The World of

Woven Words

The World of Woven Words i

Text © 2024 Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.
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First edition: September 2024

ISBN-13: 978-93-5954-476-2

Printed at: New Delhi

ii The World of Woven Words

 Contents
Preface v
Mentor’s Note | Sonakshi Srivastava vii

The Wrong Dimension | Aarav Oberoi 1

Finding Harmony | Adhya Sharma 11
The Gem of Power | Akshaj Samaria 19
Dragon’s Quest: The Legend of the Battle for Draconia |
Akshansh Kumar Singh 29
The Drift King’s Journey | Dhruv Bajaj 37
From Dreams to Reality: Milly’s Journey of Self-Discovery | Harika S. 45
The Mysterious Forest | Kaina Aggarwal 53
The Trillion-Dollar Phantom | Karan Zorawar Singh 61
Secrets of Gurgaontton: A Vampire Mystery | Kavya Garg 71
The Magic of Friendship | Meera Chadha 79
Betrayed by Blood | Naisha Garg 87
Raya and the Defeat of Darkness | Niharika Gopinath 95
Dear Santa | S. Vishnu 103
Acumen Academy | Saisha Vij 111
The Digital Doppelgänger | Samara Kothari 117
Warped Dreams | Sasha Dotel 127
The Mystery of the Mile | Tanya Thakore 135
Friends Clan: A New Hero Is Born | Vikramaditya Sharma 143
The Blissful Saviour | Vrinda Singh 151
A Journey to the Parallel Universe | Yuvaan Dogra 159

The World of Woven Words iii

iv The World of Woven Words
 Preface

R
eading is often labelled as a form of escape, but it’s
much more complex than that and in some cases,
can be the very opposite of it too. Reading can
provide a gentle approach to reality for someone who’s
constantly stuck in their imagination, while simultaneously
making room for someone else’s imagination after a day
that’s all too real.
The magic of reading thus, lies in its ability to bridge
worlds together and Scholastic Writers Academy is proud
to celebrate twenty such unique portals to the brilliant
universe of wonder crafted by our talented young writers.
These authors, coming together from all over the country,
have collaborated in their efforts to bring forth this
brilliant anthology.
And I can assure you, their fruits of labor are strikingly
sweet, as I’m confident that you’ll find the same joy in
turning through these pages as I did. I hope you cherish
the experience and savour the magic of every story!

Neeraj Jain
Managing Director, Scholastic India
The World of Woven Words v
vi The World of Woven Words
 Mentor’s note

P
rominent poet Mary Oliver offers instructions for
living a life, and catalogues three things. These three
things are:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
When I was given the opportunity to mentor the budding
writers, I was supremely anxious to say the least. As a teacher,
physical classrooms are no strangers to me. However, the
challenges here were the very young demographic, and the
idea of meeting them online. I lost my sleep to questions
of various shapes and intensities – how would I keep these
young writers engaged? What if they get bored? What if
they do not understand what I have to say?
Over the period of ten days, I was enthralled by the sheer
potential of the upcoming young talent. It was a delight to
witness their words bloom from what began as a germinal
exercise in pitching story ideas to a steady blossoming of

The World of Woven Words vii

 Mentor’s Note

words on sheets. A good writer is not someone who is only

capable of fleshing their imagination on to paper but also
one who is able to think with their peers. It is safe to say
that the virtual space was abuzz with this thinking. Not
only did they pay attention to their peers and their ideas
but also stepped in with their share of healthy curiosity
and exchanged feedback. Nothing could have been more
heartening than to see them invested in enhancing not
only their own craft but also the craft of their peers, and
forging friendships on mutual love for books and TV series.
I believe this compilation will tell you all about it!
As you read through these pages, you will find yourself
oscillating between fantastical lands where doppelgangers
abound, unicorns fly, and animals talk to the contemporary
times where Artificial Intelligence and robots co-exist with
humans. Each tale is fashioned out of beautiful effort and
concerns affects ranging from suspicion to solidarity. This
suffices to offer you, as a reader, a glimpse into the potent
imaginative prowess of the writers of tomorrow.
Circling back to Oliver’s words, and which I feel are
equally potent as an instruction manual for the writers
– pay attention to the words and the world around you,
leave room to be astonished, to be surprised by the most
mundane of things, and tell the world about it through
your words.
Happy reading!
Sonakshi Srivastava

viii The World of Woven Words

The Wrong Dimension

Aarav Oberoi

The World of Woven Words 1

 Aarav Oberoi

I know a lot about cars. Ask me any model and you will get the
answer. I do not have a nickname right now. If it was raining
spaghetti, I would not be the first one to go, unless I am starving.
My favourite dish is bacon, salami and scrambled eggs along with
fries and chicken. That sounds like a lot. But if superpowers were
possible, I would want lightspeed so that I am able to teleport to the
corners of the world while other people remain in the same place.
Sad life! If I had a TV show about my life, I would call it Third Time’s
the Charm. Anyone can play me, it doesn’t really matter. My favourite
movie is Paddington. I would be the Formula 1 car emoji, because, well,
you know why. I also love helping street dogs and underprivileged
people. That’s enough, now go and check out my story.

..................................................................................................................................................
Aarav Oberoi

Mallya Aditi International School, Bengaluru

2 The World of Woven Words

I
t was twilight. The sky was orange and dark blue, the
mixture just like someone had drawn it with oil pastels
and pasted it on the surface of the earth. There was a
faint buzzing tone, as though someone had fixed a half-
dead bee onto your ear. It was the nuclear power stations
– deep underground.
Welcome to planet Nexus Prime. This super planet
is about 4,561 light years away. We are not going there
anytime soon. They have come here.
Max
13 December, France
th

Doing my homework, as usual. Calculus. The most

vexing thing I have experienced on this planet. Well, what
can you do? Blame Archimedes.
I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes as I stared at the seemingly
impossible calculus problem on my homework sheet.
My pencil hovered uncertainly over the paper, my mind
struggling to grasp the concepts. Just then, a notification
pinged on my phone, breaking the silence of my room.
With a reluctant sigh, I set aside my calculus and reached
for my phone, curious to see what distraction awaited me
this time. An alien meme. From my friend.

The World of Woven Words 3

 The Wrong Dimension

When you’re outta this world

But still down-to-earth
(Thug life image)

Funny, right?
Back to our friends.
On Nexus Prime, Alpharex entities dwell in luxurious
CarboTanium bunkers, priced at 15,000 neurobits
($18.91 or `1,580.83). Mined at NCCFN (Native
Cryptocurrency Creator for Neurobits) supercomputers,
these Neurobits are stored on HNNs (Holographic Neural
Network), which come with every bunker.
These beings hail from a planet 4,561 light-years away,
observing Earth’s chaotic beginnings.
Now we are much, much more advanced and they have
come to visit us.

Earth
December, France
Underground, scientists in CERN on the border of
France and Switzerland are running a supercollider,
studying the so-called ‘God’s Particle’ aka Boson.
(LHC: Large Hadron Collider)
Read this chunk, otherwise, you will not understand
the context afterwards:

4 The World of Woven Words

 Aarav Oberoi

Supercolliders, in real life, make particles collide with each

other at light speed and there is a one in a trillion chance that the
supercollider will produce a black hole as small as a grain of sand.
This experiment is taken in a super-controlled environment, which
has even self-destruction as an option.

Today was the one in a trillion chance. The scientists were

running the start-up sequence, as usual. They increased
it to max speed, trying their hardest to find and collect
the particle.

Then the problem began. The two arms in the supercollider

started shaking. The displays showed that the supercollider
was overspeeding much more than it was built to handle.

Max
I finally finished the calculus. Now it’s time for me to take
a break. I was opening my unread messages, when my
friend called me. He said there is a news channel showing
the ground shaking above the Franco-Swiss border in
Geneva, Switzerland.
Maybe an earthquake.
Oh no.

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 The Wrong Dimension

That’s exactly where the supercollider is, 100 meters

under the ground.

At the Supercollider
The whole room was filled with alarms and klaxons. The
supercollider was spinning at 99.8% the speed of light.
For you to understand, that supercollider was running so
fast, if you could reach that speed on a rocket, we would
reach the moon in a matter of 10 seconds or even less.
Something was going seriously wrong. The supercollider
was going even faster. Some kind of object was starting
to form. It was sucking all the light from the supercollider
and in a minute everything was black.

The Scientists
‘This has never happened before. Even the fail-safes
aren’t responding!’
‘What do you mean? You’re telling me we can’t shut
it down?’
‘That’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s like its gone rogue
or something.’
‘But how is that possible? It’s just a machine!’
‘I don’t know, but we need to figure it out fast. The
energy readings are off the charts!’

Max
How could it possibly go out of control? Under such
controlled environments, how? Max was going to

6 The World of Woven Words

 Aarav Oberoi

find out. He asked his parents for a trip just to see the
Franco-Swiss border. They said they’ll consider it, based
on his behaviour.

24 Days Later
We were at the airport, just for an inter-country hop, so we
reached there faster. While I was in the aircraft, an interesting
thought occurred to me. In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse,
Kingpin uses his supercollider to get his family back from
different dimensions, aka Different Universes. Could some
alien life form be trying to communicate with us using
black holes? This perspective changed everything.

The Scientists
Scientist 1: ‘We’ve lost containment! The energy levels are
so big they are glitching!
Scientist 2: ‘Initiate emergency shutdown procedures!
We can’t risk …’
Scientist 3: ‘The magnetic field is destabilizing! It’s
forming a singularity!’
Scientist 4: ‘We need to evacuate immediately! The
collider’s collapsing!’
Scientist 1: ‘Is there any way to reverse this?’
Scientist 2: ‘No time! It’s too late! Brace yourselves!’
Scientist 3: ‘God help us all ...’
Out of the black hole, a few humanoid
creatures emerged.

The World of Woven Words 7

 The Wrong Dimension

Max
We landed. Now for the two-hour trip. We crossed
beautiful landscapes and I was amazed. I did not even
notice anything wrong until we reached the event. There
were government agents, police and concealed vehicles on
the spot. My parents were not happy. At all.

The Scientists
There was only one brave scientist left to see it all. He saw the
pale-skinned, somewhat humanoid-structured organisms.
The Aliens came by his side and fixed the problem.
They were friendly, but they took a few swabs from the
scientist’s mouth.
P.S. I think Aliens will be friendly, but they have equal curiosity
in us as we have in them.

Max
Wow. Amazing. Aliens have finally come. To our Earth.
Wait! Where have all the agents and the surroundings
gone? Everything was a hue of green and blue.
Max and his family were sucked into the black hole.
Which did not stop. They were on Nexus Prime. The
Earth was shocked that a family disappeared in a runaway
black hole. Where did they go?

