Shishukunj

Fathership

By Asmi Chelawat, Class VII A

Someone once asked
‘Who are you?’
She replied,
‘A charismatic star.’

Someone asked curiously,
‘The secret essence of your name?’
She replied thoughtfully,
‘The one who kept my name.’

Secretly he thought one day,
Of who held such sway.
He went and asked her who he was,
She said to him, ‘Near he is.’

She kept him waiting,
All day long.
When suddenly walked in,
Footsteps ringing the gong.

She opened the door,
To find a man above the floor.
The person now implied,
Was the father, who was her guide.

Touched by this relationship,
He decided to call it fathership.
The toughest is this,
But still a father, there he is.

The Unseen Woods (Part 3)

A story in three episodes by Vagmi Shah, Class IX B

[Click here to read part 2]

Episode 3

“So, what are you exactly?” I asked the creature with the head of a woman and the body of a lion.

“I am a sphinx,” replied the creature.

“But aren’t you supposed to be mythical?” I asked.

“Sure. You humans believe that sphinxes exist only in mythology but there is some truth behind those stories too. We exist but remain concealed from the majority of the species. I came to this quiet forest to live peaceful life. I have even built my own castle for my comforts.”.”

“Oh! So that was your castle?”

“From what you tell me, I gather that you have already visited my fine castle. Well! Well! I hope you were comfortable?”

“Who couldn’t be? I simply loved that place. It was very soothing and refreshing. It gave me a new strength. Thank you for letting me use it for the night.”

“You are welcome.”

We walked in silence for a while.

“But I still don’t understand, why did you reveal yourself to me?”

“As I am a benevolent sphinx, I thought of helping you to get out of this forest.”

I was overjoyed at hearing that she would help me.

“I will help you, but on one condition.” She continued.

My heart sank a little bit on hearing this. What if she asked me to do something that is very difficult and may jeopardize my life?

“Don’t worry, I will not give you a piece of difficult task but will ask you three riddles.” She said calmly, reading my mind.

“But for me to show you the path leading out of this forest, you will have to answer one of my riddles correctly. If you fail to do so, then you will be compelled to stay here with me for the rest of your life. Is that clear?” she said.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

“So here’s how it goes –

Here, there is no north, west or east, And weather fit for not man nor beast.”

“Umm…..let me think. ‘There is no north, west or east.’ That means south. And weather……..” I trailed off. Time ticked away and I kept on thinking.

“This is an obfuscatory riddle!” I said in defeat.

“Should I reveal the answer?”

“Go ahead.”

“The answer is `North Pole’. Here there is only South.”

I was dismayed. I now had only two chances left.

“Don’t worry. How about this one –

Large as a mountain, small as a pea, Endlessly swimming in a waterless sea.

“Well, this is a tough one. You really ask very enigmatic riddles.” I again fell into deep thought but was again unable to answer it.

“I don’t know the answer. You may tell me.”

“Fine, but after that you’ll only have one chance left.”

“Okay.”

“The answer is `asteroids’.”

“Oh!” I exclaimed, “It is large, but in space, only as small as a pea.”

“Now, for the final countdown. Here it is –

Always wax, yet always wane, I melt succumbed to the flame.

Lighting darkness, with fate unblest, I soon devolve into shapeless mess.”

“I think I know this one.” I thought for a while, and then it clicked suddenly.

“I know! I know! The answer is `candle’.” I said in triumph.

“Absolutely correct,” she said with a smile. Without another word, she began leading me out of the labyrinth.

“Thank you very much.” I said gratefully.

“My pleasure” she replied.

She came to the brink of the forest to see me off. I left the forest and did not turn back. After that day, I never got to visit her nor the forest again. I went on with my life, forever treasuring those bittersweet memories that would never fade away.

The end

The Unseen Woods (Part 2)

A story in three episodes by Vagmi Shah, Class IX B

[Click here for episode 1]

Episode 2

I slept like a log all night and woke up with the rays of the sun. I had had a good night`s sleep and was refreshed. It seemed as if even my hope and will power were regenerated. I washed my face in the basin. The bathroom was equivalent to the size of a big room. The bathtub was separated from the rest of the bathroom by a single pink curtain. The walls were covered with roses and vines. The door was of delicate glass. I descended to find something to eat. I had not eaten since noon yesterday and was ravenous. The kitchen was spotless like the rest of the castle. I took out a jug of milk and a handful of biscuits to go with it. It seemed as if the castle had been made specifically according to my needs and comfort. As soon as I finished my breakfast, I gathered my things for departure. As much as my heart was against leaving this comfortable abode, I knew deep inside that I could not stay here for forever. One day, I would have to leave; so, sooner the better. I trudged down the front steps and left the beautiful castle. Little did I know that I would never see that castle again.

