr. Gomes had said that he lived a little away from here. Although there was no rent involved, Rajnish wanted a documented agreement. He was a bit skeptical about the old man giving him the old, desolate but lovely bungalow without charging any rent. He wanted to make sure that in future he would not be thrown out of it suddenly. Mr. Gomes understood his concern and promised to send an attorney with the legal papers, tomorrow morning. The attorney would wait for Rajnish at the graveyard sharp at 8 am. But only if he managed to survive the night in this house. Mr. Gomes warned him that the house was spooky but Rajnish had taken up the challenge boldly.

He unpacked his food parcel and quickly finished his dinner in dining table. There was a jug on the table on which a paper was stuck with a handwritten note – drinking water. It was the month of May. Temperatures were quite pleasant here in the hills. But inspite of being inside the room Rajnish could feel an unusual chill in the air. All the doors and windows were closed, yet a cold wind was blowing  inside and that too not in any specific direction. It was whirling in a circle, here and there. In the not too bright light of the antique lantern he could not make out if there were crevices or cracks in the wooden wall. With a desire to check he switched on his torch. It flickered for few moments and went off. The batteries seemed to have died down. He thought of resorting to the torchlight of his cellphone but that too did not work. To his utter surprise, the phone was switched off. He tried to restart it, but failed. He plugged the mobile cable to the power bank, but no charge flowed in. What was the matter! What was going on! Rajnish was totally perplexed. He gave up his search.

The bedroom was comparatively cozy or maybe it was the warmth of the old thick blankets, which smelled of a cologne probably Mr. Gomes was wearing yesterday. As the night progressed, strange things started happening -- shadows fleeting away, whimpers of civets, howls of foxes even the cry of a human baby could be heard. By now Rajnish started feeling really disturbed, but he could do little about it. He brought the lantern closer to the bed and started reading the thriller. The story was about a stupendous adventure in a hilly region undertaken by a brave heart on a stormy night.

Rajnish woke up in a hurry as he felt someone was pushing him. But there was no one around. He looked at his wristwatch. It was five past eight. Not sure when he had dozed off. The lantern was still burning, and the thriller was lying on the floor. The bed sheet was rumpled as if it witnessed a battle overnight. He suddenly remembered the words of Mr. Gomes. He put on his jacket and shoes and rushed out of the house.

A tall middle-aged man in a black cloak was standing inside the graveyard in front of a grave putting flowers on it.  He turned towards the entrance, hearing the footsteps of Rajnish and smiled.

`Hello Mr. Rajnish, good morning. I am Mr. Rathin Sarkar; advocate in Darjeeling District Court. You're a bit late. Did you sleep well!’

`Thanks Mr. Sarkar! Good morning ’

`Here is the document for you, please have a look.’

Rajnish stretched his hand, took the document and went through the lines. Yet another surprise - it was not a rent agreement but the will of Mr. Gomes. Rajnish in bated breath went on reading it … "I, Mr. Alex Gomes, son of late Mr. Francis Gomes… do hereby bequeath the ownership and right of my property, a bungalow, located at --- to one Sri Rajnish Kumar, the only son of Mr. Rajesh Kumar, a resident of 31 South Colony, Patna, Bihar ----- on this day -----." What struck Rajnish was the date of execution of the will – it was dated one year back.

`I don’t know what to say Mr. Sarkar! Where can I meet Mr. Gomes?’

`What do you mean by that?’

`I need to talk to him. I want him to explain! I want to thank him …’

`Are you crazy?’

            `Why?’

            `Don’t you know that he is no more! He departed last year around this time. This is his grave!

Mr. Sarkar pointed out a grave where he had just put a wreath.’

            `What! Then who informed you to come here?’

            `You are a strange fellow! After I got your SMS, I tried to call you several times last evening, but your phone was switched off.’

            `SMS? Me!’

            `Now, now … don’t say you didn’t send a text to me asking me to come here and hand you over the papers at 8 am today. My duty is over, and I have to go to the court now.’

Rajnish stood still as he walked away.