On Nexus Prime
Max saw a beautiful sky, with advanced machines they had
never seen before. They wanted to go back home but this

8 The World of Woven Words

 Aarav Oberoi

planet was breathtaking. His sister and parents were as

shocked as him, even more. They asked the aliens if they
could go home. The aliens said they were trying the best
they could. They could not find their dimension.

The Next Day

The aliens found their estimated dimensions and put them
in the inter-universe hopper.
They materialized again, on Earth. With no trees,
roads, or humans. They were on the wrong planet in the
wrong dimension.

My final message: We are not alone. There are billions

of galaxies in our universe and our universe is constantly
expanding. There are multiverses as well. Scientist estimate
that there are more than one trillion super planets in our
galaxy itself. The aliens will be friendly. But I will not be
there. If I am with some future technology, with my whole
family, I will be the happiest.

The World of Woven Words 9

10 The World of Woven Words
Finding Harmony

Adhya Sharma

The World of Woven Words 11

 Adhya Sharma

Most people just come up with new names to call me. My favourite
books are the Harry Potter and Wings of Fire series. These were also
the books that made me love reading. To be honest, if I could control
how my day went, there would be only four words: eat, read, sleep,
repeat. As much as I love to read, I enjoy hanging out with friends
and sketching. If I were to be described as an emoji, I think my
friends would agree on the laughing emoji with the tears coming out
as I crack the most hilarious jokes 24/7. I would say my life would be
easily compared to a rollercoaster as I moved from America recently
and, honestly, it was like a whole new world. I would describe it like
a book – fascinating and unique. One more thing, which I say to my
friends all the time: ‘I already have my weekend booked!’ So, don’t be
surprised if you’re the next one to hear it!

..................................................................................................................................................
Adhya Sharma

GD Goenka Public School, New Delhi

12 The World of Woven Words

‘W
e are NOT moving!’ Golden, the lion, roared
at the deer angrily.
‘But humans have started taking some
land,’ the deer said, highly concerned, as though a
catastrophe was about to happen.
‘Please leave,’ said Golden, annoyed, trying not
to shout.
The deer looked awfully distressed and left slowly. The
lion watched her leave and turned around sadly. That night
he thought about what he said, he thought for a long time.
Would he really leave his home? That night turned into
morning and morning turned into days.

It was a pleasant morning and Golden was resting.

Suddenly a squirrel came bouncing towards him, ‘Silk is
hurt!’ he shouted.
‘Then find the healers not me!’ the lion answered,
slightly irritated.
‘I did, but you need to know something.’
‘What is it?’ the lion asked puzzled.
The squirrel lowered his voice, ‘Those hideous machines
hurt him.’

The World of Woven Words 13

 Finding Harmony

Golden’s eyes widened. ‘Tell everyone to come for a

meeting’ he said to the squirrel.
The squirrel scurried off. A few moments later, animals
started emerging.
‘I have gathered you all for a very important purpose,’
said the lion. ‘I have decided that we will start a journey to
find a new home.’
An uproar came and happy faces appeared.
‘One condition though, we will not attack humans.’
The animals agreed.
‘We will move tomorrow.’

After the meeting, Golden went towards Jagged Hill, a

very steep hill with many rocks and a view of the jungle.
He sat down and watched his home. It was so peaceful.
There was harmony within all kinds of creatures that
lived there. It brought him back to the time when he
had first stepped into the jungle. The freedom ... and
sadness. He sighed and went back towards the jungle;
this night was not a normal one because now it was his
last. It was their last meeting in the jungle. All the animals
emerged slowly.
‘Let us thank this forest for being our home.’ It took a
few moments. ‘Our journey will begin today,’ said Golden.
‘We will cross the Pixies Forest, then try to venture near

14 The World of Woven Words

 Adhya Sharma

the Talon’s Mountain. There is a chance of living in

the valleys.
‘The Pixies?’ many surprised voices came. The pixies
were beautiful, yet rude and arrogant. There was a lot of
grumbling, but later they all agreed.
‘We shall start now, if everyone is ready?’ asked Golden,
looking around.
All the animals hesitantly agreed and they started
their journey.

They moved onwards until they had nearly reached

the boundary of the Pixie Forest. They reached before
dusk when Golden stopped and looked beyond into
the village.
Suddenly, a pixie spotted them and went flying towards
them, ‘What are you doing here?’
‘We want to cross your forest in search of a new home,’
responded Golden, calmly.
‘You’ve decided to leave?’ she asked.
Golden nodded.
The pixie fled towards the village without a word.
Eventually, she came back after a few minutes with more
pixies. Queen Seraphina, the queen of the pixies listened
to the pixie for a moment, then turned to see Golden.
Golden explained the recent behaviour of the humans.

The World of Woven Words 15

 Finding Harmony

The queen looked at him, ‘We have considered moving,

Golden,’ she said. ‘The humans on our side of the territory
have broken the truce, they are capturing us and we fear
we might have to relocate eventually.’
‘I know it is not my duty to interfere with your choices,
but I suggest we should move together if leaving is what
you think is the only option left,’ said Golden, hopeful of
company through unknown territory and dangers.
The queen thought about this then finally said, ‘We
shall travel with you tomorrow.’

It was the morning Queen Willow would travel with them.

Golden was in one of the huts, waiting.
‘We have come.’ A voice broke the silence and
Golden looked up to see a large group of pixies. They all
looked hostile.
Golden gathered his subjects and they moved out of
the village slowly.
The pixies took one last look at their home and Golden
felt a wave of sympathy for them, despite the rivalry
between them. ‘We have planned to venture towards
Talon’s Mountain. We hope there is a chance to live there
...’ Golden trailed off, looking at the Queen.
She nodded absentmindedly, then spoke, ‘Do the
mountains have the necessary habitats we need to survive?’
she asked.

16 The World of Woven Words

 Adhya Sharma

‘That is a question only our journey can answer,’ replied

the lion.

It was morning and they had started travelling again with

a lot of grumbling. They were heading south, towards the
mountains, where they met a river flowing. One of the
pixies used her powers to make a route for them all. The
creatures continued their journey, exploring new places
joyfully. The animals and pixies were getting along and
Golden could see peace among their tribes. Now, all they
needed was to reach their home.
The animals were exhausted and had stopped for a
break. It was nearly dusk, when the animals decided to
move. Talon’s Mountain wasn’t far when Golden spotted
a small figure near a tree. It was surprisingly small.
‘Human!’ hissed a snake and it slowly moved forward.
Golden stopped him and suddenly it turned around.
A girl smiled, ‘Hello, I’m Iris.’ She didn’t look scared
at all.
The lion glanced at Queen Willow, then back to her.
‘What are you all doing this far into the mountains?’
Iris went on.
‘We’re travelling,’ the queen said.
The girl’s eyes widened, ‘I love an adventure, oh could
I please help you?!’ she squealed.

The World of Woven Words 17

 Finding Harmony

The queen gave a puzzled look.

Before she could start, Iris spoke, ‘Where are you
off to?’
‘Talon’s Mountain,’ replied Golden.
‘What’s that?’
‘That mountain over there,’ Golden pointed towards
the greenest mountain under the sun.
‘I’ll take you there!’ The girl started running ahead of
them and the lion hesitantly directed his tribe to follow.
The creatures rarely spoke to her and followed quietly.
But little did they know that their perspective on the little
girl would soon change. Eventually, they started to trust
her and she became a friend. It was the day they reached
Talon’s Mountain. It was the most beautiful valley Golden
had ever seen. Run over with trees and flowers, the colour
of the rainbow. The sunlight here shone its brightest and
the lake had the purest water.
The animals too were thrilled to be somewhere
safe until an eagle’s cry came, ‘A village! I see a village!’
he screeched.
‘Where is it? I don’t see it.’
‘We aren’t safe.’ A healer came running forward, ‘I
was sent a vision few months ago,’ she started. ‘Safe’ is a
word that is far, far away from what you seem to think of
this place.’

18 The World of Woven Words

The Gem of Power

Akshaj Samaria

The World of Woven Words 19

 Akshaj Samaria

My all-time favourite sports are basketball and badminton. If it

was raining pizzas, I would just grab some in my hands and start
munching them straightaway. I love singing, in fact I am actively
learning Hindustani classical music from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.
My favourite book series is the Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland. It
taught me a great deal about loyalty and staying true to friendship.
My favourite food items are burgers and ramen. In my free time, I
usually read or play with some of my Legos. My favourite genres are
adventure, fiction and fantasy. A superpower suitable for me would be
the power to memorize whatever I need to at any point of time. My
friends think that the nerd face emoji was my face and I had plastic
surgery done to change it! I really love being in the outdoors, like it
has been in my blood all this time. I often go to wildlife sanctuaries.
In fact, I just went to Gir National Park in Gujarat, where I saw five
lions, four lionesses and a leopard!

..................................................................................................................................................
Akshaj Samaria

Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi

20
10 The World of Woven Words
H
onk! Honk! The school bus was honking at
Richard, waking him up from day-dreaming,
even though it wasn’t one of his talents. Once
you become a power ranger, it’s hard to go even a few
minutes without thinking of your responsibility. He and his
friends, John Roberts and Amelia Jones, had been selected
as the next power rangers in a long line. He couldn’t wait
to reach class, not because he wanted to study, but because
his best friends were sure to be waiting for him there.
When he walked in, he was astonished to see the
classroom deserted. As soon as he saw his timetable, he
smacked himself on his head. ‘Of course you walked
into the wrong classroom, Richard you fool!’ he scolded
himself. ‘Oh no! I will be late for Miss Abuela’s class again.
Let’s hope this time she doesn’t hang me over a pit full of
hungry saltwater crocodiles!’ he moaned. He rushed out,
taking all the shortcuts. But even then, he reached seconds
after Ms. Abuela had entered the class.
‘Richard!’ she purred smoothly, ‘I see that you have
entered late once again. Let’s have a show of hands to see
which punishment suits you best this time.’

The World of Woven Words 21

 The Gem of Power

‘No, Ms. Abuela! I was completing my homework in the

bus and I stayed in there for some time before I realized I
had to get off. It was a special disruption of space time.’
Richard hoped against all hopes that this would get
Ms. Abuela started on her latest topic of space time. The
chances seemed so low but even then … ‘Of course,
Richard we must expect the disruption of space time. It
happens so often these days,’ sighed Ms. Abuela.
‘Yes, I got one of her lectures,’ he thought as he hurried
to his seat.
‘What actually happened Richard?’ asked Amelia.
‘Oh nothing! I was thinking of tacos. Cannot wait to
dig into one during recess,’ Richard quickly made up.
‘Oh, you and your tacos!’ laughed Amelia.
Richard somehow managed to concentrate in all of the
classes, despite his urge to walk out and run till he reached
the Power Base, the ranger’s HQ.