That day, I followed my instincts and headed east. I did not know why or how, but that day I felt as if my senses had sharpened. I was able to recognise the distinct smell of sap. The brown needles were soft under my foot as I walked. The soil was moist. It looked to me as if the forest had experienced a heavy downpour last night. The forest was teeming with life. Everything was fresh. The wild flowers were blooming and the forest buzzed with the busy lives of the animals it had inhabited. There was an astonishing variety of species of both – flora and fauna. They were the rulers of this magical world of trees.

Plants and animals that I had never seen before, perhaps not even heard of, were right there in front of my eyes. The forest was filled with beautiful, fragrant and colourful wild flowers. The forest had come alive. Sunlight was filtering through the pine needles and creating a kaleidoscope of different greens. The trees were majestic and were standing serenely. Their branches were entangling with each other and forming a canopy. Ivy climbed up the trees like green snakes. Spongy mosses grew on rocks here and there. Wild grass, ferns and other exotic plants grew, whose names were alien to me.

There were squirrels and rabbits scurrying everywhere. A couple of reindeers were grazing and the chirping of birds was music to my ears. I stood there, enchanted by nature and continued to gape in awe at my surroundings. After a while, I broke out of my trance and shook myself. I had a destination to reach. I picked my way across the path that I had mapped out for myself in my mind.

I continued to walk at a steady pace. I did not notice that the number of living organisms was decreasing with every step I took forward. I reached a point where neither a single beast nor bird was to be seen. Unaware of my present surroundings and the silence that accompanied it, I continued to march along a little stream which had emerged out of the blue from the rocks. Despite the downpour last night, the sun was shining brightly now and everything was dry once again.

Abruptly, I stopped. I had heard the sound of leaves, dry and fine as parchment, cracking, as if someone was trying to walk very carefully so as to remain concealed. I stood still, listening and waiting for some other sound to come.

Silence.

I was very scared at this point of time and various terrifying images began appearing in my mind. I started to get a move on when I heard something. It seemed like a human voice. I again waited for the voice, just to confirm my fears. It came again. I was sure this time. Whoever was coming, was a human alright. I rushed forward to meet this person. The forest had grown denser in this region and the undergrowth blocked my view. As I could only see a part, I stood still and waited for this person to show. The voice seemed very near now. I turned my head towards the voice and I had just opened my mouth to introduce myself, when instead of words, a loud, ear-piercing scream came out of my horrified mouth. What I was looking at, was not a human body, but a lion`s body. A lion’s body with the voice of a human………

[Click here to read part 3]

The Unseen Woods (Part 1)

A story in three episodes by Vagmi Shah, Class IX B

Episode1

I doubted if I was on the right path, or even on a path for that matter. I had walked for ten hours straight without stopping and nowhere could I see a visible path leading me out, from this labyrinth of trees. I had started before dawn and the clock’s hand was now a little closer to noon. I had packed my gear according to the forest guide’s book and had also started to follow a simple route that would take me on a mini tour of a part of this vast forest, but I seemed to have diverted from the path. I had a compass, but did not know in which direction I should go. All around me, there were countless trees, all merging together. The sunlight filtered through the leaves and reached the ground in patches. The undergrowth was also of no help. It was so thick, that I had to untangle my legs every five minutes. It was very frustrating. I was untangling my right foot when I heard a sound.

I looked up and my eyes directly met those of an elephant`s. It was a baby elephant. It gently approached me, curious to know which kind of an animal I was. It lifted its trunk and placed it on my head as if blessing me. I stood still and did nothing except throw some suspicious glances around my surroundings. The elephant seemed to be rather pleased at my presence. I started to move forward and it started to follow me. This continued for some time. After a while, I began to grow irritated and impatient. Assuming, that the elephant was still behind me, I swung back to yell at the insolent elephant but it was nowhere to be seen. It had disappeared in thin air! Just then, I realised that the sun had almost set and soon it would be night. The trees were blending into the darkness above. Soon, the nocturnal animals would come out of their dens and begin their hunt. I hadn’t thought about what I was going to do for the night- where would I rest? This was a very disturbing question.