Back in the house he kept the will on the table. He splashed water on his face and drank some. The mobile started as usual when he switched it on, the battery was not empty. He went to the sent messages section. The last message, sent at 8 pm yesterday read:

Mr. Sarkar, good evening. I introduce myself as Rajnish Kumar. Mr. Alex Gomes must have told you about me. Can you please hand his will over to me tomorrow morning? We can meet near his gravestone.

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                                                                        STORY TWO

Safira

Ahana Gangopadhyay

Class: VIII A, Mahadevi Birla World Academy

‘The lion doesn’t turn around when small dogs bark’, said granny. I was sitting at the tea table with my evening’s storyteller -- out on the lawn in the laps of the hills of Anni. I requested my granny to tell a tale from her teenage days.

My granny was born during colonial rule in India. She had come to India with her father, all the way from London. This meant that I, being a Himachali, had my roots somewhere down the 14, Tottenham Court Road, London. 

         ‘Well,’ continued granny. ‘I had a taste for hunting, while I was at college; I often went along on hunting expeditions in the Terai jungle near Anni.’

‘You, with a rifle in hand walking through the woods, that sounds interesting!’ I exclaimed.

            ‘I was with my father and that particular day was very special for him as they had planned to track down a lion, which the other shikaris had seen earlier the other day. I was so awestruck by the prospect of a ravening beast being gunned down by my father, that I absolutely lost track of the coterie of nimrod.’

        My Granny, still a young woman at that time, a huge canopy of trees above her and no one in sight, bearing the terror of a beast pouncing from behind, this very thought made me sit up.

 ‘Dear, are you listening?’

‘Yes’, I said, taking a sip of tea from my cup.

‘While father got busy with the other shikaris I somehow fell behind and suddenly realised I was lost. I shouted but no one answered back. With sweats of fear trickling down my forehead, I moved on through the forest to find a way out. Suddenly, I heard a rustling among the bushes. Alarmed at the thought that death has finally arrived for me, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and got ready to face the challenge.’

‘Wow, Granny! How brave you were! To face a ferocious beast, absolutely unarmed!’ I exclaimed.

‘Stop! Don’t interrupt me now. Listen carefully.’ declared Granny.

She continued, ‘My anxiety about a ferocious beast vanished when I saw a lion cub, fetching out its way through the deep jungle.  Just as I saw the cub, I also caught sight of my father.’

`“Where had you vanished all alone? I told you not to come with me. I feared I will never find you again. Thank goodness we just got here in time,” father said.’

`“Look father how adorable the lion cub is! I want to take it home and look after it, poor thing.” I felt excited at the thought of an unusual pet rather than dogs and cats. Father sent me back home with the cub and a guard while he resumed the hunt for the lion.’

‘I was thrilled by my new duties of taking care of the new member of our house. My mother would have been very happy about the arrival of a pet if it had been  a St. Bernard or a Pomeranian. But with one glance at  he cub she screamed and said, ”I cannot keep a lion in my house. One day”, declared mom in a prophetic manner “we will find him on your bed, and no sign of you except your clothes and shoes!” Mom then asked, “Whose plan was it to take a lion cub as a pet, one who would evolve to be a predatory animal? Is it you, Ellyse or your father?”

‘Granny, were you able to convince your mother to keep him as a pet? How lucky you were to have a lion cub as pet! It would be awfully bad if you did let him go,’ I said.

‘Luckily, I was able to convince my mom that the cub won’t be troublesome. It fell upon me to give the new pet a name. Selecting a name for a member of the house is undoubtedly tough,’ said Granny in a malcontent demeanor.

            ‘While I had been overwhelmed by a deluge of names, the cub had already consumed two bottles of milk. As he already finished his meal, I made him sleep on my bed for I thought the little one must be fatigued after a long and lonely day alone in the wild.’

‘I finally named him ‘Safira’, which was the Swahili word for ‘Sapphire’. Safira at that time was only as big as a rabbit with large blueberry eyes which were distinctly expressive. He had exquisite legs; his ears were as glossy as silk charmeuse and his nose was as black as truffle. It was as rare as hen’s teeth to hold such an exquisite creature in one’s hand.’

