Reading Time: 2 minutesThe 6:47 fast local from Andheri emptied out around Bhagwan Das every single day. He sat near the door on a folded jute sack, and the blue vinyl seat beside him stayed empty long after the compartment filled to bursting. Ananya Kulkarni had watched this happen for six years without
Reading Time: 2 minutesRohan loved football more than anything else. Every afternoon after school, he rushed to the playground near his apartment building. He practiced passing, dribbling, and shooting until the sky turned orange. This year, Rohan was selected for his school’s football team. He was thrilled. But there was one problem. He
Reading Time: 2 minutesVivaan had been made captain three weeks ago, and he had a plan for everything. He decided who took corners. He decided the warm-up drills. He decided that Sahil, their fastest player, should always play on the right wing, no matter what Sahil thought about it. “I play better on
Reading Time: 2 minutesDhruv’s football went missing on Wednesday. Not just any football — the new one his father had bought him for his birthday, the one with the autograph sticker he’d pressed on so carefully. He left it by the water tank during practice, same as always. When practice ended, it was
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe prison cell had no window. Vasudeva knew this because he had counted the stones in the wall so many times he could close his eyes and see every one. One hundred and forty-three stones. He had memorised each crack, each dark stain, each place where the mortar had crumbled
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe mango tree was enormous. It filled the whole backyard in Kerala. Its branches touched the evening sky. Anju was watering the tulsi plant. She heard a small thud. Something had fallen near the roots. It was a squirrel. Tiny. Still. Its eyes were open and frightened. Anju knelt down
Reading Time: 2 minutesRohan was twenty-two years old and had just failed his third job interview. He sat on the steps outside the office building, his rejection letter folded in his pocket, watching the city move around him. Everyone seemed to be going somewhere fast. Suits and briefcases and phones pressed to ears.
Reading Time: 3 minutesRahul stood in the temple courtyard with his bow, unable to release the arrow. His hands trembled. His mind raced. The archery tournament was next week. He had trained for three years. But now, standing at the mark, all he could think was: What if I miss? What if I
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAarav was a young boy who dreamed of becoming a great painter. Every evening, he would scroll through social media and stare at beautiful artworks. He often told himself that one day he would paint something just as amazing. But dreams are easy; discipline is not. Aarav painted only when
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn a small wooden pencil box, there lived a shiny new pencil named Piku.He had a sharp point, a smooth body, and a bright pink eraser on his head. Every morning, he loved watching the little boy, Rohan, write beautiful letters and draw funny pictures.Piku dreamed of writing like that