After school the friends met at the ruined gate of Barry’s

Waterpark, a failure. Underneath the Splashy Surfs
attraction was a huge boulder. With his enormous strength
due to his powers, John rolled the boulder away. ‘Welcome
my friends!’ cried Solomon.
Solomon was their tech chief and their only connection
to the past rangers and holders. ‘Let me explain what rangers

22 The World of Woven Words

 Akshaj Samaria

and holders are to you newbies,’ said Solomon. ‘Rangers

are chosen to use Dino powers, and have sabres at their
side. I will come to them later. A holder is a ranger whose
power chooses him or her as a master of the power and
inhabits them. After this process, which is known as the
Release, the holder has the power to literally do anything
in the world.’ Solomon mysteriously said, ‘Even ask for a
wish from the Energem. But most of the time, the wish is
fulfilled in the afterlife. What a joke!’ he laughed.
‘What’s the Energem, Solomon?’ asked Amelia.
‘Oh nothing! Just an old legend …’
stammered Solomon.
‘Oh, and Richard, if a Lurker Ancient ever turns
your mind in battle, you will be powerless, just like your
ranger kin. Up till now, all T. Rex rangers have had their
mind and will be eaten by a Lurker Ancient. Be careful!’
warned Solomon.
‘Yes, I will be, Solomon,’ said Richard.

In a few days they all learnt the basic powers, such as

teleportation, morphing and zord calling. Now they had
to learn to master the trick keys. ‘Each trick key is used
as an extra power. Some of them can call zords as well.
For example, the Gargant Smash Key calls a zord and
gives War Armour, which helps give a bigger blow to

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 The Gem of Power

one’s enemy. However, all three super keys were hidden

after the Great Battle and have never been found again,’
droned Solomon.
Before the rangers could respond there was a strike of
lightning above and all three fell like a rock. ‘Oh no!’ said
Solomon, looking at their bloodshot eyes, ‘This can only
mean one thing. The Energem has been stolen again!’
wailed Solomon.
Slowly the haze in the rangers’ minds uncleared and
their focus returned.
‘What happened?’ said John groggily.
‘No time to waste’ said Solomon hurriedly. ‘You must
get to the bottom of this theft. Up and about!’
‘What theft, Solomon?’ asked the rangers, fully awake
by now.
‘You’ll understand later why I can’t tell you right now.’
‘Ok sure, but where do we have to go and what do we
have to look for?’ asked Richard.
Solomon stuck a flyer to his chest. ‘This is what you
have to look for!’ said Solomon. On the flyer was a picture
of a man, wearing a gold necklace of stars and standing
outside a rambling church. ‘Look for his quarters inside
and ransack them until you find the necklace. It is essential
if we are to prepare for what’s coming,’ said Solomon.
‘But I can’t ransack a parson’s holy quarters in a holy
church. I am a Christian by the way,’ said Amelia.

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 Akshaj Samaria

‘So am I,’ Richard agreed. ‘Then I guess the job goes

to John,’ he said.
‘Okay fine, I understand what you’re saying,’ said John.
He was back in a half-hour with his face in a towel. ‘You
won’t believe what happened,’ he said, showing his bloody
face (the blood was not his).
After an hour of explaining, they finally reached
a conclusion. ‘So, this ninja in a mask tried to steal the
Pteranodon Freeze Key inside the necklace, but instead
you kicked its butt and, in the end, it said in a throaty voice
“Galahad will return”.’
‘Yup! That’s about it!’ John said.
‘Hhhhmmm’ said Solomon thoughtfully. ‘It’s about
time you guys know the truth about well, everything.’
‘So, Galahad is a dark warrior from one of the five
realms and with his army of peabers (bear-people), he tried
to take this Energem and almost succeeded but was felled
by the rangers, who became holders and this Energem is
a gem powerful enough to end two of the realms, before
destroying itself and ending another two,’ said Amelia in
a high-pitched voice.
‘Yes, that’s all. Now stop screeching!’ said Solomon.
‘You should practice.’
For four days the rangers practiced under Solomon’s
guidance, using all the time they had. Soon they were ready
for the battle with Galahad and his army, which was under

The World of Woven Words 25

 The Gem of Power

the control of the Energem. The day of battle came and

the team was prepared, taking advantage of the fact that
Galahad didn’t know this.
As soon as they heard the stomp of feet and the clash
of armour, they knew that the greatest fight of their lives
was about to happen. On came the roaring worgles as the
first branch of the army. Roaring his battle cry, John met
the worgle leader. His sabre met with powerful teeth and
stomping legs. Even with his strength, John seemed to
be losing the battle, when with a CRACK, Amelia’s sabre
dived into the leader’s heart. As she grabbed it, a Dino key
floated to the ground. ‘The lost Ankylosaurus Blaze Key!’
gasped Amelia.
‘Use it!’ shouted John before heading deeper into
the battle.
‘Blaze Battle Armour,’ she roared, holding it high above
her head, using it to thrash the army.
Soon the ranks of the worgles were diminished and
they fled back to the inner ranks. For the goblin battle, the
rangers would need some serious zord power. The Ankylo
Blazing Zord leapt out of the ground.
Snapping keys, the rangers yelled. ‘Blazing Megazord!’
The goblins were strong, but their strength was nothing
compared to a Megazord.
Finally, the rangers reached Galahad. ‘So, I meet the
new rangers!’ he purred.

26 The World of Woven Words

 Akshaj Samaria

‘We don’t have to do this, Galahad!’ shouted Richard,

‘Just hand over the Energem peacefully.’
‘Oh, but that will never happen!’ he roared as he
charged towards the Megazord.

The battle was fierce, with each side stumbling at the others
attacks, but not giving in either. The rangers had to form
the Ultrazord. The ultimate attack threw Galahad down.
The Energem fell from his grasp as the giant shrunk until
he was just 11 feet tall. As John grasped it in his hand,
preparing to kill Galahad, Solomon stumbled out of HQ.
‘No, stop!’ he urgently said.
‘Galahad is actually an ancient Stegosaurus Ranger
from before the beginning of time. Triceratops power
didn’t exist then, Stegosaurus did. He was turned evil by a
Lurker Ancient called the Devourer. The Energem is the
only way he can heal.’
The team’s mouths fell open as Solomon healed Galahad
and he disappeared with the Energem in a shimmering
haze. A roar came from the east, as loud as thunder. ‘I
promise I’ll explain all the Ranger secrets that you now
need to know, later’ said Solomon.
‘Well, we did it team. We beat an evil ranger and saved
Riverdale,’ said Richard.

The World of Woven Words 27

 The Gem of Power

Another roar came, louder than the first one. ‘Not quite.
You must save Riverdale from beasts that came from the
other four realms,’ said Solomon.
‘Well, what are we waiting for?’ said John.
‘Let’s tackle that beast.’
‘Dino Fury Power!!!’ they yelled together before rushing
into the fog to fight whatever came next. They were after
all, the ‘Power Rangers’.

28 The World of Woven Words

Dragon’s Quest: The Legend
of the Battle for Draconia

Akshansh Kumar Singh

The World of Woven Words 29

23
 Akshansh Kumar Singh

My friends call me Akshu and my codename is Cosmo. If it rains

pizza, I would call all my friends over and have a pizza party. My
favourite food is pizza and I’m not too fond of samosas. I am best
at playing with animals and exploring new places and things. My
favourite books are the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, The One
and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, and The Wings of Fire series
by Tui T. Sutherland. The author whose work I like the most is
J.K. Rowling. I love listening to music and my favourite artists are
Imagine Dragons, Counting Stars, The Weekend and Shawn Mendez.
I enjoy playing two-player games with my cousins. If my friends
would describe me using an emoji, they would use the panda emoji
because I love eating like a panda. I like dragons, dogs and dolphins.
And if there’s one thing that I hate its spiders. And, my favourite
YouTubers are OJ, DanTDM and KairosTime.

..................................................................................................................................................
Akshansh Kumar Singh

DLF Public School, Ghaziabad

30 The World of Woven Words

O
ne ordinary day, around 5 p.m., I had just done my
Algebra homework and was preparing to watch
DanTDM, OJ and KairosTime on YouTube when
suddenly a dragon came to my window. I couldn’t believe
my eyes. Dragons weren’t supposed to be real! The dragon
astonished me even more by speaking.
‘Who are you?’ it asked.
Stunned and frightened, I stammered, ‘I’m Cosmo and
who are you?’
The dragon introduced itself as Draco, the dragon
prince of Draconia, the kingdom of magical creatures,
and told me it needed my help.
Curious about Draconia and what help Draco needed,
I said, ‘Okay, I’ll help you. But can you tell me more
about Draconia?’
‘Draconia is the magic kingdom, home to all magical
creatures, and has been a peaceful land for a long time.
But now, Crypto, the evil king of the blorgs, is taking over
with his army of blorgs.’
Intrigued, I asked, ‘What’s a blorg?’
Draco explained that a blorg is a wicked creature that
tries to absorb its enemies and turn them evil, causing

The World of Woven Words 31

 Dragon’s Quest: The Legend of the Battle for Draconia

the demise of many magical creatures. ‘To reach Draconia

we have to go to the forest of blooms, which is a forest
with the two elder trees that will test us if we are worthy
enough to enter Draconia.’
I hesitated, worrying about being missed if I disappeared.
However, Draco reassured me that it could stop time in
the human world. Still feeling unsure, something inside me
urged me to go and help save Draconia. With newfound
courage, I said, ‘I don’t usually go with strangers, but
something inside me says that I should go with you to
save Draconia.’

So, with that, I went with Draco to the forest of blooms.

The journey was challenging, but not impossible. Once
we reached it, I was astonished at the sight of the forest.
Draco explained that many creatures had sought refuge
in the forest after being chased out of their homes by the
blorgs. After reaching the two elders, we were tasked with
retrieving the noble sword of dragons and the staff of
friendship from the swamp of hate and perform an act
of kindness there. We were both confused about how to
be kind in a swamp full of hate. Then Draco said, ‘The
swamp of hate isn’t that far but is very dangerous because
the cupids of anger, also known as angpids, shoot the
people who cross there and make them fight each other.’

32 The World of Woven Words

 Akshansh Kumar Singh

Then the elder said, ‘At the end, you will meet the
other elder.’
The journey to the swamp wasn’t hard but once we
reached, we felt a strong feeling of hate. As we progressed
further, we encountered an exiled angpid named Angor.
He told us that his tribe had exiled him for being good
and that his tribe was under the control of crypto. After
making friends with him, we found the sword of dragons
and the staff of friendship. Then we met the elder of
friendship, who rewarded us with dragon armour and a
bow of love because we had made a friend on our journey,
and said, ‘Now prepare for the test of knowledge’.
We took the test of intelligence and learned that the
key to defeating darkness was to master light and darkness.
Then we got the Armour of Dragons our last upgrade. The
elder made an arch of trees and we went to Draconia. The
moment we stepped into Draconia, I was captivated by
its mesmerizing beauty. The kingdom exuded an ethereal
charm, characterized by lushness and vibrancy that left
me awestruck. I could see dragons soaring through the
sky, unicorns grazing in meadows and fairies flitting about
in the forests.
Draco led me to Dragonsdale, the capital city of
Draconia, where we met his father, Drake, the king of
dragons. Drake then welcomed us and expressed his
gratitude for our willingness to help protect Draconia.