 ‘Safira soon adapted himself,’ continued Granny jovially ‘to the house and its inhabitants and behaved well. I suppose he had smelled my mother’s fretful and quicksilver moods. During his first weeks, Safira was brought up entirely on milk given to him in a feeding bottle by our cook, Myani. But the milk proved too rich for him, so he was switched to a diet of raw mutton and pigeon meat.’

Seeing my Granny’s excitement as she narrated the story, I could understand that she was reliving her experience.

‘Safira became remarkably neat in all his habits. In truth he was a quiet sort and used  to hang around with me wherever I went. With a crafty look in his glittering eyes, he would creep closeto my elbow when I would be reading a book, and rolling over on his back would be kicking in delight. His antics gave me a lot of pleasure’

‘His favourite place was the swing in the lawn’

‘Is this the same swing, Granny?’ I asked, eager to know.

‘No, dear not this one. We used to live in Dehra at that time. You know, he would stretch out on the swing and if anyone tried to get him off he would snarl at that person. His favourite amusement was to approach near me with a strange look asking for a hug, which he loved. At night, he used to sleep close to my arms.’

‘As nothing lasts forever and all good things must come to an end, Safira also left me one day.’

‘Oh! Really Granny. Was he taken away? Did he die? You would have cried a lot then!’

‘No, child. Safira belonged to the wild and so did his lifestyle. We gave him back to the sanctuary within a year’s time. When he was about eight months old, a change had come about, he grew less sociable. Sometimes at night we would hear a frenzied cackling of the rabbits from the cage, and in the morning bones would be lying all around. He was chained up more frequently. But when he began to stalk Myani, my father decided to transfer him to a zoo.’

‘I implored my father not to send him away to a zoo. “He stayed with us freely for a year, hardly without the need for any enclosure or cage.  If you have to send him away send him to a sanctuary where he would lead the rest of his life in the familiar surroundings of trees and bushes,” I told him and he agreed realising the trouble  Safira may face at the  zoo.’

‘Granny, did you not go to see him later?’

‘Yes, I did go. He had been another half of me. I still feel his presence in my memories. He will always be in my heart as a lively figure like you, Midge; come what may.’

‘Things end but memories last forever. So did Safira’s stay at my home conclude, but the good times we shared continue to light up a corner of my heart.’ Granny said very softly.

‘Midge, Come home. Dinner is ready. Carefully, come with your grandma.’ called out my father.

‘Come, granny. Let’s go inside. It’s quite dark now. Father is calling for dinner,’ I said.

‘At the end of that day, as I went to sleep, I thought how amiable Safira had been and how much pain he must have endured when he left granny and her family. I wish my mother would also come back one day like Safira did'

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    STORY TWO (JOINT)

The Debt Which I Paid

Anushka Mukherjee

Class VIII, Mahadevi Birla World Academy 

Parmesh is a boy of eleven years who comes from the village Suvarnanagari. Though he is quick-witted, he could never go to school as his parents were very poor. In fact, all the inhabitants of Suvarnanagari were suffering from poverty. The main reason for this was Ramlal, the zamindar of Suvarnanagari. He was a hard-hearted and merciless man who would punish the poor peasants mercilessly if they failed to pay the tax on time. He was a very greedy man who  favoured wealthy and prosperous men who could pay his taxes.

Parmesh wanted to protest against the punishments meted out by the zamindar and his general  misbehaviour. But his parents held him in check as they feared that the zamindar would throw them out of the village by bringing in hoodlums. Thus, Parmesh, like the other villagers had to bear the torture without saying a word.

Parmesh’s wanted to become a police officer who would fearlessly voice his opinions and be the protector of law. He used to work in his father’s meagre farm and beside it was a tea stall. The police officers of their village often came to have a cup of tea there. He used to admire them and imagined himself sitting amongst them, proudly wearing his uniform.

