Playing Fair
Reading Time: 2 minutesArjun loved Saturday mornings. That was when the boys from the Greenwood Society gathered at the small...
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Stories
Original English Short Stories set in India.
Every story is 2-3 minutes of reading. Some are folk tales retold, some are quiet moments from everyday Indian life, some are reflections on family, work, and city living. Written for readers of all ages — from teens to adults — who enjoy short, thoughtful stories in English.
Each story comes with a free printable worksheet if you’d like reading practice, discussion questions, or creative writing prompts. Every story is 2-3 minutes of reading. Some are folk tales retold, some are quiet moments from everyday Indian life, some are reflections on family, work, and city living. Written for readers of all ages — from teens to adults — who enjoy short, thoughtful stories in English.
Why the Peacock Dances for Krishna — Radha Krishna Story
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn the divine days of Lord Krishna’s time in Gokul, there lived a wise and beautiful peacock....
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Faith in Krishna: Overcoming Life’s Struggles
Reading Time: < 1 minute“O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and...
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Yashoda’s Braid
Reading Time: 2 minutesStop pulling each other’s hair and listen, both of you. You think Krishna was always floating around...
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The Moon Counted Seven Twinkles
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHigh above the sleeping village, a little star named Chinki wiggled impatiently. “Moon uncle, when will...
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The Day He Finally Saw the World
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe afternoon sun warmed the side of the train as it moved across the wide countryside. Trees...
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The Last Coin in My Pocket
Reading Time: 2 minutesIt was a quiet evening in Mumbai. The sun had already slipped behind the buildings, painting the...
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The Painter Who Forgot to Smile
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn the colorful town of Jaipur lived a painter named Bhanu. His art was famous—every wall he...
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What the Desert Took
Reading Time: 3 minutesDharamraj’s hands had made seven thousand saris. He could count them by the year, by the colour,...
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A Cup of Butter and a Conversation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOne rainy afternoon, 14-year-old Aarav sat cross-legged on the verandah, staring at the grey clouds. His...
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Milo and Bappa’s Special Task
Reading Time: 3 minutesIn the skirting board of an old Indian home, in a hole no bigger than a coin,...
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Grandma’s Warm Shawl
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIt was a cold winter night. The stars twinkled above the little village. Seven-year-old Aarav sat...
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The Cracked Clay Pot
Reading Time: 2 minutesGanga was one of two clay pots that hung from a bamboo pole across old Bhola’s shoulders...
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The New Car Next Door
Reading Time: 4 minutesNinad had been driving the Santro for eight months now — errands mostly, his mother’s saree emergencies,...
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The Language He Didn’t Know
Reading Time: 2 minutesArjun slammed his bedroom door. Again. His mother had said no to the gaming tournament. Just like...
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The Greedy Farmer: A Short English Story with a Moral Lesson on Greed
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRavi was a farmer in a small village. He had good land and grew healthy crops...
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The Missing Football
Reading Time: 2 minutesDhruv’s football went missing on Wednesday. Not just any football — the new one his father had...
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Beyond the Anger: A Story of Growth and Forgiveness
Reading Time: 6 minutesHave you ever said something in anger and wondered if the friendship could survive? This story shows...
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The Miser and His Gold — A Short Moral Story on Greed
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDhaniram had never spent a single gold coin in his life. Then one night, someone spent...
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The Cloud Who Kept the Rain
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHigh above the Sahyadri hills, a small cloud named Megh was holding its rain. He had...
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Tara’s Falling Star Friend
Reading Time: 2 minutesEvery evening, Tara shone beside her best friend, a bright little star named Chiku, just three specks...
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The Squirrel and The Jasmine
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe mango tree was enormous. It filled the whole backyard in Kerala. Its branches touched the...
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Bye, Bappa. Come Back Next Year.
Reading Time: 3 minutesMihika was six years old when she decided Ganpati Bappa couldn’t swim, and that this was a...
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The Thread That Saved The Tree
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe banyan had been standing behind the school since before anyone in the village could remember. Its...
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The Lunchbox That Went Viral
Reading Time: 2 minutesIt was one of those ordinary Wednesdays at the Mumbai corporate office of TechZen Solutions, where productivity...
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The Letter That Meant More Than Roses
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn the quiet town of Anandpur, Valentine’s Day arrived not with grand celebrations but with small red...
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The Old Man’s Bench: A Story of Quiet Kindness
Reading Time: 2 minutesEvery evening, just before sunset, an old man sat alone on a wooden bench in the corner...
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The Painter Who Couldn’t See Colours: Finding Strength in What Makes You Different
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhat would you do if you lost the one thing you thought defined you? Meera was a...