The World of Woven Words 33

 Dragon’s Quest: The Legend of the Battle for Draconia

However, I noticed that Drake was very weak. Draco and

Angor had noticed too. We soon found out that Crypto
had attacked Drake. Draco was mad; we could feel the
pain and got encouraged to defeat Crypto.

The next morning, the city was bustling with activity

as creatures prepared to defend their home against the
impending threat of Crypto and the blorgs. I was in awe of
the unity and determination displayed by the inhabitants
of Draconia.
Drake and other leaders of magical creatures such as
King Starwing, king of the unicorns, and Queen Calypso,
queen of the fairies and pixies, devised a plan to thwart
Crypto’s evil intentions. We met mystical fairies, gallant
unicorns, wise old wizards and many more who promised
to aid us in our battle against Crypto and the blorgs. We
planned to think good thoughts when we battled the
blorgs so their evil powers, which turned their enemies
evil, would backfire and the blorgs would turn good.
As the battle approached, we forged new friendships
with the inhabitants of Draconia, such as King Starwing,
Queen Calypso and Gummi, the giant gummy bear. Then,
we trained together for the upcoming war.

34 The World of Woven Words

 Akshansh Kumar Singh

The day of the battle arrived, and we stood alongside our

newfound friends, ready to defend Draconia. The battle
was intense, filled with moments of trust, friendship and
unwavering loyalty. Despite facing overwhelming odds,
we fought side by side, demonstrating the power of
teamwork. Many times we thought we had lost but we still
kept fighting.
I decided to enter crypto because the elder tree told us
that everyone is good somewhere inside. Once I entered
crypto, I could sense a strong feeling of evil and then I
saw a wisp of pure evil. The wisp said, ‘I am Abaddon the
king of evil, I didn’t think that anyone would come here
but you did. Now is the time for your demise.’
I was petrified but still didn’t lose hope and said, ‘I
came here to help my friend Draco and save the kingdom
and I will do just that.’
With that, I picked up the staff of friendship and
started fighting Abaddon the king of evil. It was a tough
battle but in the end I won with the power of friendship
and saw that Crypto had transformed into a dog made
of gummy and was the king of the gummy creature. He
turned out to be Gummi’s brother and changed his name
to Max.
With our combined efforts and the newfound
knowledge of light and darkness, as we had known all
their weaknesses, we managed to turn the tide against

The World of Woven Words 35

 Dragon’s Quest: The Legend of the Battle for Draconia

Crypto and the blorgs. It was a hard-fought victory, but

finally, we emerged triumphant. We freed Draconia from
their tyrannical grip and peace was restored.

As we celebrated our victory, surrounded by the jubilant

cheers of the magical creatures, I felt a deep sense of
fulfillment and pride. My journey with Draco had taught
me the true value of courage, friendship and the strength
found in unity.
Returning home, I realized that my adventure in
Draconia had profoundly transformed me. I had
discovered the courage within myself, forged unbreakable
bonds of friendship and learned valuable lessons that
would stay with me forever. The memories of my time in
Draconia, fighting alongside the magical creatures, would
always hold a special place in my heart.

36 The World of Woven Words

 Dhun Akkinapalle

The Drift King’s Journey

Dhruv Bajaj

The World of Woven Words 37

 Dhruv Bajaj

I like to read books and play games. My favourite books are 11.22.63
and Billy Summers, both by Stephen King. I have a rare disease called
radioulnar synostosis. Once I almost fell while rappelling down a
fifty-foot wall. Many people call me very tall for my age. I am the
youngest in my grade. I usually play badminton or cricket. I read
books daily, mostly fiction and rarely read non-fiction. I love to
listen to music, usually hip-hop or rock. I don’t like a roller coaster
that much.

..................................................................................................................................................
Dhruv Bajaj

KC High, Chennai

38 The World of Woven Words

I
t was 15 June 2010, a cloudy day in Tokyo. I was walking
to the Shuto Expressway for the new race. When I was
bored, I would always think of an imaginary world
where I was the best racer in Tokyo. But that habit would
stop soon. When I reached, I was surprised to see my
friend, Haruto, already there. He said, ‘Osamu Shinoda,
our local wannabe.’
‘Stop it, you want to be a street racer just as much as I
do,’ I replied, frustrated.
Before he could say anything, a person with a
loudspeaker announced that the race was starting in a
couple of minutes. We rushed to one of the most difficult
corners in the whole expressway. It is easy for somebody
to overtake you if they have the inside. This one corner
would decide the whole race. Whoever is in the lead after
this corner is almost guaranteed to win. We heard the
revving of the cars and the roar of the crowds. Then we
heard the cars moving. We waited patiently for the race to
come to the turn.
These races always used to make me tense. Waiting to
see who would win. Hoping nothing will go wrong. Little
did I know I would be behind the wheel sooner than I
expected. The two racers were Aoi and Hikaru.

The World of Woven Words 39

 The Drift King’s Journey

We heard the screeching tyres getting closer. We then

saw them zooming towards the turn. Aoi was in the lead.
When they came to the corner they started doing the only
thing racers here do, drifting. As Aoi and Hikaru entered
the corner, Hikaru managed to get inside and overtake
Aoi. Then we knew who would win. And, as expected,
Hikaru won. Both of us supported Hikaru. Aoi was part
of the Drift Kings’ clan. They usually won everything so
it was a nice change to see someone else win.
After the race, we all congratulated Hikaru. It was a big
deal to beat a person from the Drift Kings as they were
rich, had top-notch facilities for training, and offered the
best cars and car tuners. I always wished I could be like
Hikaru and others like him.

It was a few days later when I finally decided to make a

move. My father told me he always wanted to be a street
racer and encouraged me to become one. Every day, he
would remind me that if I couldn’t find a job, I should find
a mentor and start racing. But instead of finding a job, I
just immediately pursued racing. Before I left, my father
told me that some mentors would teach for a cheap price
and maybe even free, but they were very hard to find.
But I still went on my journey around Tokyo. The first
mentor I found who was willing to teach me named a

40 The World of Woven Words

 Dhruv Bajaj

hefty price, so I declined. This was the trend for the next
few mentors. I asked many people if they knew anybody
who would teach for free, and all said the same thing:
‘There are no longer any free mentors.’
I eventually gave up searching for mentors and started
asking actual racers. All of them said they didn’t have the
time or they didn’t care. I started to think that I should
teach myself. But one day I got a call from Haruto. He
said, ‘Hey, I heard you are looking for a mentor.’
‘Yes,’ I replied.
‘I know a guy who might do it for free. He is an American
racing veteran who was one of the first Americans to
come to Tokyo and learn drift racing. He is retired now
and might give you free lessons.’
‘Haruto, you are a lifesaver.’
‘It’s okay. Oh, and he lives in Ginza. I don’t know his
exact address.’
‘It doesn’t matter, I will find him. Thank you. Bye.’
So then I set off to Ginza, hoping to find this American
and convince him to be my mentor.

I reached Ginza and began my search. It took me a

couple of days to find him so in the night I stayed with
my uncle who lived in a small house on the outskirts of
Ginza. When I asked the American if he could teach me,

The World of Woven Words 41

 The Drift King’s Journey

he said no. I tried multiple times, but nothing worked.

Finally, I managed to convince him to teach me. His name
was Zachary Dallas and he was around sixty. He told me
to meet him at a warehouse just outside Ginza. When I
got there I saw him standing next to a Nissan Fairlady
Z. He said, ‘I got this from a friend in Tokyo who owed
me a drift car. This was the only car he could get but it is
good enough.’
‘Is it specifically modded for drifting?’ I asked.
‘Yes. So we will be practicing on the course outside
the warehouse.’
‘But there’s nothing there except for piles of junk.’
‘Exactly. You will be practicing drifting around them.
We will be practicing for many months. Only after that
will you start racing.’
I didn’t care about that. As long as I could race, I’m
okay with anything. I trained for many months. Once I
got the hang of drifting I would slowly start practicing on
my own, too. When I told Zachary this he said that I can
practice on my own on one condition. I should not race
until he says I’m ready.
At first, I listened to this but as time passed, I grew
impatient. I would start asking him if I could race. He
would say no and I should practice some more. I finally
snapped and went to a race behind his back. This one
was on the Shuto Expressway, too. The only reason my

42 The World of Woven Words

 Dhruv Bajaj

challenge was accepted was that nobody else wanted to

take part in the race. That’s because I was racing the Drift
Kings. I heard them saying to each other that it was going
to be an easy win. I was racing against Aoi, the guy who
lost to Hikaru.
The race was about to start when I looked at the crowd
and saw Haruto. He was shaking his head. I knew he
didn’t think I had a chance. I chose to ignore him. The
countdown started, we were revving our engines and were
off. Aoi took the lead but I wasn’t far behind. I stayed near
his bumper and when we got to the turn, I managed to get
the inside and overtake him. And I won. The first time I
raced, I won!
Haruto came to congratulate me. To my surprise,
Zachary was there and he said to me, ‘The only reason I
am not angry is because you won. I have brought someone
you should meet.’
Behind him was the leader of the Drift Kings, Kenji.
He said, ‘I saw how you raced and am impressed. I want
you to race me. Your friend here promised me fifty
million yen.’
‘We don’t have that much money,’ I exclaimed
to Zachary.
‘Don’t worry you’ll win.’
Before I could say anything, Kenji said, ‘All right, let’s
start this race, shall we.’

The World of Woven Words 43

 The Drift King’s Journey

We got into our cars and then we were off. It was all a
blur. We were at the turn and I got the inside and overtook
him. I beat the Drift King and became the Drift King.

44 The World of Woven Words

From Dreams to Reality:
Milly’s Journey of
Self-Discovery

Harika S.

The World of Woven Words 45

 Harika S.

My friends call me Monkey! I am a complete extrovert who enjoys

being around a lot of people. My favourite foods are chocolate and
ice cream. I wish I could have multiple superpowers. My current
favourite film is Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. I enjoy solving
puzzles, playing the guitar, badminton, skating, chess, swimming,
reading books and hanging out with my friends. I like Harry Potter,
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Geronimo Stilton, Thea Stilton and other books.
My favourite authors are Sudha Murty and J.K. Rowling. My friends
describe me as an energetic person who can spend hours talking
or playing.

..................................................................................................................................................
Harika S.