Suddenly, as if in answer to my question, I spotted a little cottage ahead, on top of a small knoll. At least, I assumed that it was a cottage. I was at a distance from it. I picked my way across, towards it, hoping to find some habitation. I reached the foot of the little hill and looked up towards the cottage. I was very, very wrong! It was not at all a little cottage, but a huge and magnificent castle! It was one of its kinds and was very much like the ones which we have read in fairy tales. It rose to almost three storeys high and had grey brick walls. I approached it and knocked twice on the wooden door made of ebony, embedded with various jewels, with my bare knuckles. The door opened as if it possessed a mind of its own. I entered the foyer quietly. The floor was covered with a thick carpet woven of so soft a fabric that I do not have the words to describe it. It was a long corridor, lit only by the flickering flames of candles. I made my way towards the end of the foyer. It led me to a grand living room. There was a huge sofa in the centre of the room which could accommodate atleast fifteen people at a time. The most unusual thing that I noticed was the absence of windows.

I continued my exploration and climbed the massive steps to the first floor. On either side of the landing, there was a suite of rooms. I was very tired and was feeling equally drowsy. I entered the first room towards my right and gave a joyful cry. There was a big double bed complete with white sheets and thick fur blankets and soft, fluffy pillows. I fell face down on it and fell asleep immediately.

[Click here to read part 2]

Each Day of Life

By Vinisha Shrimal, Class XII A

Each day,

A chance to invest in life

A chance to renew ourselves

To shed yesterday’s skin

To unburden ourselves

And to get rid of past hurts.

So, be glad of life

As each day

Gives us a chance to work, love and play.

Life moves on

So we should not stop too

Dream of big things

And relish the small joys,

Offered by life each day.

Make the most of life,

Earn all that you can

Save all that you can

And, give all that you can.

As,

Only we can doctor our mind

And live,

Each day of life…

St. Josephs (Part 2)

A story in two parts by Tanya Gupta, Class IX B

(To read part 1 click here)

[Part 2]

The next morning we all got up and got ready. Amanda called me aside.

‘Amanda, what is the matter? Is everything alright?’

‘No Emily, yesterday when I went to the matron, I saw Mrs. Rivers in that room which got burned. She had a candle in her hand and was laughing quietly. I think it has a connection with this incident.’

‘But what can we do?’

‘I think we should keep an eye on Mrs. Rivers and see whether she is the one who was behind all this.’

I agreed and went to my class. All this seemed really astonishing. I pondered and pondered. The whole day I did not pay attention towards my lessons and unfortunately Miss. Bronte caught me. At the end of the class she asked me to report to her in her study. I walked after her and went inside. She lectured me about how I need to pay attention in class, but I was least bothered. Suddenly, I caught sight of something unusual. On a small desk near the table, I could see a white gown, a wig and a candle kept beside it. The white gown was similar to the one which Mrs. Rivers often wore at night. Was Miss. Bronte the one who had plotted all this? But why would she do this? I asked myself. I apologized for my behaviour in the class and rushed out to find Amanda.

She was standing outside the class. I narrated everything to her and we decided to inform the police and leave further investigation on them. We told them everything and they instructed us not to tell this to anyone until the real culprit was found. The next day Miss. Bronte did not come to the class. I became more and more anxious to know what was going on. Then suddenly Mrs .Rivers called for me and Amanda. We went to her room and stood solemnly. She told us that it was Miss. Bronte who had plotted the fire. She wanted to become the head mistress and thought that by imitating Mrs. Rivers she would burn that room so that people blame her as an irresponsible headmistress.Mrs. Rivers appreciated us and commanded us not to tell this to anyone as Miss. Bronte had done various things for our school and revealing her name would spoil her reputation. We agreed.

Mrs. Rivers was proud of us and blessed us that one day we would surely lead St. Josephs to great heights.

Within a year, people had almost forgotten about this tragic incident. Amanda and I participated in several competitions and succeeded as well. St. Josephs is now counted amongst the top five schools in England.

Mrs. Rivers was right, we did bring St. Josephs to a great height.

[The end]

St. Josephs (Part 1)

A story in two parts by Tanya Gupta, Class IX B

Part 1

The wind was blowing violently. The trees were shaking vigorously. The night became colder as if it would freeze anything that came under it. I was going to my new school St. Josephs near Thornfield, a town in England. As I walked, I came across a tall building. It seemed as if it was very old with dull walls and crooked windows. I took up my luggage and went inside. A plump lady with silver rimmed spectacles was standing at the door.