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The Little Feather and the Gentle Wind
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe moon painted the quiet meadow with soft silver light. A tiny white feather named Lumi...
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The Unseen Thread: Healing Hidden Family Bonds
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe morning sun filtered through the thin curtains, painting gold lines across the living room floor. Asha...
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Milo’s Very Long Tuesday
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMilo the mouse sat by his little door and watched the sky. He was waiting for...
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Yashoda’s Pot with the Crack
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe crack in the butter pot ran from the rim to the middle, shaped like a small...
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My First Job Interview
Reading Time: 2 minutesIntroduction: This is the story of Meera, a young woman who faced her first-ever job interview with...
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Shani Watches the Platform
Reading Time: 2 minutesPlatform number two. Unnao Junction. 6:14 in the evening. The Sharma family stood with four bags, two...
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What Would Krishna Say to Kids Today?
Reading Time: 2 minutesIt was a warm Sunday morning. Birds chirped, flowers bloomed, and children filled the park with laughter....
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Gate 18
Reading Time: 3 minutesYour phone buzzes at 5:47 am, and the moment you see your sister’s name on the screen,...
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The Pencil Mark on the Bedroom Wall
Reading Time: 2 minutesAyaan was not scared. He was just very, very awake. He lay under his dinosaur blanket staring...
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What Is the Story Behind Lord Jagannath’s Appearance?
Reading Time: 2 minutesBhoomi had been standing with her arms stuck out stiffly for almost two minutes, trying not to...
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The Grasshopper Who Had No Time to Work
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIt was a fine winter morning in a small Indian field.The golden sunlight touched the grass,...
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The Secret of Heaven and Hell
Reading Time: 2 minutesLong ago, in a small Indian village, there lived an old woman devoted to God. She spent...
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The Boy Who Painted One Small Thing Every Day
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAarav was a young boy who dreamed of becoming a great painter. Every evening, he would...
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The Courtyard Ishaan Almost Missed
Reading Time: 3 minutesIshaan hated the new town before he’d even unpacked his last box. The building had peeling paint....
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The Plate Nobody Ate From
Reading Time: 2 minutes“Who is that plate for?” Mihir asked. Aaji was placing a small steel plate near the tulsi....
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The Steel Tiffin
Reading Time: 2 minutesRamesh worked in a small accounts office near Dadar station. Every morning at eight, his wife Sunita...
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The Boy Who Counted Stars Instead of Sheep
Reading Time: 2 minutesKabir hated Sunday nights the most, though he could never explain why to anyone. Monday meant a...
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The Wealth of Destiny
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhat if you could receive all the wealth destined for your entire life—right now? Would you spend...
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The Strike He Never Took
Reading Time: 2 minutesNarayan had been a sculptor for thirty-one years. His hands knew stone the way a mother knows...
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The Day I Wanted to Quit
Reading Time: 4 minutesI have already typed the words I quit into my phone eleven times tonight, and deleted them...
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The Bench Player
Reading Time: 2 minutesRohan loved football more than anything else. Every afternoon after school, he rushed to the playground near...
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The Bicycle Repair Shop
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe signboard outside Gopal Kaka’s shop had lost most of its paint years ago. Only three letters...
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The Bedtime Train
Reading Time: < 1 minuteArjun could not sleep. His eyes were tired. His body was tired. But his mind kept...
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The Sparrow Who Refused to Fly South
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHigh above the mango tree, every bird was getting ready to fly south for the winter....
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The Flute At Midnight
Reading Time: 2 minutesStop fidgeting and come sit close, it’s getting cold. You know how some nights the moon is...
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The Golden Touch – When Greed Turns Blessings Into Curses
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhat would you do if everything you touched turned to gold? Before you answer, read this ancient...
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The Boy Who Passed the Ball
Reading Time: 2 minutesArjun could dribble past anyone in Sector 12. Even Class 9 boys couldn’t take the ball from...
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The Awakening Within
Reading Time: 2 minutesThere was a time when every day felt like a race to nowhere for Kavya. Deadlines, emails,...
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The Legend of the Magic Rain
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe sun was hot. The road was hot. Even Bhoomi’s chappals felt hot. But the street was...
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Two Kisses Before Sleep
Reading Time: 5 minutesThe Night Bhoomi Almost Didn’t Kiss Papa Goodnight Every night was the same, and Bhoomi liked it...
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Milo Stopped Worrying
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMilo the mouse sat inside his cosy little hole in the skirting board, wrapped in a...
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The Night The River Stepped Aside
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe prison cell had no window. Vasudeva knew this because he had counted the stones in the...
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