Silver Oaks International School, Hyderabad

46 The World of Woven Words

O
ne bright, sunny afternoon, Milly was lying on her
bed, devouring her favourite book series, Harry
Potter. Just as she was getting to the middle of the
fifth book, her mother called her, ‘Milly, come down and
help me prepare lunch!’ A frustrated Milly slammed her
book shut, got up with a sigh and moved downstairs as
slowly as a snail to help her mother.
The next morning, Milly came home tired after playing
badminton for three straight hours. She asked her mom
what’s for dinner. Her mom said it would take more time
so she sat down to watch TV. Just as her favourite and
most-awaited India vs Pakistan cricket match started, her
mom asked her to switch off the TV and take a shower
since she was sweating a lot.
The next day, while playing with her friends at home,
her mom reprimanded her because her holidays were
almost over and she hadn’t done her homework. Agitated
by her mom’s words, she stomped up the stairs.
That night, while sleeping, Milly had a dream. In it,
there were many toys that did all her work – from her
homework to attending school to helping her mom with
household activities. She could sit back, watch TV, read

The World of Woven Words 47

 From Dreams to Reality: Milly’s Journey of Self-Discovery

a book, play, and enjoy her life. Then she heard a sound:
‘Buzz, Buzz, Buzz, Buzz ...’
When she woke up, she realized it was her alarm. Her
fun life was cut short, so she snoozed the alarm and
tried to sleep again. After rolling in her bed, twisting and
turning, checking her phone and doing lots of other stuff,
she couldn’t fall back to sleep. She kept thinking about
what she had dreamed of, the magical stuff that could
happen to her life if she had toys to do her work for her.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized she
wanted something like those toys in her life.
After spending countless hours researching, reading
newspapers, magazines, books and so on, she came across
an article on robots. Digging deeper into this robotic idea
and understanding the process, she made up her mind. She
sprinted downstairs, dragged her parents into the living
room, and started persuading them to let her buy robots.
Her parents tried to explain the problems that could occur
and that she was not going on the right path but she was
too stubborn to accept that. She went upstairs, shut the
door, took out her piggy bank in which she had been
saving money since she was five and smashed it open.
After counting, she realized she had approximately 50,000
dollars in savings. She searched the price on Google,
and it was approximately the right amount required for
two robots.

48 The World of Woven Words

 Harika S.

The next week, she went to the mall, placed the order
and had them home-delivered within a week. Once they
arrived, she named them Sunny and Bunny. She instructed
them on what each of them had to do. Sunny had to go
to school and finish her homework, and Bunny had to
clean her room, help her mom and cook delicious food
for her while she read books and played all day and had
fun without having to worry about anything.

Milly enjoyed the first few days doing all her favourite
stuff, getting up whenever she wanted. Then one day,
she didn’t want to watch TV or read so she went to the
park where she usually played with her friends in the
evenings. Upon reaching it, she saw that it was empty,
all her friends had gone to school. She wandered around
and eventually went back home. Bunny had prepared
lunch but she was in no mood to eat, even if it was a hot
steaming pizza that she usually relished, she didn’t want
to eat it.
She missed going to school, sitting with her friends,
sharing lunch with them, chit-chatting, and performing.
Milly couldn’t sleep that whole night. She felt her inner
voice trying to tell her to change her life back to how
it used to be. As if it couldn’t get worse, the next day
Sunny failed three important tests. That meant if she

The World of Woven Words 49

 From Dreams to Reality: Milly’s Journey of Self-Discovery

didn’t score well in the next three tests, she would fail the
entire year and wouldn’t advance to the next grade.
At dinner, Bunny added sugar instead of salt to the
food and a devastated Milly went upstairs with an empty
stomach. While climbing the stairs, she fainted. Pluto, her
dog, came running and started barking loudly. Both her
mom and dad rushed upstairs to find Milly on the stairs.
They helped her up and asked her to lie on her bed. Her
mom brought water and after drinking it, her parents
asked her to rest while Bunny made dinner.
Suddenly, Milly got up and screamed, ‘No, please let’s
just return them, I don’t want anything to help me. I want
to be a normal person again and I will do all my stuff. I
will help everyone.’
Her mom and dad were taken aback and surprised. Then
her dad asked why and Milly fell on her knees. She started
sobbing and patted Pluto on the back. Her parents, confused,
also sat down on the floor beside her, trying to console her.
Eventually, Milly started explaining what had happened with
both Sunny and Bunny and that she was confused and didn’t
know how to get back on her own two feet.
After hearing all this her mom said, ‘Let’s keep one of
them so that you don’t need to do household chores and
can help you until you are set and ready to go back.’ They
returned Sunny and kept Bunny.

50 The World of Woven Words

 Harika S.

During the next week, Milly tried hard but still couldn’t
see results. Her parents motivated and supported her
and never let her give up. Now she was ready to give her
final exams. When they finished, she felt good and happy
with herself. The next day, when they got the results, she
had passed with flying colours. Milly was overjoyed. In
the following years, she made the best use of her life and
is now a successful, safe and happy person, living life to
the fullest.

The World of Woven Words 51

52 The World of Woven Words
The Mysterious Forest

Kaina Aggarwal

The World of Woven Words 53

97
 Kaina Aggarwal

According to my friends and relatives, I am a fun, amiable and

kindhearted girl. I love to travel the world and make new friends. In
my free time I either make bracelets or play with my colony friends.
I love watching K-dramas. I have a dainty puppy, his name is Rusty
and I love him as much as I love my family. Some of the lip-smacking
food I am always ready to eat are sushi and boba tea. My favourite
book is Diary of a Wimpy Kid. My worst fear that I can never face is
the ocean. I love doing yoga and meditation, which keeps my mind
and body fit and spiritually aligned.

..................................................................................................................................................
Kaina Aggarwal

Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi

54 The World of Woven Words

T
he city of Alson, Georgia, had always been a calm,
peaceful and friendly neighbourhood for people
living there. But the mysterious disappearance of
nine teenagers during the last few years had put in question
the safety of its people.
It was the first day of the new semester at Alson Valley
High School. Lily Hatcher was getting ready for her first
day at senior high.
Lily: ‘Mom, I will go with Nancy, she is coming to pick
me up.’
Lily’s mom: ‘Darling, please don’t be late from school
and try to come back before dusk as things are not safe in
Alson anymore.’
Nancy was smart, an A grader in school and Lily’s
best friend since kindergarten. They both reached Alson
High and soon got busy with their classes. Nancy had
to stay back as she was the part of the ongoing debate
competition. Lily decided to go back home on her own.
As she was leaving, she bumped into Roxy, the school
editor, The Nerd as others would call him, always racking
his brains in books. Some even say that he was curiously
doing a private investigation on the missing children.

The World of Woven Words 55

 The Mysterious Forest

Roxy: ‘Lily, are you going back alone? Why don’t you
ask Max to drop you as he lives next to your house?’
Lily: ‘No, it’s perfectly fine, Max is so popular, he must
be really busy.’
Lily decided to go through the nearby forest that led
straight to her neighbourhood. As she was walking past
the long trees, she heard some weird sounds coming from
behind. She got worried and tried to move as quickly as
possible. Just as she was about to cross this extraordinary
bright tree, she was suddenly caught by its magnetic force
which engulfed her.
Soon the news spread in Alson Valley that Lily Hatcher
was missing. The police started the search mission but just
like the previous nine cases, nothing could be found.
Nancy blamed herself for allowing Lily to go alone.
She decided to find her.
Nancy: ‘Roxy, I need your help, I heard that you have
been investigating on the missing kids.’
Roxy: ‘Sure! Max and I have interviewed the missing
kids’ parents and friends and all of them had mentioned a
common link, the forest.’

The next day, the three of them went to the forest to see
if they could get some clues. In the evening, as they were
about to leave after their futile effort, they started hearing

56 The World of Woven Words

 Kaina Aggarwal

some strange voices. They followed the voices and came

to a tree which was shining brightly.
Roxy: ‘This tree is ominous! I think we should
go back.’
Max: ‘True that! Let’s leave quickly.’
Nancy: ‘No, wait, we should go closer and see what it is.’
As they moved a little closer to the tree, they were pulled
by its magnetic force and in a blink of an eye landed in
another world. The world was bizarre, the sky was red,
a mysterious place where people looked as if they were
from another planet with alien-like faces. They moved in
a crisp line, just like an army.
Nancy tried to understand their language but failed.
They were handcuffed by those aliens and brought in
front of their master.
The master was a timid creature who looked like Groot.
Fortunately, he had someone to translate their language
to them.
Translator (converting the words of the master): ‘Who
are you? Why have you come to our world?’
Nancy: ‘We accidentally came here through this tree in
the jungle. We were looking for our missing friend Lily.’
Master: ‘You are not allowed to go back. You will be
my slaves forever.’
Roxy and Max (tense): ‘Sir please let us go, it was
a mistake.’

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 The Mysterious Forest

Nancy had a strange feeling that the people in the army

belonged to Alson but were unable to recognize them.
Nancy: ‘I know my friend is in your army, give her back
to us.’
Master (in anger): ‘How can you command me? Guards,
put them in the bubble gum jar, let them rot in pink.’
Nancy, Roxy and Max apologized to the Master.
The Master: Very well, if you are able to
recognize your friend from the army by midnight,
I will let you take her back but if you fail, then
‘WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF VURRUTA’.
Roxy and Max were extremely scared as they had no
idea what to do but Nancy was confident as she believed
in the power of friendship.
They began their search and stumbled upon this big
rickety old cabin which was kind of out of place in a world
like this. It was locked with some kind of access card.
Nancy remembered that she had seen an access card
around the neck of the translator, who was a grumpy,
bald, middle-aged man who loved playing video games.
Max had an idea; he had his latest PS5 and knew how to
keep the translator busy.
Max (to the translator): ‘Hey, have you ever played
ROBLOX? It is super fun and exciting.’
Translator: ‘I can give it a try.’

58 The World of Woven Words

 Kaina Aggarwal

Soon the translator was engrossed in the game. Roxy

quickly and quietly took the access card and he and Nancy
went into the cabin while Max kept the translator busy.
The cabin had the stuff of all the missing people from
Alson. Nancy saw Lily’s bag and was happy and relieved
that she had finally got a clue that she is somewhere
around in Vurruta.
Roxy: ‘How will we recognize Lily?’
Nancy: ‘I gave Lily a buddy bracelet of “Friends
forever” a day before she went missing. If she is still
wearing it then we will be able to find her.’
Roxy: ‘Great! But the master has done something
to their brains, they do not recognize us or talk in our
language. How can we fix that?’
They both went back to Max and told him about
the cabin.
Max: ‘The translator unintentionally told me that they
control the army by the master’s supercomputer, which he
uses to give them orders and control them. If we corrupt
the computer, the master would lose and everyone would
be free.’
Roxy: ‘Brilliant! Max, I know you are good with
computers, can you plant a virus in the supercomputer?’
Max: ‘That is easy but we need to distract the master.’
They were running out of time. Nancy decided to
confront the master to keep him busy.

