Prize Winning Entry

This won the third prize in an on-the-spot drawing competition organized by Sakaal.

Ben 10

I took a crack at drawing Ben 10 when I was eleven years old and I have to say, it turned out pretty good. However, it got splashed by water once, spoiling the left eye and the Omnitrix.

Manga Girl

This was my first attempt at drawing manga, and I have to admit it is quite good for a beginner. For those who don't know, manga is the Japanese word for 'comics' or 'cartoons'.

A Little Girl

This is one of my most prized drawings. It is of a girl who is looking scared (?) and suspicious (?). I cannot decide a name for her, but it will come with time.

The Curse

This story 'The curse'  won second prize in the Scholastic All- India Storywriting competition.

“Oh no!” Said Aryan. “It was a brand new ball. Now it has got stuck in that tree. Who will go and get it now?”

“Should we send Sunita up?” Vishal asked.

Gaurav followed Sunita up the tree.

“See, the ball is up there,” Sunita whispered,“Just shove me up, will you?”

The kids were practicing for the school Cricket Tournament.

Suddenly, Gaurav found himself falling from the tree. He grabbed Sunita’s leg in surprise. They both fell out of the tree and started spinning rapidly. Gaurav thought he saw the sun very close to him.

“Don’t leave me, Sunita!” He yelled. Behind him, he could hear Sunita crying. Suddenly, they fell on solid ground. Sunita was still sobbing.

Gaurav reached out his hand and patted her head. They opened their eyes and found that they were in a strange world.


This story is published in the book 'For Kids By Kids- The Best of Scholastic All- India Storywriting Competition 2011'. Please read the book for the complete story.

A Bizzare Journey

This story was written when I was eleven years old. It was based on a dream that I actually had.

One day when I woke up from my sleep, I remembered a strange dream, which I had. I vaguely remembered the face of a huge giant and my classmates, Shivani and Lavanya.

Then that day, when I went to school, I saw Shivani with a puzzled expression on her face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I had a dream, in which you, Lavanya and I defeated a giant. Apparently, Lavanya also had the same dream. That’s what’s puzzling me.” She replied.

“Something’s wrong,” I said. “I also had the same dream. May be some coincidence.”

“Yeah, may be,” Said Shivani. But she still looked thoughtful.

I then saw my best friends Sanya and Priya walking towards me.

“Where were you? Sanya said. “The bell already rang.”

“I’ll come later.” I said. I then saw a Door Emptying Into Nothing. I stepped into it and I felt two hands on my wrist and a cry of “Don’t go there!”

Suddenly, I saw myself in a strange place with red, yellow and orange soil. Here and there were a few cactii. It looked like an extraterrestrial desert. Then I heard voices behind me. Oh god, I thought, I have dragged Shivani and Lavanya along with me. Then I heard a hungry growl. I turned behind and saw a terrible beast with four inch claws, red eyes and a drooling mouth behind me. It had the mane of a lion, face of a tiger, teeth of a shark and body of an elephant. Ultimate killing machine!

And the worst thing was…

IT WAS HUNGRY!!!

“RUN!” I cried. The other girls followed me. I could hear the feet of an elephant thump- thump- thumping on the sand. I ran into a cave. Suddenly there was a piercing scream. I turned and saw Shivani wriggling in the horrible beast’s mouth.

“Do something!” Lavanya cried.

“Lemme think!” I yelled. What could I do to stop the beast? I had an idea. I tore up the nearest cactus by its roots and threw it at the beast. Shivani screamed as it poked her legs. But the good thing was the thorns went in its eyes.

The beast was blinded and stumbled around in pain. In the confusion, it dropped Shivani and she scampered off into the cave. We all ran into the cave and I pushed a rock into the entrance.

“Now what should we do?” Shivani yelled. “This cave leads somewhere and we don’t know where. What if there’s another creature in here?”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “This cave is a long passage. It has to lead somewhere. If it doesn’t, we’ll come back here.” I turned to Lavanya. The light of adventure was tinkling in her eye. But suddenly her face grew grave.