One day, while Parmesh was cutting the crops, he saw Ramlal and few of his hoodlums coming towards his father who was also busy cutting crops on the other side of the field. Suddenly, Ramlal ordered those big, sturdy hoodlums to drive the peasants away so that he could take over the land. Hearing this, Parmesh’s father fell to the zamindar’s feet and begged him to spare his land. But, the heartless and power-hungry zamindar kicked him and the hoodlums beat him with metal rods till he stopped moving

Parmesh saw everything with his own eyes. He could not bear the sorrow of losing his father. He was foaming at the mouth and charged towards Ramlal with his sickle. The hoodlums pushed him away and hit him hard in the stomach. He groaned with pain and could not get up for a long time.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the floor of his house, with his mother, too, lying beside him. He saw all the villagers and his relatives crowding and looking at him in a bewildered manner.

“What has happened? I was lying in the field after those rascals hit me. Who brought me here? What has happened to my mother?” he asked.

One of the villagers said, “You are still alive? We thought you were dead. That is why we brought you here to give the sad news to your mother. And …and” the man hesitated.

“And what?” asked Parmesh.

“And when she found out that both her husband and son are dead, she was unable to bear the loss and died from shock.”

Parmesh could not take this anymore. He had suffered the loss of both his parents on a single day! What would he do even if he survived? Without his parents to care for him and love him, his life would be worthless.

The villagers felt pity for him and tried to console him and one of them told him that he would care for him and put him up in his house. But Parmesh’s heart which had shattered into a thousand pieces could never be joined up so that it returned back to its original form.

He knew that nobody could ever take the place of his parents until and unless they adopted him willingly. He knew that the villagers were ready to take care of him, but they could hardly cope up with the needs of their own families. And if any family in the village adopted Parmesh, he would be nothing but an extra burden for them.

He went out of the house, his vision blurry with tears. He went to sit by the lake which was his favourite place where he would sit and express his joy or sorrow to the fresh air, lush green grass and the water of the lake.

He sat there and cried out, “Oh God! How can you be so unfair? You never gave me the opportunity to be educated, you never made my family and the villagers rich and prosperous and now you have even snatched away my parents from me. What sin have I done, that you are giving me such a big punishment?”

Suddenly, he felt a hand put on his shoulder. He turned and saw a police officer standing behind him. He got up, wiped his tears and saluted him. The police officer saluted in return and said, “What’s your name, child?” Parmesh said, “Parmesh, sir.”

The police officer spelt out the words slowly and sadly, “I don’t know how to say this. I don’t know whether you will ever forgive me after I say this.”

Parmesh was confused.

The officer continued, “I am really sorry Parmesh, but those people who surrounded the zamindar and helped him commit the offence, were police officers and I was among them. Parmesh, please, I am feeling very guilty as I am a father myself and I know the close bonding between a father and a son.”

Parmesh was unable to speak for some time. Finally he said, choking on each word, “I can’t believe this. Sir, I used to get inspired by you all and I wanted to be a police officer when I grew up. But I never thought that a policeman, being the protector of law himself could ever let anyone commit this punishable offence in front of his own eyes. I am ashamed of you.”

“I know Parmesh but I had nothing to do. I am not  a senior officer and I have very little power. My superiors had ordered me to favour the zamindar because he is powerful and he had bribed the senior officers. We have become very corrupt. We are very greedy and selfish. For us, money is everything. Nobody cares for relations, nobody shows humanity. I wanted to stop all this but my hands were bound.” said the officer. He added, “Parmesh, if you really want to become a police officer then remember one thing. Do not be a fool like me. Try to protect the common people and never get drawn by greedand drift away from this important responsibility. Even if you are not in a high post, remember that responsibility comes before your job, your family and money. Do not hurt anyone feelings like I hurt you. Do not scar anyone emotionally for life.”

 “But to join the police force I need to be educated first. The villagers are so poor, and now I don’t even have my parents. How would I ever go to school?” Parmesh said.

The officer said, “I know that I owe you something irreplaceable. I will never be able to clear that debt in my entire life. But I would be very happy if you would come with me and stay with me in the city.”

“Wouldn’t I be a burden to you?” said Parmesh, slightly taken aback.

“No, of course not. My wife would be quite happy to have a second son and my son to have a brother. Our small family would welcome you with open arms, Parmesh. And in the city you can get the best quality education too.”