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 The Mysterious Forest

Max got hold of the supercomputer and tried to upload

the virus but failed. Soon it was going to be midnight. In
frustration, he smashed the computer and it broke into
pieces. A blue light came from it and the sky’s colour
changed from red to blue.
Roxy and Nancy could see that the light made the
master’s army weak and they started collapsing. The
master started melting as if he was made of wax.
Nancy quickly went towards the army in order to
identify Lily. She saw someone wearing the same bracelet
she had given her; she instantly knew it was Lily.
‘The World of Vurruta’ started crumbling. Everyone
was suddenly back into to the forest.
Nancy and Lily hugged each other and proved that
‘friendship can conquer all evils’.
All the missing teenagers of Alson were finally
found and it regained its status of a calm, friendly and
peaceful neighbourhood.

60 The World of Woven Words

The Trillion-Dollar Phantom

Karan Zorawar Singh

The World of Woven Words 61

 Karan Zorawar Singh

I’m an eighth grade student who has a strong passion for coding,
geopolitics and upholding the values of the Indian Constitution.
My eagerness to absorb knowledge earned me a spot at the Round
Square Conference. I have a keen interest in AI, recognizing it as
the future, as well as a love for debating. A significant influence
in my academic life has been my parents, both esteemed dispute
lawyers, who surrounded me with books from the day I learned
to read. This early exposure ignited my lifelong love for learning.
Beyond academics, I am an avid swimmer and tennis player, and
I occasionally enjoy playing cricket. I draw inspiration from sports
icons such as Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Kohli. I aspire to be
a software developer. My curiosity, combined with a disciplined
approach to learning, drives me to excel in all my endeavours. I
believe in continuous self-improvement and strive to be a role model
for my peers.

..................................................................................................................................................
Karan Zorawar Singh

Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi

62 The World of Woven Words

 Aurelia, 5 March 2024

N
arrator: On 5 March 2024, the director of the
Central Bank of Aurelia arrived on the ninth
floor, the most restricted area of the building,
to fix a broken printer. This printer was crucial as it
continuously printed high-value transaction receipts
and payment orders. After considerable effort, the
backlog of documents began to print, revealing unusual
payment orders from the bank’s account at the Valoria
Central Bank.
Employee No. 1: ‘Hey, do you notice these unusually
large sums of money sent from our main account
in Valoria?’
Employee No. 2: ‘Yes, there are almost
fifty transactions.’
Employee No. 3: ‘They total nearly a trillion US dollars.
We need to inform Khalil immediately.’
Narrator: As Khalil Amin, the bank’s director, grasped
the situation, panic set in.
Khalil Amin: ‘Oh no! $950 billion – it’s a significant
portion of our national reserves!’

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 The Trillion-Dollar Phantom

Narrator: Chaos ensued as they tried to stop the

payments. The discovery was alarming – Aurelia had
potentially lost a trillion dollars due to a printer malfunction.
To understand how this happened, we must rewind
nine months.

Caspira, June 2023

Narrator: Over 4,000 kilometres away, four men entered
the Zenith Street Branch of the Omega Bank near Nova
Vega, opening four bank accounts with just $1,000 each.
The men then left, seemingly never to return.
Back in Aurelia, the country was on a promising path,
rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing economies.
Despite this progress, losing a trillion US dollars of
taxpayers’ money was a blow it could not afford.
Fast forward to January 2024, just a month before the
incident. An unsuspecting employee checked his email,
finding nothing out of the ordinary. Unbeknown to
him, he had just completed the puzzle for the hackers.
By clicking on an infected email, he set in motion events
that would soon shock the nation’s banking system. The
email installed malware on the bank’s servers, allowing
intruders to infiltrate the network and access the inner
workings of the Central Bank of Aurelia. Hiding in plain
sight, the intruders could spy on employees and study the
bank’s operational procedures. They patiently gathered
information, preparing for their final move.

64 The World of Woven Words

 Karan Zorawar Singh

As the bank prepared to shut down for the weekend on

Thursday (Aurelia’s weekend falls on Friday and Saturday),
the intruders made their final entry into the system. Using
the compromised system, they manipulated the bank’s
payment orders on the ARES network – a secure system
for international transactions. ARES does not transfer
actual funds but sends trusted payment instructions.
Usually, hackers target individuals, but this time they had
aimed for the largest financial institution in Aurelia.
With the bank’s official ARES credentials obtained
via the malware, the hackers approved all fifty fraudulent
payment orders. In just a few hours, they were in and out,
exploiting the system. Despite the Valoria Central Bank’s
tight security, the ARES system’s trusted nature allowed
the transactions to proceed unquestioned.

Come Sunday Morning

Employee No. 1: ‘The printer’s still not working. We need
these transaction logs!’
Employee No. 2: ‘I’m trying! Wait, it’s printing … Oh
no, look at these amounts.’
Employee No. 1: ‘We need Khalil, now!’
Narrator: As the employees at the Central Bank of
Aurelia struggled with the printer problem, the printout
revealed the massive loss. Meanwhile, in Serenia, $50
billion was transferred to ‘The Cancer Fandation’, one of
the fifty transactions making their way across Asia.

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 The Trillion-Dollar Phantom

Khalil Amin: ‘Contact the Valoria Central Bank; we

can’t let this happen.’
Employee No. 1: ‘Sir, we can’t. It is a Sunday today; we
can’t contact them.’
(Since Aurelia is a Muslim country, its weekends are
from Thursday to Saturday.)

Next Morning
Khalil Amin: ‘I have some good news. The automated
system in Valoria flagged forty-five of the fifty payment
orders, but still, five payment orders remain worth $150
billion – I just got an email this morning.’
Narrator: By sheer luck, one of the words on the ARES
order happened to match the name of a shipping company
called Solara that had been blacklisted for evading the US
Sanction list against Anoria. This would prove devastating
for the hacker since $900 billion had been cancelled. It
was over – the gig was up. They thought US intelligence
would not catch up to transferring such a large amount of
money to a private entity rather than an institution.
But that still left a big problem for the Central Bank of
Aurelia – where did the remaining money go?
Employee No. 1: ‘Someone at the Pan-Asian Bank
noticed the unusually large amount of money being
transferred to an NGO. Thinking there must have been
a mistake, an employee sent it back to Valoria and the

66 The World of Woven Words

 Karan Zorawar Singh

Frankfurt Bank via ARES, which came back to us to

re-confirm.’
Narrator: Now, in Frankfurt, Germany, the payment
orders were being revised just like in Valoria, and just
like in Valoria, red flags popped up – an example being
that the spelling of ‘foundation’ was not correct and the
foundation ended up being fake. Now, $81 billion were
left – they went to the Omega Bank in the four accounts
previously mentioned in the story. Most of this money
was gambled away in casinos and transferred into hard
cash, which was hard to track.
Khalil Amin: ‘This is a disaster. How did we miss this?’
Elena Harris: ‘We need to find out who’s behind this.
Let’s start with the accounts in Nova Vega.’
Narrator: The story doesn’t conclude here. You can’t
recklessly attempt to interfere with the most formidable
power and expect to emerge unscathed. I refuse to
entertain any conjectures regarding the identity or nation
involved, for the evidence is not irrefutable enough to
single someone out.

Back in Serenia
Employee No. 1: ‘Four accounts had been lying dormant
for nine months. These accounts suddenly received a cash
infusion of $81 billion. This abrupt activity should have
triggered an alert at the Omega Bank, but it inexplicably

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 The Trillion-Dollar Phantom

slipped under the radar. The accounts were later discovered

to be registered under fictitious identities. From there,
the money was swiftly withdrawn and laundered through
casinos, converting it into hard, untraceable cash.’
Narrator: The Central Bank of Aurelia had tried to
halt the transfers, but timing was not on its side. The
stop order was not received by the Omega Bank because
Monday was the Lunar New Year, a non-working holiday
in Serenia.
By now, a pattern had emerged: delays always
benefitted the hackers. This was by design – a remarkably
well-timed attack.
Here is a timeline:
l Thursday evening: At the start of the Aurelia weekend,

the hackers infiltrated the system.

l Friday: The Valoria Central Bank attempted to clarify

the transfer requests, but no one was available.

l Sunday: The Central Bank of Aurelia tried to intervene

but couldn’t because it was the weekend in the US.

l Monday: The Valoria Bank finally stopped the transfer

orders, but not in Serenia due to the Lunar New Year.

l Tuesday: The Omega Bank discovered the fraudulent

activity, but by then it was too late.

Narrator: Two men, Lee and Hao, were found to
be responsible for setting up the accounts in Serenia.
They were middlemen crucial to the operation, and

68 The World of Woven Words

 Karan Zorawar Singh

the authorities hoped to trace the main culprit through

them. Unfortunately, before the Aurelia authorities could
apprehend them, it was too late – they had left the country
and were en route to Xanadu, a special administrative
region of Zandora. They absconded with $81 billion,
not quite the original sum but still significant enough to
be considered one of the most audacious bank heists
in history.
Khalil Amin: ‘Elena, we can’t let them get away with
this. We need to track them down.’
Elena Harris: ‘We will, Khalil. But we need more
information. Let’s start with the surveillance footage and
transaction logs.’
Narrator: In Aurelia, the heist left a lasting scar,
prompting major overhauls in cybersecurity protocols
and international cooperation among banks. Despite
the swift measures, the masterminds behind the heist
remained elusive, vanishing with millions. However,
the incident served as a wake-up call, highlighting the
vulnerabilities in the global banking system and the need for
heightened security.

The World of Woven Words 69

70 The World of Woven Words
Secrets of Gurgaontton:
A Vampire Mystery

Kavya Garg

The World of Woven Words 71

 Kavya Garg

My name is Kavya but my friends call me Kvya. I am a pianist and

ballerina and have just completed eight years of doing ballet. I love
playing with Legos and want to be a Lego architect when I grow up.
My favourite food would probably be Maggie (I can have it all day!).
If the world was in danger and I were to have a superpower, I would
choose to have the power to move objects with my mind. If it was
raining spaghetti, I would be terrified and run into the house as I
wouldn’t want my hair to get dirty! If I had an emoji as my name, my
friends would give me the title of the crazy or poop emoji.