“But what about Shivani?” She asked.             

I turned to look at Shivani.

“I’m fine!” She gasped. “I’ll come.”

I glanced at her leg. It was bleeding. “You are not going anywhere.” I said firmly. I tore a strip off my uniform and dipped it in a pool of water. I tied it around her leg.

“Now it’ll be okay.” I smiled.

Shivani tried to stand. Then she tried to walk.

“Come on, let’s go.” She said. We walked along the cave and after half an hour it opened up into a place at dawn. It was just a bare land with a few hills in a distance and a building near us. I saw that it was a school. We huddled outside a class.

“Who’s going to enquire?” I asked. We started quarrelling. It resulted me asking the teacher. I opened the door and poked my head inside.

“Um, Sorry to disturb you, but which school is this? And in which city?”

The teacher looked at me. “Are you new?” She asked. “This is the city of Pune and this is St. Paul’s school. What are you looking for?”

I gasped. This was my own school. But how can it be? I turned to look at my friends. They stared at me in astonishment. I stared back. I turned to the teacher and asked, ”What’s the date?”

“13^th March.”

“And the year?”

“2060,” she replied and returned to teaching.

I was shocked. I had left when it was 2010 and now, in an hour, it is 2060? Anyway, I went to the staff room and got a teacher.

“Well, Ma’am, I think you ought to know that we have little problem, we have travelled forward in time. If we were of our correct ages now, we would be elder to you. We would be 61 years old.” I said. The teacher stared.

“Where is 5C, our class?”

“5C?” The teacher said.

“Okay, come with me.” She led us into a cold passage full of dust and cobwebs. A dusty door with a rusty plaque with 5C written on it was at the end of the door.

“What happened to it?” Shivani whispered.

“About 50 years ago, some paranormal activities occurred in this classroom. A girl was killed. That was when the school authorities decided to shut down this particular classroom. The girls were sent to other classes and that is why this school doesn’t have a 5C now.” The teacher sighed. “Pity, it was my mother’s class.”

“Your mother?” I asked. “Who?”

“Sanya Sinha.” She said.

“Huh, She is my best friend. Or rather, was. Where is she now?”

“The last house in the street.” She replied and walked away.

After she went, Lavanya whispered to me, “What’s paranormal?”

“Unknown activities, aliens, ghosts and such.” I whispered back.

“Let’s go to Sanya!” Shivani said. We walked to the street. I rang the bell of the last house. An elderly lady opened the door.

“Who is it?” She said.

“Sanya?” We asked.

“Is that you? Oh my God!” She said. “Come on in.”

We went in and Sanya offered us some cakes. We talked together for some time.

“Where is Priya?” I asked.

Sanya glanced at us and then looked at the ground.

“Well, you shouldn’t have asked.” Sanya said. “Just after you left, Priya mysteriously fainted in the class. It was horrible. And – well – she didn’t survive. Her last words were, ‘Give my love to my third friend if she ever comes back.’ ” Sanya said, with tears in her eyes.

“Oh no,” I said.

“But let’s not talk about these things,” Sanya said. “The question is how to get you back.”

“Yeah, may be we could walk back up the cave.” Shivani and Lavanya said together.

“Good idea, Let’s no waste any more time.” I said.

We walked back up the street together. There was the mouth of the cave. Sanya gave us a torch.

“Take this and go.” She said.

“Farewell!” Lavanya said.

We trudged back up the cave and I removed the rock I had kept at the mouth of the cave. The torch melted in Lavanya’s hands. We saw the Door Into Nothing and stepped through. And then we found ourselves in our own school the moment we had left it. I could see Sanya and Priya in front of me. Our uniforms were neat and clean again.

Our bizarre journey had ended.

Cinderella

I wrote this when I was ten years old. It took me one year to write.

When Cinderella was very young, her mother died.

