Pikku : The Storyteller 👧

T he tale goes centuries back to the city of Paithan(modern day Maharashtra somewhere close to Aurangabad) . In a small village called Sauviragram, which lay along the banks of the great river Godavari, lived a woman named Ilaa. Her family was engaged in cotton farming. It was the harvest season, and cotton had to be picked from the plants. The wholesalers and traders from the city would be arriving in just a few weeks, carrying gold and goods for barter. The bales of cotton had to be ready in time! Work was at its peak! But Ilaa was not to be found in the fields. She wasn't working. Instead, she was sitting by the banks of the great river Godavari. 'I am sick of this!' she grunted loudly. No ear was there to hear her grudge. But her absence was conspicuous to her mother. ‘Where is Ilaa?’ asked her mother to Utsa, one of Ilaa’s sisters. ‘Same answer Aaii, annoyed at someone’s behaviour, sitting at the banks of Godavari, with legs in water, dreaming of some be...

Sandhya was happy at the orphanage. But she knew, she would be happier in a family. She was happy because she had a nice head mistress, teachers, caretakers who always kept her happy. She never felt lonely except when alone, with the questions of her identity. When alone she thought that she was one of the many kids living in the orphanage. Though everyone was with her, none did she own, whom she could confidently say as ,"he/she is my someone." She hated her coded and uniform life. Whenever she saw all the children at orphanage in a dress code, sleeping in dormitories and eating in mess, Sandhya felt extremely bored. She wanted to be different from others- different clothes, different types of foods, a room only for her, parents who love only her and so on. She had seen how happy were the kids who were adopted. Everyday couples came and adopted a child but it was not Sandhya. Seema and Vinita, the two girls with whom Sandhya passed most of her time were also adopted in so...

W hen Rumi boarded the bus, she was already too late to get a seat. She stood bewildered among a crowd of all males. Her short height added to her embarrassment as she could not get something to cling to lest she should fall. Finally, she found that the vertical rods could alone give her refuge and moved her left hand around it to make a grip through the inner part of elbow while her palm held the folder just below the chin. Her right hand wasn't free either- the arms secured a hanging purse while the palm held a pack of 3 kg of sweets of the best shop of the city. She was not just tired but even nervous. Slowly even the strainous posture began to feel cozy but then, "tujhe sab hai pta hai na maa". This was her ringtone for her mom's call. "What a timing Mom?" she murmured and somehow using her pre occupied hands picked up the call, "Hmmm Mumma.....yes yes I'm on my way.....ummm....approx 2 hours from now i will be home......(frustrated) what do i ...

Shubhi was in college when she met Sarfaraz for the first time. After numerous sweet moments of care, love and affection, Sarfaraz had become Saifu bhaiya for Shubhi. Actually, he was a bit elder. Time was passing by happily and even after the college ended, they remained in contact. Their families knew well, the kind of bonding they had. Sharing experiences with each other, they had actually become an amalgamation of cultures and it was nearly impossible to judge their religion. But religion became a big hindrance between them when riots broke down in a part of their district and quickly engulfed the whole district striking heavily upon the sensitive areas. No one remained calm- most were worried and some were active in causing such worries. Shubhi had to be confined to the house for weeks. She was tensed because Saifu bhaiya lived in a locality with Hindu majority and was not even replying to her messages. She found herself helpless until one evening when she got a mail reading, ...

As Sarla kept down the phone, tears rolled down her eyes but as she saw people gathering around her she quickly wiped off her tears with the corner of her discoloured cotton Saree and pulled her lips to give a faint smile. For the other people at the old age home, it was just another case, nothing unique. Sarla being a new comer was welcomed in the very procedure as all were. As she kept the phone people gathered around her, consoling her, sharing with her their painful stories to make her feel that she was not the only unfortunate, and finally encouraging her that this is no end of life rather a start. But life in old age home can never be as comfortable as home at least unless one get habitual of it. The gravest pain is emotional and it takes time to fill such wounds. After the bucking up session and lunch everyone went to sleep. But Sarla couldn't. She laid down sideways her tears wetting her pillow when she heard a voice, "Maa". She turned around with a jerk but t...

“ H ey Betty! Look you lost the bet, as always.” cried Rosey when she discovered peeping from the keyhole that Headmiss had ordered a butterscotch cake and not a blackforest cake.  “I never bother to lose the bet. I wish I never lose you my dear.” replied Betty. Rosey couldn’t hold herself on such a sweet reply and ran to hug Betty. Betty and Rosey were two orphan friends. They were each other's world. Such was there love that while Betty would hold Rosey’s hand in dark because Rosey feared the dark, Rosey would sing lullabies for Betty. Both frequently quarreled but it always ended up strengthening their love for each other. Betty was less beautiful than Rosey. One day, a rich couple came to adopt a child. They selected Rosey. Betty overheard them talking to the Head miss,” We would like to adopt Rosey, Miss Middleton”, said the lady. Head miss told them that to adopt Rosey they had to adopt Betty as well because the two can’t live without each other. “We have not planned...