..................................................................................................................................................
Kavya Garg

Delhi Public School, Sector 45, Gurgaon

72 The World of Woven Words

I
n the heart of Gurgaontton, where the vibrant culture
of India and the tall skyscrapers of New York City
meet, thirteen-year-old Layla’s life took a dramatic turn.
It began one disturbing night when she encountered
a vampire lurking in the shadows of an alley when she
was coming back home from her gymnastics class. The
creature’s cold grip and piercing gaze left her paralyzed
with fear. She barely escaped with her life, but not
without consequences.
Layla woke up the next morning feeling different, as if
something had changed. She was floating in mid-air. And
before she knew it, she was flying all around the room.
Also, her senses were sharper, her vision was clearer. Little
did she know, her encounter with the vampire had made
her one of them. When she found she had grown a pair
of long, sharp canines, she realized she had become a
vampire! She quickly put down the blinds of her window
as vampires cannot tolerate sunlight.
She was floating downstairs for breakfast, holding onto
the railing and quickly fell on the ground near the table.
Luckily, neither her mother nor her brother had seen her.
Busy in trying to keep her new abilities hidden, Layla

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 Secrets of Gurgaontton: A Vampire Mystery

threw herself into her passion for drawing comics to keep

herself busy and distracted. Her older brother Atlas, her
biggest supporter and cheerleader, was battling cancer.

At school, Layla juggled her new responsibilities as a

secret vampire and detective in training with the typical
challenges of middle school life. She moved on with the
support of her family and friends and her best friend,
Alex, who shared her love for adventures and art.
One afternoon, after her training, she received an email
from her school for a Lego competition in Lumbai, the
place where her next mission was to be held. She convinced
her mother to let her go as the prize money could take
care of her brother’s hospital bills. This would also give
her a chance to find the secret leader of the vampires.
Lumbai greeted Layla with its ancient streets and tasty
street food, but hidden in the beauty was danger. Clues
began to surface about a shadowy figure known as Mr. X.
She chased him all around the city but somehow he always
disappeared when she got too close. As Layla investigated
further into the mystery, her instincts told her that
Mr. X was not working alone. Soon, it was time for her
Lego competition in which she came second, receiving a
prize money of 500 rollees.

74 The World of Woven Words

 Kavya Garg

One Wednesday night, Paula, Layla’s mother, returned late

from work. She had a file in her hands that had ‘Vampire
Council’ written in a purple, suspicious font. Paula placed
the file on the dining table and then went off to sleep. She
looked exhausted and sweaty. Layla, who had seen all this,
went downstairs and started to read the file.
After reading it, she turned off her invisibility power
and looked scared. Someone was watching her; it was her
mother at the staircase, looking worried. It was only then
that her mother revealed her identity; she was a secret
detective, specializing in unusual cases. This information
left Layla shocked. Her mother had been tracking Mr. X
for months, gathering information on his movements and
unravelling his network of allies. The danger they faced
was more real than Layla could imagine.
Her mother and she were finally able to track Mr. X. He
was standing in an alley on the outskirts of Gurgaontton.
When he saw them approaching, he did not turn around
fully. He was just standing there. When Layla turned on
her invisibility shield to turn the AI robot off, he had
seemed to understand her exact location. He gave her a
fierce look and then the duel began. He starting running
in the opposite direction, throwing the bins in the corner
on Paula and Layla. Layla shot up to the sky and began
flying above Mr. X like a drone. She landed in front of
him and Paula brought a net and put it over him. She then
turned off the ‘off ’ button.

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 Secrets of Gurgaontton: A Vampire Mystery

Mr. X. was officially turned off! They had won. Then

Paula called the Council and cops and they eventually
found the rest of Mr. X’s colleagues.

In the aftermath of their victory, Gurgaontton erupted in

celebration. Streets once filled with fear and uncertainty
now echoed with laughter and music. Layla, alongside her
supportive friends and neighbours, was hailed as a hero.
But among the praises and festivities, Layla’s thoughts
were with her brother, whose health had been a constant
concern throughout their ordeal. Atlas had found solace
and strength in her presence. Her vampire instincts had
heightened her empathy, allowing her to sense his needs
and provide him with the care and love that accelerated his
recovery. She eventually decided to give away her powers
to a Vampire Council member as he would pay her a lot of
money, which she could use for her brother’s hospital bills.
But just because she didn’t have her powers, it did not
mean that all the magic was gone. She had her brother safe
and sound by her side and before they knew it, everything
was back to normal.
As Layla gazed at the city below in the warm glow
of streetlights and the jubilant spirit of its people, she
felt a sense of fulfilment. The journey from an ordinary
teenager to a vampire detective had been unexpected and

76 The World of Woven Words

 Kavya Garg

exciting yet it had taught her invaluable lessons about

courage, resilience and the enduring power of family
and friendship.

‘So, did you like my short story?’ Layla asked Atlas.

‘Yeah, I liked it. Especially the bit where you mentioned
me being a brave hero.’
‘We all know the real hero of the story,’ Layla exclaimed.
‘I was thinking I could add a few of my drawings to my
story and then it will be ready for publishing.’
‘Sounds like a plan.’
Paula then called them both for dinner.
‘Maybe in the next chapter of my story I should
mention about eating burritos every day for dinner,’
Layla joked.

The World of Woven Words 77

78 The World of Woven Words
The Magic of Friendship

Meera Chadha

The World of Woven Words 79

 Meera Chadha

My friends and family call me Meeru. If it was raining burgers, I

would probably be the first one standing outside with my buckets
ready! In my free time I really like to read a book, watch television,
sleep and sometimes bake! If I were an emoji, I would be the yawning
emoji because my friends say that I’m always sleepy. My favourite
books are The Girl Who Stole an Elephant and The Magic of the Lost
Temple. I love Harry Potter and if you come to my room, you will
be bombarded by all the Harry Potter merchandise I own. If I see
a cockroach I will instantly start screaming, I am terrified of them
and insects overall. I have a passion for story writing and in my head
I am always coming up with new ideas for new stories. I am not
the funniest person but I get amused very easily. When I grow up, I
aspire to be an entrepreneur and start my own business.

..................................................................................................................................................
Meera Chadha

The Heritage School, Noida

80 The World of Woven Words

I
t was a warm, sunny afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee.
Hope decided to visit her best friend, Olivia, as a surprise!
When Olivia opened the door, she was ecstatic to see
Hope and threw her arms around her, saying, ‘Hope! I
thought you said you were busy today.’
‘Of course not,’ said Hope.
After playing for a while, when they were relaxing, Hope
asked, ‘Did you hear that there are two ancient artefacts
that were discovered at a construction site?’
‘Oh yeah, I heard about it, my mom is doing a research
study on them. She’s an archaeologist,’ Olivia replied.
After that they started watching a sci-fi movie, which
kept them engaged till dusk. Hope remembered that they
had a history project to work on so they went to Olivia’s
mom’s office, where they could get more information
about their work. At last, they agreed to do the project on
the newly-discovered rings. As quick as a flash, they went
to find more files and information about the rings.
The very next day, as they presented their work at
school, their teacher, who was highly impressed, asked,
‘How did you both get all this information?’

The World of Woven Words 81

 The Magic of Friendship

They explained how Olivia’s mom was an archaeologist

and they took the files and information from her office.

On Friday, which was the last day of school, they went

to the history museum right after school because they
wanted to look at the rings in all their glory. They rode
their bikes there and got tickets. First, they went to watch
a short film, which was interesting and they did an array
of other things. Then, they finally reached the artefacts’
exhibition where they saw many different artefacts and, at
last, they found the rings!
Olivia and Hope were so excited and eager to touch
them and look at the engravings but as soon as Hope
touched one of the rings, she vanished into thin air! At that
time, Olivia wasn’t looking and when she turned around,
she realized Hope was gone! She was very worried and
went searching. She walked the entire museum but still
had no luck finding her, so she decided to rush back home
and tell everyone what had happened. Everybody was
shocked and searched everywhere and called the police.
Olivia was in such a hurry she didn’t notice that one
of the rings was missing. Everyone decided to address the
issue in the morning but Olivia couldn’t sleep that night,
every second all she could hear was Hope’s voice echoing
in her mind. She was crestfallen.

82 The World of Woven Words

 Meera Chadha

Finally, it was morning, she hoped it would be a

better day and they could have some luck in figuring out
where Hope was. Olivia suggested that they all head to
the history museum where Hope was last seen; everyone
agreed. Surprisingly, they were the first ones to arrive at
the museum. After an hour of searching, they had no
luck. Olivia asked her mom if she knew anything about
the rings.
Her mom sighed and said, ‘Well, there is one thing.’
Olivia begged her mom to tell her.
‘The thing is, these artefacts are known to have some
kind of powers,’ said Olivia’s mom.
Olivia’s jaw dropped. ‘How could you not tell me this
earlier!!’ she exclaimed.
Olivia’s mom suggested that they go check out the rings
to search for clues when they both noticed something
shocking, one of the rings was missing!! That’s when
Olivia realized how Hope had vanished and without any
hesitation, she touched the ring and disappeared.

Olivia had now entered a strange land. It was a dark night;

the trees were dead and it looked like she was in another
world. ‘Hope, HOPE!’ she screamed at the top of her
lungs. She started running and the first thing she saw was
a tall building shaped like a beaker with a bold orange

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 The Magic of Friendship

colour. She decided to go in and saw an odd-looking

man who had purple hair, a red lab coat and green shoes!
She was hesitant to talk to him but finally plucked up the
courage to do so.
‘Excuse me, Sir. I just wanted to ask if you have seen
a girl down here? She has black hair, hazel eyes and wears
glasses,’ said Olivia.
‘Hmm let me think … Aha! Yes, there was a girl here
yesterday. She was lurking around in my lab but I didn’t see
her go, she must be in here somewhere,’ said the man.
Olivia thanked him and set off to find Hope, she
explored the lab and looked at it in admiration. Finally, she
saw something … it looked like a very long hallway filled
with hundreds of colourful doors! It would take forever
to get to the end. On the very end there was a sign that
said, ‘Worlds of Wonder’.
Olivia wondered what it meant when the odd man
came up to her. She asked him, ‘What do you mean when
you wrote, “Worlds of Wonder”?’
‘Let me explain. So, you see, all these doors contain
an artificial world I have created. I call it “Worlds of
Wonder” because each world you enter you will feel a
sense of wonder and amazement,’ he said. The man told
her she would have to open every door but to stay out of
the golden one because it could lead to death.

84 The World of Woven Words

 Meera Chadha

She obeyed the man and was about to open the first
door when the man said, ‘I forgot to tell you, if the
friendship between you two is powerful, you will find a
little light that will lead you.’
Olivia thanked him and stepped into a colourful world
with rainbows and unicorns but no little light. She went on
to the next door where she saw a million clones of herself,
she freaked out and hurriedly shut the door. World after
world, an hour had passed and she was exhausted. ‘I still
have more than a hundred worlds to go! I am so tired.’
She suddenly realized something; she hadn’t checked
the golden door! The one the man had told her to stay out
of but, knowing Hope’s urge to explore new things, Olivia
was sure she was in there.
When she walked in, she saw the light! The little
golden light. Olivia was over the moon and followed it to
a humongous castle where there was a big dragon which
would make anyone feel terrified. It had bright yellow eyes
and green skin with golden tentacles. It grabbed Olivia
with its hands and threw her in the dungeon; the dragon
had put her into the same dungeon as Hope!
‘Hope!’ Olivia screamed.
‘Oh my God! How did you find me?’ asked Hope.
Olivia explained the whole story and finally said, ‘How
do we get out of here?’
‘Well, I was thinking that since the rings got us here,
could they also get us out of here?’