So she had no happiness in her life.
The only one who loved her was her father.
Because she had a very uncaring stepmother.
Her step-sisters too, were not any less,
They always used to flaunt their money and dress.

But it wasn’t long before Cinderella’s father died too.

Cinderella was very sad, that was true.
Her stepmother used to make her work, all day long.
She used to thrash her, if she did anything wrong.

One day there came an invitation

From the handsome prince of the nation
It said - “All the maidens of this nation,
One and all,
Are you interested in my ball?,
This is a ball to find out whom I will marry,
So if you’re going to come, Please do hurry!”

Cinderella had no idea that this could change her life.

She didn’t know she would leave behind,
All troubles and strife.

She helped her stepsisters to get ready,

And asked them if she could come,
But she knew the answer already.
The answer was no,
Because, they said, she was very slow.

When they left, she began to cry bitterly,

For her heart had broken entirely.
But then she heard a small pop!
Her fairy godmother appeared.

She said, “Don’t cry,
I’ll help you out, my dear!
Bring me a pumpkin and six mice,
I will cast a spell on you,
So that you’ll look nice.”

Cinderella did all the things with great haste,
Because she didn’t want her time to go to waste.
The fairy turned the mice into six horses,
And the pumpkin into a coach which on its big wheels rolled.
She turned Cinderella’s rags into an exquisite dress,
Embroidered with threads of silver and gold.

She tied Cinderella’s hair into ringlets,
And conjured from thin air,
A pair of dainty glass slippers,
Very comfortable to wear.

She told Cinderella, “Now go to the ball,
But, beware!
Come back at 12 o’clock, for the magic will wear off,
And your dress will turn into the rags you wear.”

Cinderella set off in the coach, looking very beautiful.
At last she reached the palace, trying to act graceful.
As she entered the hall, every eye set on her.
The princess came and knelt down beside her.
He said,” You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,
In all the palaces I’ve ever been.
Can you please come and dance with me?
I want you to forever be near me.”

Cinderella was only too happy to do so,
As she danced, her dress seemed to sparkle and glow.
But enjoying herself, she forgot the time.
She remembered the fairy’s words,
Only when the clock began to chime.

Cinderella picked up her skirts,
And ran for all she was worth.
To get home safely, she moved heaven and earth.

But on the palace stairs, she left a slipper of glass.
The princess noticed this, as he ran after the lass.
He picked up the slipper,
And made a proclamation,
“Whomsoever this shoe fits,
Shall be the princess of the nation.”

Then maidens came from far and wide,
To try on the shoe.
They shoved and they squeezed,
But it just wouldn’t do.

In the end came the step-mother,
With her daughters who were fat.
“What are you doing here?” said the prince.
“You’re as fat as a cat!”

“Where is that maiden?” cried the prince.
“Why can’t I find her?
Is there any other girl left?
Just one other?”

“Yes, I have a daughter,”
Said the step mother.
“But she’s just a disgrace to me,
Not at all a person for you to see.”

“Well,” said the prince,
“I’ve tried my best.
But till I’ve found the girl,
I won’t take any rest.”

So in the end, the step mother agreed.
Because the prince said, the girl was all he would need.
They found Cinderella wiping the floor.
As she tried on the shoe,
The prince’s eyes widened more and more.
For this was the girl,
He was waiting for all along.
And the reason that I wrote this little song!

He took her to his palace and married her,
With great pomp and grandeur,
They made a wonderful couple,
And lived happily ever after!

My Fair Lady

This was written when I was ten years old.
There was a lady very fair,
She used to like pet hares.
But her father used to give anyone a scare,
Who really could dare,
To come to her with a pet hare.


Many wanted to impress her,
But would anyone bother?
Because they knew her father would shoo them away,
So they really, really, had no other way,
But to wait until the father was away.

Then they would run to her
As fast as lightening,
And present her with a diamond ring,
And with that a pet hare big and grand,

They would kneel in front of her and say,
“Give me your hand,
If you want to see far away lands.”