“Really? Are you sure you have no problem taking me in?”

“Parmesh, you are a very sensible boy. Why should you waste your life staying in this small village? Come with me and I will raise you up with a lot of care and affection.”

Thus, Parmesh, the little village boy went to the city to grow up as a commanding and responsible police officer!

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                                                             STORY THREE

 

                              The Man in the Black Cloak

Snigdha Das, Class VIII, MBWA

Betul, one of the little known districts of Madhya Pradesh, is one of the favourite sites for geologists because of its mineral ore deposits – coal, graphite, lead and zinc. In the Bodi village of Betul there lived two brothers Ravi and Kavi. Kavi had wanted to be a lawyer or a detective but because of extreme poverty he could not make it. Instead he ended up working as a cook for the geologists who would regularly put up their camps around their village.

Meanwhile his brother Ravi, who looked much old than his age, did not work. Ravi loved sweets and would be very happy whenever someone offered him a sweet. He moved around their small village with a walking stick and sometimes went missing for days before reappearing. Despite these unexplained disappearances, Kavi was very fond of his brother.

Kavi always wore a black cloak which made him imagine he was a real lawyer. He was the all-time favourite of geologists because of his cooking skills as well as his knowledge of the area. The geologists would often reward him with cash and also in kind. They knew about his childhood desire to become a lawyer or detective so they mostly gifted him detective books, books on criminal law. At night Kavi spent his time reading those books.

One evening after returning from work Kavi found Ravi lying in their courtyard and not responding to his calls. He went near him and found he had stopped breathing. There were several bruise marks on his body.

Kavi started to yell. Hearing him the villagers who lived nearby arrived. They told him he was dead and called the police. His body was taken for post-mortem. The post-mortem report said his brother had died of cardiac arrest. It was very hard for Kavi to believe this but he had no alternative  as the case filed by Kavi against unknown persons was dismissed by the court.

This was however not the end of his search. He needed an explanation for the mysterious death of his loving brother. So, every evening after work he started moveing around the village wearing that same black cloak believing he would one day definitely find out his brother’s murderer.

One dark evening as he was passing the lone sweet shop of the village, he found the shopkeeper’s little son playing with Kavi’s walking stick. Now, he got the answer to his question and knew that it was the shopkeeper who must have killed his brother but could reach out nowhere to punish him.

So, he left the village that same night leaving behind his black cloak and saying to himself “Now I know who killed my brother”.

He was never again seen. The villagers as well as the geologists whom he had worked for looked in every corner but the man in the black cloak was never again found. Finally a missing diary was registered. The search to find him is still continuing.

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STORY FOUR

Apollo

Ananya Agarwal

MAHADEVI BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY, Class VIII

Assam is known for its natural beauty all across India. Birds and animals are abundant here. One horned rhinos, Royal Bengal tigers among several others. Peacocks are also common, particularly in Guwahati. Apart from having natural beauty, institutes in Guwahati, have the most beautiful campuses one can ever imagine. One such institute is the Indian Institute of Technology.

Students from all over India, work really hard to get admitted there. When, students are asked about it, their common reply is that, “every other person dreams of going there”. But who knew that not only humans but other living creatures also dreams of studying there.

In Guwahati, there are loads of zoos, but one is really famous for its peacocks. It allows peacocks to roam about freely but only within a limited space. How would humans know what these animals desired? They have different languages.

The problem was that peacocks could understand what humans said but humans couldn’t understand peacock language. Hearing humans talking with each other about books and institutes these peacocks have developed a great desire of studying.

Now, there was a special peacock in that zoo who could understand and also speak every language. Everyone came to visit him. He often interacted with people and listened when they described the outer world. Everyone used to give him a new name but his original name was Apollo. Often, the teachers that came to visit regarded him as intelligent. One day a tall man with gold-rimmed spectacles touching his nose came to visit.

The man: Hi, I have heard that you are a special peacock.

Apollo: Yes, I am.

The man: I am surprised every time I am reminded that I am speaking to a peacock.                                       

Apollo: Oh, that’s interesting no doubt! 

