Short Stories – Kumbh Series

Rutbik Gupta
Bilaspur, Chattisgarh

Writer attended a Creative Writing Course by Takhte Writers and Publishers

The Kumbh Mela pulsed with life, colours swirling like a painter’s palette. Krish and Shreya squeezed through the throngs of pilgrims, their parents trailing behind, eyes wide with wonder. The air buzzed with chants, the scent of incense thick around them.

               “Look at all those people!” Shreya shouted, her voice barely rising above the chaos. “I feel like we are in a river of heads!”

               “Just stay close,” Krish replied, his grip tightening around her hand. “We can’t lose each other here.”

               Suddenly, a small voice broke through the din. “Mama! Papa!” A boy, no older than six, stood alone, tears streaking his dusty cheeks. Krish’s heart sank.

               “Shreya, we have to help him,” he said, kneeling to the boy’s level. “What’s your name?”

               “Teerth,” he sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “I can’t find my parents!”

               “Don’t worry, Teerth. We’ll help you,” Shreya promised, her voice softening. “Where did you last see them?”

               “By the river… I was looking at the fish,” Teerth whimpered, glancing around, panic rising. “They were right there!”

               “Okay, follow us,” Krish said, standing tall, determination setting in. “We’ll find them.”

               They moved through the crowd, the rhythm of drums and chants echoing around them. Krish scanned each face, searching for a hint of recognition. Shreya whispered encouragement to Teerth, who clung to her hand.

               “Look!” Shreya pointed, spotting a frantic couple searching through the crowd. “Teerth, is that them?”

               Teerth’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Mama! Papa!” He bolted towards them, the sound of his small feet hitting against the ground.

               Krish and Shreya exchanged relieved glances, hearts racing. The couple raised Teerth into their arms, tears streaming down their faces.

               “Thank you! Thank you!” the mother cried, her voice breaking.

“Thank you so much, children. You’ve been our saviour”, said the father, with teary-eyed.

               “No problem,” Krish said, a smile breaking through the tension. “Just doing what’s right.”

               As the family embraced, Krish and Shreya shared a knowing glance. The chaos of Kumbh Mela swirled around them, but at that moment, they felt the triumph of connection.

Photo Courtesy – Mr Rajesh Balouria by Pixabay

Advika Bhatnagar
Shikshantar School, Gurugram
Grade 3

Alice, a nine-year-old boy, lived in the countryside of Tinseltown with his Granny. He was a stubborn and edgy child. He liked to eat whatever he wanted and didn’t care much about Granny’s words. This made the old lady very sad.

“Granny, Granny, hunger pangs! I want pizza and chocolate ice cream for dinner,” said Alice

“Wait, child, I’m making delicious chicken soup, healthy multigrain bread, and a fresh salad,” answered Granny.

Alice got angry when he saw salad on the dining table. He yelled, “Again, cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, and tomato. Is that what I will eat? “No, no, no, never, not at all. No dinner tonight.” Granny got worried and left the house to get his favourite food.

Alice was all alone. In anger, he picked up the tomato and threw it at the wall. The red pulp of the tomato almost covered the mid-wall. He was shocked to see the pulp turning into a monster.

“Ha, Ha, Ha, you stubborn boy. Every day I see you trouble your Granny for food. When you hit me against the wall today, I felt hurt. I will teach you a lesson. I am the new king of vegetables. I rule the meals,” said the tomato monster. And then the monster followed him everywhere in the room.

Alice was so scared that he was running in different directions. Sitting under the table, he quietly prayed, “Oh God, please save me from this deadly monster.”

Alice rushed to his Granny’s room, wears her hat and robe. He picks up the embroidered, favourite napkin of the Granny and moves slowly towards the wall. He wipes the tomato pulp, and the monster disappears right away.

Alice gets the lesson of his life to value all food. He vows to take care of Granny, as her belongings protect him. When she was back, he hugged her and said, “I love you so much. I will eat whatever you cook for me.”

The writer attended Takhte Writers & Publishers’ Story Writing Writeshop at Kalasthali, Gurugram.

Photo Courtesy – Andre Taissin (xRUJcUTEp6Y) Unsplash

India, an enigmatic and epochal country, has an unparalleled and flourishing cultural legacy, which we are proud to represent. It is steadfast and unyielding, and it will never be lost to future generations. This year marks the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.

Writers are synonymous with bringing about a renaissance, whether literary or social; they function as negotiators to mediate the country’s social and cultural difficulties and, at times, become reformists. They have a legendary imagination, a distinct voice, flawless creative control of wordplay, and the ability to represent reality.

Takhte Writers & Publishers in collaboration with StoryMirror launch the literary contest ‘Anecdotes of India@75′

‘Anecdotes of India@75’ acknowledge the unacknowledged. It could be a person or an incident adding to national ethos, and you as a writer feel that others should know about it. So, start thinking, exploring and writing it in a stimulating story.

Rules:

• Participants have to submit their content on the above theme.
• Winners will be decided on the basis of editorial scores.
• Participants should submit their original content. There is no limit to the number of content to be submitted.
• There is no word limit.
• There is no participation fee.

Categories: Story

Languages: English, Hindi

Prizes:

• Top 2 winners will be felicitated with the Coffee Table Book of Rs2500/- authored by Takhte Writers
• Top 20 winners in each language will be published in an ebook by StoryMirror.
• Winners will receive digital certificates of appreciation.
• All participants will receive a digital participation certificate.

Submission phase – May 29, 2022, to June 28, 2022

Declaration of Result: August 11, 2022

Contact:
Email: takhtevov@gmail.com
Phone/ WhatsApp: +91 9311845524