But the lady knew that all these were false promises,
From the bottom of her heart
She wanted to see,
A man without many riches.

A poor man came to her and said,
“I have nothing but a spade.
But if I get seeds, anyone can see,
That I can have a farm,
And then we can live fearlessly and happily
Without any harm.”

And so they married each other,
And they lived happily ever after

The Timber Mountain Ghost

 I wrote this story when I was nine years old. It was inspired by 'The Hound Of The Baskervilles' by Sir Arthur Conan D

Off to the Timber Mountain

“Look at today’s newspaper, Steven! ‘So called ghost drives a person mad!’ A man who went camping on the Timber Mountain claims to have seen a glimmering figure of an animal, probably a dog. He also says to have heard a woeful moaning sound, but experts aren’t sure. They had to hypnotize him, because he wouldn’t speak much alone. People say he ran down the whole mountain screaming, ‘Ghost!’ Call the others, Steven! We’ll go to the Timber Mountain!”

“Uh, Jennifer, I’m not so sure. They might not want to come. They might have to work. Get off, Ellen!” replied Steven, shoving their puppy off a chair.

“It’s no use, I’m calling them! It’s the holidays! We all want a mystery!” said Jennifer, picking up the phone and dialling a number.

The next day, their two friends, Max and Christina came to their house. Jennifer and Steven got ready and they all sped away on their bikes, after trying to make Ellen understand that she can not come with them.

“Take care!” Jennifer and Steven’s mother, Aunt Jenny called after them. “I don’t want you going mad!”

After about half an hour of cycling, out of those fifteen minutes on the mountain, they found an abandoned hut on top of the mountain. They entered it and found out that it had gone wild. There was ivy on all the walls and had a very eerie look about it. They were so tired that they just crawled into their sleeping bags and went to sleep.

Exploring the hut

The next day, after a good breakfast of tinned sardines and bread, Steven and Max called out to the girls. “Come on, we’ll explore the hut!”

They all went around the hut, looking closely at every corner.

“Here’s a little rock shelf!” exclaimed Christina in delight.

“Here’s another big one!” said Jennifer.

“A place out here too, might be to store things!” called out Max to the others, as he was in what might have been the kitchen.

“Tell you what,” said Steven, “As we are finding so many storage places, why don’t we just shift our things there?”

So everybody started shifting their things there. Little did they know they had missed a secret passage, and that there was a person watching their every move and planning to set the ghost on them.

“It’s the Ghost!”

That night, everyone just dropped of to sleep. That is, all but Jennifer. She just lay awake; wondering what would happen if the ghost came.

“I’m feeling a bit scared!” she said.

The words had hardly left her mouth, when she saw a light near the door. A glowing animal figure entered the hut. She sat still, paralyzed because of the shock. Numbness filled her brain. It was a while before she found her voice.

“It’s the Ghost!” she gasped.

She didn’t even wait to wake the others. Without further ado, she rushed to her bike and sped off, she didn’t know where. After five minutes, the glow just faded away. She started to go back up. When she reached the hut, she noticed some writing on the wall, which they had not seen earlier. Just then she heard moaning sound.

THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED BY A GHOST. BEWARE!

The floor turns over

Christina woke up, as Jennifer entered the hut. “Don’t do that!” moaned Max, and he jerked awake too. “Huh?” He said. “Oh, must be a nightmare…”

Christina turned over and prodded Steven in the ribs. He woke up too.

Jennifer told them all what had happened. There was a silence.

Steve broke the silence. “It can’t be true,” he said. “We have to find out the secret.”

“You think I’m lying?” Jennifer said.

“Well, no. At least I don’t. I don’t know about the others,” said Max.

“We don’t, too!” said Steven and Christina.

“Well then!” said Max. And without warning, the floor, the whole floor, turned upside down.

The next thing they knew, they all were lying face down on a place tiled with flat rocks.