The man: Your English is quite impressive. Where did you learn it?

Apollo: No one. I picked it up.

The man couldn’t hide his amazement.

Two days later the man visited the zoo again.

The man: Hi, I forgot to tell you that day that I am Professor Phillips and I work at the IIT.

Apollo: That’s nice, by the way my name is Apollo.

The man: That day you told me you wanted to study and so I have taken the permission to take you to IIT.

Apollo looked pleased but slightly surprised.

Apollo: thank you so much. Can we go there now?

The man took Apollo to the IIT and introduced him to the class. Mr. Phillips: Hi everyone, from today Apollo is going to be learning this course with us.

As Apollo walked up to take his seat, the hall filled up with the chatter of curious students . ‘Is a peacock going to study with us?’ they told each other, rolling their eyes in disbelief.

Mr. Phillips began to teach his class and over the days it became clear that Apollo was smarter than everyone else. He said, ‘You see, Apollo grasps the lessons so quickly.. This year is going to be tough for you all.’

He was right. Within a year, Apollo had become the best student. And in two years he completed the four year course! No person had ever done it. He became an inspiration for many.

Two more years passed.

Let us visit the IIT campus at Guwahati.  And let me introduce you to Professor Apollo who joined last year and is already the most popular teacher here.

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STORY FIVE

                                                     

                                                       Jacob the Musician

D. Christina Florence

There was a man named Jacob who lived happily with his wife Maria in a village named Canidy. Jacob loved to play different musical instruments but he was an expert at playing the mouthorgan. His wife loved to hear his music. Even the villagers were a great fan of him.

Wherever Jacob played his mouthorgan that land would be blessed with rain and different kinds of plants and trees will grow in abundance. Overall the land would overflow with happiness.

One day Jacob’s wife Maria went to the mountain side to pick flowers. As soon as she reached the mountain, she was bit by a viper snake. Maria was struggling for her life and she was not able to move and she passed away like that on the mountainside. Jacob was filled with sorrow and he decided not to play his mouthorgan any more.

The land became barren without any trees and the villagers were starving and dying as they were not able to hear Jacob’s music. So one day he decided to go to the land of evil to bring his wife back. To do that, first he had to cross the borderland between Canidy and the land of evil

Along the border was a big river and it was guarded by a three headed dog. But Jacob did not fear about anything and he managed to cross the boundary. At last, he reached the Evil Kingdom and appeared before the king.

Jacob said ‘your majesty, I have come here to take back my wife.’

‘What happened?’ the king asked.

When Jacob told his story the king was touched and decided to give Maria’s life back. But the king told Jacob that he should not turn to see Maria until he reaches Canidy. If he did so Maria’s gift of life would be taken away.

He agreed to the king’s condition and started walking towards the river. Soon he had a doubt whether Maria was following him. So he turned to see her. Right then he remembered the king’s words just as Maria was drawn back to the Evil Kingdom. With a sad heart Jacob came to the place where his wife died.

There he found a few young ladies sitting on the grass. He knew them because he they were from his village. However their faces looked strangely drawn and their eyes glowed with an unnatural light.

They asked Jacob to play his mouthorgan but he refused. Suddenly the young ladies attacked Jacob, pelting him with stones. Jacob tried to defend himself but failed. They went on throwing stones at him till he stopped moving. 

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STORY SIX

My Lost Friend

Geffry Allan Sam

It was a hot summer holiday. Three friends Jim, Mac and Hans were sitting under the tree, at a park near their homes. Jim said to his friends “this summer holiday is really boring ,we should plan something, Can we go out somewhere tomorrow?”

Mac replied, “I have got an idea, there is a theme park not far from my home. Some of my relatives went there last week. They said the park is really awesome. Good for a day out”.

So they planned to go. They decided for next day and fixed 9 in the morning at their regular meeting spot. They all arrived before nine, sat down under a tree and started chatting while they waited for the theme park to open. It was cool under the shade of the tree and a soft breeze was blowing.