“Hello Miss Emily Lockwood,” she said, “I am your head mistress Mrs. Michelle Rivers.”

I smiled at her and went inside. We passed through a narrow passage and ascended some stairs. Then finally we came to a corridor. She guided me towards a small door and knocked. The door opened and a short woman with curly hair and pale white skin appeared.

“Miss. Bronte, she is a new student and she will be in your dormitory. I hope that she adjusts well here in St. Josephs.”

Then she smiled and walked away. Miss. Bronte commanded me to get inside and closed the door. The room was quite large with a row of beds and cupboards in front of them.

I unpacked my luggage and went to sleep. The next morning I was woken up by a group of girls who stood around my bed.

“Good morning Sleeping Beauty! It is already late,” said a tall girl. I felt sheepish and apologized for getting up late and introduced myself. The girls hardly bothered and went away. Suddenly, I saw a girl standing at a distance and staring me. She had blue eyes and thick golden hair. I went to her and asked, “Are you new too?”

“No, this is my second year,” came the reply.

I introduced myself and got ready. Then we went downstairs and had our breakfast. She detailed me about the timetable of the school and told me that the girl who had spoken badly to me was the leader of our dormitory and her name was Amanda. Then we proceeded towards our class. The class was a small room with ten small desks and a big table for the teacher. There was a huge window from where one could watch the beauty of the playground during boring lessons. I sat on the front bench.

A bell rang and Miss. Bronte came in. She was our science teacher. She introduced me to the class and started teaching.

I could understand all the lessons and I did well in my exams. That horrid Amanda and her group became polite and soon became my friends. We played, studied, ate and also went to the town at weekends. Everything was going on well but one night something strange happened.

That night we heard yells and screams. We could feel smoke coming out from somewhere. Everyone woke up in amazement. Miss. Bronte went out and ordered us to stay inside. We all sat anxiously. After a minute the door opened and Amanda came in. She had gone to the matron as she was not feeling well. She told us that there was a fire near Mrs. Rivers room and the whole room was in flames. There were important papers in that room related to St. Josephs and it seemed as if someone had purposely plotted to burn those papers. Police officers had arrived and they were questioning Mrs. Rivers. Just then Miss. Bronte arrived and told us to stay away from this matter and she switched off the lights so that we could sleep. That night none of us could sleep. We all had the same question in our mind,

Who could have set that room on fire?

[Click here to read part 2]

चिड़िया

निशिका जैन एवम् सात्विक गांधी, कक्षा ६ठी G, की स्वरचित कविताएँ

This and That and Some Titbits

By Tanya Rajani, Class IX B

You don’t have to worry about tricks and cheats. People fall into their own pits. Believe in the existence, the existence above. the existence of the Lord makes sure that no good remains unacknowledged, and no bad escapes punishment.

It is simplicity that builds beauty. Wisdom is the power to savour the life. As Emma Goldman once said ‘I’d rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck’. Know the power of simplicity. Believe that joy comes from plainness and you’ll sooner live a happy life because when your journey of life is about to end, you won’t remember the posh cars or the luxurious couches that you own but you’ll rejoice the cup of tea that you had with your loved ones.

Examination

By Vinamra Chhabra, Class VIII E

During an examination,
We have to write about transpiration,
Or some complicated reaction.
It always gives us tension
And lots of frustration.
And in 3 hrs duration
I never get satisfaction,
With the answer that I mention,
For which I never get commendation
Seems I’ll stay in the same class for a long duration!

Author: shish_admin

Fathership

By Asmi Chelawat, Class VII A

The Unseen Woods (Part 3)

A story in three episodes by Vagmi Shah, Class IX B

The Unseen Woods (Part 2)

A story in three episodes by Vagmi Shah, Class IX B

The Unseen Woods (Part 1)

A story in three episodes by Vagmi Shah, Class IX B

Each Day of Life

By Vinisha Shrimal, Class XII A

St. Josephs (Part 2)

A story in two parts by Tanya Gupta, Class IX B

St. Josephs (Part 1)

A story in two parts by Tanya Gupta, Class IX B

चिड़िया

निशिका जैन एवम् सात्विक गांधी, कक्षा ६ठी G, की स्वरचित कविताएँ

This and That and Some Titbits

By Tanya Rajani, Class IX B

Examination

By Vinamra Chhabra, Class VIII E

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