“Hey, look!” said Christina. “There are two handles coming out of the rock!”

They looked up and saw she was right.

“I’m the tallest,” said Max. “I’ll touch or pull it. Even the ceiling isn’t too high.”

Max hung on it. Nothing happened.

“Max, I’ve an idea! What did you say before the floor turned over?”

“I said ‘Well then’, but…”

His words were cut short, however, as the floor turned the right way up. He said ‘Well then’ again. As the floor turned over, he caught the handle and as the floor flipped over again, he went with it.

He kept on saying ‘Well then’ till everyone came up safely.

They all sat down and started talking. The subject then turned to the ghost and how to trap it.

“First we’ll check if it’s living or not. Someone might be fooling us,” said Christina. “How about... we put glue on the entrance?”

Everyone agreed.

An Answer at last

The day passed without any accident. Everyone was waiting for nightfall. At night, they put glue near the door and waited. Soon they heard a noise. They pretended to be asleep.

Suddenly a dog howled from outside their hut.

“I think this is it,” whispered Jennifer and they went outside. They saw a glowing dog.

Steven gave it some drugged meat and it ate it readily, only to become unconscious. Christina rubbed her hand over its body.

“Phosphorus!” she exclaimed.

“Yup,” said Max. “See how even a small harmless dog can make a person go mad.”

“Yeah,” said Steven. “But, sorry to interrupt, who is that out there?”

“A man,” said Jennifer, in a casual voice.

“A man?” repeated Max, slowly.

“Follow him!” cried Christina.

They sped after him and cornered him in just about one minute. They dragged him away to the hut, and questioned him there.

“What are you doing here?” asked Christina.

“Saving my old friend’s treasure” replied the man promptly.

“Explain what you mean,” commanded Steven.

The man sat up, cross-legged, for the story. Everybody did the same.

“As my old friend was dying, I remember he told me, ‘Jake, I have left my treasure in a hut on the Timber Mountain. I want you to pass it on to my son. But the problem is that he is in South America. Please tell him about the hut. He’ll know what to do. I have left you a dog. Rub phosphorus on it and it will act as a ghost. People in the hut will see it and flee. It will be about six months before my son comes back.’ I have been acting on his orders. I set the dog on you. I wrote the message which this young lady saw. I wanted to make you go away. Now you know the true, you can tell it to everybody. I also allow you to take the dog with you. My friend’s son is coming today. I have already told him about the hut. My job is over. I’ve to go.” He said and ran down the mountain.

“Woah, that was quick,” said Steven.

“But where is the treasure?” asked Jennifer.

Nobody answered. Suddenly Max shouted out.

“Well, don’t you see?”

“What”

“He had the treasure in the room under the floor!” Max shouted loudly, unable to contain his excitement.

“Well, when you think about it, I do remember seeing a box in the corner,” said Christina.

“Right!” said Max, “And he used the password ‘well then.’ ”

“And you said it!” said Steven crossly, as the floor tilted over.

“There’s really a box out there, see!” said Christina.

“Let’s check!” shouted Jennifer.

When they opened the box, they found fabulous jewels, rings, necklaces, pearls, diamonds and innumerable other things.

“Boy!” Max exclaimed, picking up a glittering ruby. “No wonder he didn’t want any thieves to come here!”

“I wouldn’t, too, if I was him,” said Jennifer, who with Christina, was trying on necklaces and checking her reflection in the pocket-mirror.

“One thing,” said Christina, looking up from an expensive emerald necklace. “How come there’s light out here?”

Everyone’s eyes set on the source of the light. It was a large jar of phosphorous. Everyone burst out laughing.

“Now our work is over. You know what to say!” said Steven, grinning at them all.

“Well then!” everyone said at once!

They all came up one by one. As soon as Jennifer came up, she ran out in into the sunshine. She spread out her arms, soaking in the sunlight.

“This is the best mystery we ever had!”