Next they took the tickets from the counter and entered the park. At the main entrance was a huge dinosaur opening and closing its mouth! They entered through its mouth and soon reached his belly. It was too dark and a roaring sound came from the darkness and they got frightened. But within a few minutes they came out through the tail of the dinosaur.

In front of them was a sign board in which all the details and directions of the park were mentioned. A long list of attractions.

Hans said , ``it is really not possible to go to all these places in a day. So we will decide on a few and cover it before lunch”.

The others agreed and they decided to head for the roller coaster first and then the Giant wheel ride, car racing circle and then dark fantasy cave. After lunch they decided to go to the water sports section and with wet clothes they could directly go home.

They enjoyed the ride in the roller coaster and Giant wheel and went to the Car race zone. Mac was good at driving SMALL KIDS motor cars, he came first in the race. Jim said,``I am feeling thirsty, need something to drink before we go to the cave. Because the cave tour will take at least 2 hours”.

So they went to the food court to buy something. Jim said he wants to buy his favorite Belgian chocolate ice cream, Mac wanted to buy mango juice and Hans wanted some wafers and water bottles. They collected everything and went to Seall zoo which is close to the food court.

They went inside the cave. At the entrance there is a notice which asks you to follow the direction sign board because it s a mysterious cave but they ignored it and went inside.

The cave door was made up of rocks, old broken glasses and pieces from claypots. There is a very dim light near the entrance and when they moved further there was no light. The kids were a little frightened, but managed to go further.

There were many animal statues and they could hear roaring sounds, making them more fearful. They could not see each

other. Mac called out, “Hey Jim! .. Hans!” to ensure they were accompanying him .

Jim replied, “yes, I am here”, but they couldn’t hear Hans.

They both called ,”Hans! Hans! are you there?” No reply! They were both shocked! They understood that Hans was missing. Jim told Mac we will spread out and find Hans but Mac said it is a unknown place so we will search together. Next when Jim looked behind a group of bats rushed towards him. He followed the way from where the bats had appeared and found a door. When he tried to open the door, he heard someone calling their names, “Mac..Mac…Jim ..Jim!”

It was Hans calling from inside! But they couldn’t open the door.

Now they spotted an open space at the top of the door. Mac and Jim climbed up and looking through that opening saw Hans. He was being held captive in that room!

There was an ugly woman who looked like a witch and a huge black man with long beard and a magic stick in his hand. His dress was too long and he was wearing a black magician’s cap.

Suddenly they saw a rock rolling down from the top of the cave. It was going to crash on the magician! Mac jumped from the top of the door to the other side and pushed away magician, saving him from the accident.

The magician was shocked and surprised and asked who they were are and how they had arrived there. Mac and Jim explained everything and told him that they had come to save Hans.

Now the magician said whoever comes to this place is taken prisoner and have to serve as slaves while bearing punishment for a life time. “Nobody has left this place alive” he said glowering at them.

But the witch told the magician, “they both saved your life so we should show our gratitude towards them”.

The magician said, “I don’t have the power to send you guys out of this cave; but once in a year I can fulfil a slave’s wish. So I can send you guys to your favorite place but not

outside the cave in this park”. He asked them to close their eyes.

Everything was dark. They didn’t know what was happening to

them. When Hans slowly opened his eyes, he found they were lying down under the tree at the park where they met every day. Hans realized that it was a dream. His friends were sleeping nicely in the shadow of the tree with him.

Hans called Jim and Mac and told them about his dream and they went home smiling but also a little fearful. But they have not changed their plan to visit the theme park.

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 STORY SEVEN

School Laboratory

Mahul Das

St John’s English Medium School, Class VI, Vijayawada, AP

Aditya and Bhuvan were two boys studying in the 6^th class of Albert Einstein Secondary School For Advanced Physics. One day, as they were boarding the bus their friends told them that their old lab had been closed and that the school management has built a new lab.

They asked why they closed the old lab. Their friends did not know the answer to this question. So, they decided to find out for themselves. After the first two classes, the morning recess bell rang. As soon as their teacher let them out, they went to the old lab to find out.

The teachers had forgotten to lock it. They entered the lab, the door creaked open. They looked around for some time. Then one of them, his name was Bhuvan, noticed a big, blue eye hanging in midair.

