Mother shook me gently. ‘Get up, Raju! It’s Ganesh Chaturthi today. We must go to the temple.’ ‘Oh! So, you’re going to make modaks, aren’t you, Mom? I love them!’ Even at twelve, I still loved Ganesh Chaturthi. Mom smiled. ‘Yes, yes. I’ll make plenty of them. You can eat as many as you want. Read more…

I went to bed late one night, Only to be awakened by a faint light, I looked out through my window, And saw a spaceship land low, I was gently lifted in the air, I know not where, Until I landed on a world all new, Believe me, it was all so true. ‘Greetings, earthling!’ Read more…

Rahul and John were close friends. In fact, they were next-door neighbors. One morning, Rahul sat in the garden, intently peering over something. ‘John, see what I got!’ said Rahul. John, who had been waiting for his friend’s call, crawled through the gap in the hedge. He looked at the tiny silver globules lying in Read more…

It was a moonless night when a crowd of villagers in Jasinapur sat under the shade of a huge banyan tree. This was their usual meeting spot, a place where they chatted their idle hours away. Gusts of wind often shook the nearby trees. Only the rustling of leaves and the animated conversations amongst the Read more…

Babulal was the biggest bully in school. He was in grade ten, but even eleventh and twelfth-grade boys feared him. He swaggered about, pushing others aside, and sneered at them when they protested. Every morning when Babulal arrived at school, everyone tried to keep out of his way. If anyone strayed into his path, Babulal Read more…

Mahima Miss put on her stylish glasses and turned to the class. The children in VI A gazed back at her. ‘Today, we will write a letter,’ announced Mahima Miss. ‘To whom?’ inquired Ganesh, who sat on the last bench. ‘”To whom” is incorrect English,’ said Aarti. ‘It should be “to who”.’ ‘To which to Read more…

A chital herd was grazing in a plain in the woods one summer afternoon. A jeep appeared on the horizon and started to move across the plain, toward the herd. The chitals stopped grazing and looked intently at this noisy intruder. They were familiar with this strange, two-legged creature and knew it to be harmless Read more…

Anyone who entered the sprawling lawn of the bungalow always stopped before the tall and majestic Gulmohar tree. The tree had a mystical aura about it when it was in full bloom with its scarlet flowers, which exuded charm and radiance. ‘What a beautiful tree,’ they said admiringly and marveled at it. The tree felt Read more…

Shamnath, the popular film star, looked pretty glum. He went about with a long face, hardly talking to anyone. Even during the shooting of a film, he shunned company as he went off to sit alone between shots. His friends had no idea as to why Shamnath was being so sulky. When they tried to Read more…

Meghana was excited. She was going on a picnic with her cousins the following day. Ten-year-old Meghana was obsessed with everything foreign. Lately, she had become pretty conceited as well. She had little regard for Indian culture. Her mother had often tried to knock some sense into her but to no avail. ♦♦♦ The next Read more…