He whispered to his friend. Aditya said it was a lamp and turned back to ask whether his friend agreed. But there was no one behind him!

He was horrified to discover that Bhuvan had suddenly vanished as if he had been scooped out of thin air. Just then he saw an apparition. It had to be a phantom and it had blue eyes and dirty matted hair.

Aditya fainted. When the teachers found him he was lying on the floor of the lab but he couldn’t tell them what had happened. Bhuvan was also found on the first floor of the laboratory but he couldn’t say who took him there. He too had fainted from fear. 

The two boys were escorted home for the day and meanwhile the principal called a meeting where it was decided that the old laboratory building will be demolished and a library will take its place. When the demolition work started the workers discovered a hundred year old grave of a woman underneath the laboratory. 

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STORY EIGHT

The Vaccine

Atreyo Mukherjee

Path Bhavan, Class VII

The team pursued their mission zealously. But tonight Jill was fatigued, she needed rest. Around midnight she was hurriedly woken up by Carlos, her assistant. There were zombies rushing towards their shelter.

Jill, the officer, snatched up an SR 16 gun and started running with Carlos, shooting the zombies coming their way. Carlos dodged the zombies and tried to collect as many bullets as he could from the secret room where they had been stocked.

Jill was waylaid by some zombies and got stuck in an exchange of fire with a huge crowd of them. Carlos’ heart flew when he saw that Jill was missing. He ran back. Finally, after a long and tiring search and more exchange of gunshots, Jill was free.

Jill’s mission was to get the stolen vaccine. They boarded a truck but before they could drive off, a tall and angry man with a beard forbade them to leave and if they didn't heed his words, they must be prepared to face death, he said. Carlos and Jill ignored the stranger and drove off towards the remote and deserted location called Celina Town. They arrived and went straight to the only hospital there.

The gates, to their dismay, were broken. They ransacked the place to find a master key and with it unlocked the chests, suitcases, containers and lockers. They found some flame rounds. But they were ambushed. The zombies attacked suddenly. Doors were damaged and the chambers were devastated in the fight. Computers were destroyed and they could smell a strong animal smell. Suddenly the floor cracked open and a huge creature came out of it.

It was Nemesis. After Mr X. he was the most powerful creature created by the Umbrella group. He had a bazooka and a flamethrower. Jill and Carlos tried to run but a pack of strange dogs blocked their way. Surely, Nicholas was behind all this.

He used to be one of the members of the team. He turned evil because the Umbrella group helped him. Long time ago, Carlos and his team found out and attacked him. He was infected by a virus which transformed humans to zombies. But he didn't want to get treated as the treatment would be quite costly. The Umbrella group helped him with money and during the treatment, he lost his memory. Now he was an Umbrella agent.

Nemesis followed them. Carlos grabbed a grenade launcher and fired it aiming at Nemesis' head. The zombies were multiplying in number. Suddenly there was the roar of car’s motor and the screech of brakes. A police officer had arrived. He rescued Jill and Carlos from Nemesis' capture.

“Are we going to Edgebasters?” asked the police officer. Carlos nodded in affirmation. “You must carry all the necessary items because I heard that government is going to fire missiles to blast the entire city as it wants to get rid of zombies. All the inhabitants of that city had been evacuated. We must hurry.”

No sooner had the policeman spoken than the walls started crumbling down. The policeman couldn't be saved but Carlos and Jill somehow made their exit.

Next day they continued their search in another place with steel doors where the vaccine might have been hidden. They blasted the doors and Jill bounded up to the upper floors while Carlos guarded the entrance. She used her survival knife to prise open the boxes. After a frantic search, she found the vials of vaccine. But when she hurried downstairs to look for Carlos, he was nowhere to be found.

Seven years later on a warm sunny day, Jill was riding a bike through the city. She was telling herself, “My job will be incomplete unless Rakoon city is re-established without the G virus which turns human beings to zombies. The antidote spray travels through air turning zombies back into humans but it takes time. Till then we have the vaccine. But Carlos' disappearance was still a mystery to Jill.

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