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 The Magic of Friendship

‘There’s no harm in trying,’ said Olivia.

They both held their rings next to each other and
BABOOM! They were back in the science museum.
Overwhelmed with joy, they hugged each other and set
out for their homes, waiting to tell their families the
whole story.

86 The World of Woven Words

Betrayed by Blood

Naisha Garg

The World of Woven Words 87

 Naisha Garg

I am from Ahmedabad, India. One of my biggest goals is to publish

my short stories. I create stories that are realistic but not true. Every
new place I go to awaits me with different ideas! Even on a flight
to somewhere around the world, my brain is always spinning with
new plots. Besides writing, I live for reading and listening to music.
Whenever I’m having a writer’s block or feel as if my work is turning
out to be quite similar to the other ones I’ve written, I either skim
through my favourite book, start a completely new novel or play one
of my favourite tunes. My favourite pastime activities are chess and
art. My dreams are big and they change every day but I doubt that
being an author will ever not be one of them. Well, this is goodbye!

..................................................................................................................................................
Naisha Garg

Adani International School, Ahmedabad

88 The World of Woven Words

E
xactly seven years ago, on my thirteenth birthday,
my family died. Just before they did, my sister had
walked up to me and said, ‘Hey! Never look back,
okay? Everything happens for a reason.’ After saying that
she had handed me a piece of paper, which read:
Chin up kiddo. Nobody smart plays fair, so you should not either.
Also, the saddest part about betrayal is that it never comes from the
enemy. You want answers? Find them!
I remember hunting through the entire house, breaking
things because of anger, being shipped off to another
state to live with my grandparents and then attending their
funerals. Only yesterday, I came back home and as soon as
I stepped inside my house, all the memories attacked me
at once. That is when the flashback of the note hit me.
Inspecting every speck of the house again, I found
something! An entry. I couldn’t help but feel an adrenaline
rush. The writing was behind a picture of my family and
my best friend. Just after I finished studying the note, the
frame fell from my hands and hit the ground, the glass
shattering on my thick floral carpet.
I had finally found out who had killed my family. But
why was it that I regretted it? The floor seemed to sway

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 Betrayed by Blood

under my feet. Soon the feeling of denial turned into

anger and frustration. When I went to sleep that night, the
words I had read were playing on a continuous loop inside
my brain: Resentment makes you do things you do not mean. Like
taking away someone’s life. I’m sorry Ishaan.
I tapped the black screen of my phone, 3:19. I sighed
and went downstairs to grab a glass of water. As I entered
the kitchen, I gasped. Standing in front of me was my
old neighbour and friend, his eyes were puffy and he
looked scared.
‘Ishaan! Long time, no see,’ he walked up to me with
open arms, his face showing a forced smile.
‘Why?’ I asked, my voice trembling. ‘W-what did I do
to deserve this? I thought we were friends.’
‘If you met my family, you would understand,’ he
replied sadly. ‘It’s so hard to live under someone’s shadow.
So much that you regret everything.’
‘SO YOU KILLED MY FAMILY?!’ I cried.
‘They weren’t supposed to die … you were,’ he looked
down, avoiding my angry glare.
‘We were best friends. Then you stabbed me in
the back.’
‘I-I didn’t mean to,’ his tone quivered. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘You didn’t mean to what? Huh?’ I shot back. ‘And, and
sorry? Isn’t it a little late! This was almost a decade ago.’

90 The World of Woven Words

 Naisha Garg

He just stood there, shaking. ‘I will do anything you want

me to, please,’ he promised, tears flowing from his eyes.
‘Remember what you said, Kiaan,’ my whole body was
shivering by this point, ‘you will live to regret it because
I’ll fight for my family, no matter how long it takes.’
I lay on my bed and wondered if he had meant anything
he said, when we were still kids. The ‘I’ll see you later!’,
‘It is us against the world’, ‘We have to stick together,
Bro’. It honestly broke me to think how close we were
back then.

A week had flown by and now it was the second of

November. My optimistic self, the one who found good
in everyone, was gone. Now I was someone who believed
in ‘tit for tat’.
Did I have to? No. Did I want to? I’m not sure. Despite how
much I wanted to get some sort of revenge, I couldn’t
get myself to believe that Kiaan was the one who actually
murdered my family.

Another week had passed by and I finally decided to

get out of bed and digest some real food. While I was
crossing the famous local street, which was filled with tons
of food trucks, I overheard two familiar voices. At first I

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 Betrayed by Blood

didn’t bother and was about to leave but then I heard my

name. What I witnessed next horrified me. I suddenly felt
lightheaded, like someone had dropped a bombshell on
me. The two ‘strangers’ were Kiaan and my … dad, who I
thought had died ages back.
‘I can’t lie to Ishaan, Sir.’
‘You have no option, Kiaan,’ my dad growled.
‘He is your son.’ I could now hear the clear hatred. ‘You
betrayed him not me. You should have seen his face when
I lied to him. He looked broken.’ His voice cracked.
My heart was beating fast and my head was spinning as
I shakily came out of hiding. ‘Dad?’
Both of their heads spun around, their eyes wide upon
seeing me. My dad walked towards me but I stepped back.
‘Don’t-’ I warned.
‘I am sorry.’
With just those two words, I snapped. ‘THAT IS ALL
I HAVE HEARD FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS!’
I took a deep breath and questioned, ‘You are sorry for
which part, Dad? The part where you failed Mom and
Maya? Or the one where you abandoned me for years and
never left a trace of your existence? Or when you sent
my best friend to pretend that he killed you guys? Heck! It
could also be because well, maybe, I don’t know, that you
aren’t sorry at all!’

92 The World of Woven Words

 Naisha Garg

I hadn’t realized that a lot of heads had turned to watch

the drama and how much I was shaking until Kiaan held
my shoulders and dragged me to a place to sit and eat.
I guess my dad knew better since he did not follow us.
Kiaan ordered gol gappas and I devoured at least twenty
of them before looking up and seeing him trying to
control his laughter.
I slumped in my chair and mumbled, ‘I haven’t eaten
properly since two weeks.’
He waved both his hands, as if he was saying, ‘No one
is judging here, buddy.’
‘Ishaan, your dad,’ he began after a moment of silence.
‘It’s fine, forget it. Order anything you want! It’s on me.’
Grabbing the menu, I decided on pav bhaji. My food
arrived ten minutes later. Before I took a bite, I asked
Kiaan, ‘Why did you lie?’
He shuffled around then answered, ‘I had no choice,
okay? Let’s leave this topic. It’s done. Finished.’
I narrowed my eyes, ‘Please. I deserve to know,
don’t I?’
‘He … blackmailed me,’ Kiaan admitted, rubbing the
back of his neck.
‘Report him to the police,’ I replied, sternly. ‘Have
him arrested.’
He gave me a confused look. ‘I get you are mad and all
but have him taken into custody?’

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 Betrayed by Blood

I opened my index finger and said, ‘He blackmailed

you. Which, under Indian laws, leads to imprisonment
for three years.’ I opened another finger. ‘He murdered
two people. Which, again, by law can span from lifelong
custody or a death sentence.’
He blew out a breath and then nodded.
Taking one last look at my dad, I whispered under my
breath, ‘I wish you had died instead of Mom.’
He smiled at me, probably thinking I was about to
come over and give him a big grizzly hug, but I ignored
it. However, I smiled at Kiaan and told him, ‘You know,
the saddest part about betrayal is that it never comes from
the enemy.’
I did not wait for a response as I got up and started
walking towards my house.

94 The World of Woven Words

 Tanisha Desai

Raya and the Defeat

of Darkness

Niharika Gopinath

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 Niharika Gopinath

I am ten years old and I love dogs, cake, green and pink. Especially
dogs. A miniature Goldendoodle to be exact. My favourite food is
Italian Chicken Alfredo Pasta. I live in Carmel, Indiana, USA. I love
writing, because I feel like I can get into a whole new world with
paper and pens! I’m very good at playing the piano and taekwondo,
which is a Korean form of martial arts. I’m only scared of one thing,
bugs. Throw the tiniest flea at me and I’ll run away. In my free time,
I love putting on shows, going to the park and hanging out with my
friends. I’m told by everyone that I’m friendly and funny. And, of
course, I love reading.

..................................................................................................................................................
Niharika Gopinath

College Wood Elementary, ???

96 The World of Woven Words

H
i, I’m Raya. I’m an orphan. I’ve never known my
parents. One day, they just dropped me off at a
new house. ‘Raya, this is your new home,’ they
said. ‘Goodbye.’
I never cried. I never asked for Mommy and Daddy. I
guess I had just gotten used to it. The ‘new’ family made me
live in the basement, where all I had was a small mattress,
a diary, toys to play with when I was younger, a bathroom,
a mirror, a small chair and a couple of other old things.
‘The Family,’ lived in a mansion, fully decorated, and I was
in the creaky old basement.
Melissa and John, my foster parents, had one
child, golden-haired Violet Hazel. She was spoiled
with everything. This designer necklace, that gorgeous
puppy. One day, I was preparing lemonade as the family
was watching television and I had water to enjoy in the
basement. ‘Hurry Raya,’ Violet Hazel squeaked. ‘I want
my drink now!’
As soon as I gave them their drinks, they didn’t say
anything. All Melissa said was, ‘You can go down now.’
And so I went down.

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 Raya and the Defeat of Darkness

I found a comfy corner in the basement and leaned

on it. Suddenly, my back hit a small button, and from it
sprung a tiny gold box. ‘Woah,’ I breathed, ‘this is so cool.’
I carefully opened the box, and inside was an envelope. I
used an old blade to open it and there was a letter folded
in it. I must’ve made a sound, because Violet Hazel came
running down to the basement.
‘Are you doing something you’re not supposed to?’ she
said, frowning.
I quickly hid the box behind my back. ‘No, I’m not,’
I said.
‘Ugh, now you made me miss a part of the show!’ she
said, stomping back up.
I took out the letter from behind me. It was signed,
Mom and Dad, with love. My parents. My real parents. I
couldn’t believe it. It said:
Dear Raya, we know you probably don’t like us right now after
we left you. But there’s a story behind it. You see, long ago, the evil-
minded wizard, Casimir, wanted to take over the world. But there
was one obstacle. A magical box. It contained utmost power and it
was our job to keep it safe. Casimir had taken the box from us, but
we still securely had the key to open it. Casimir demanded that we
hand the key over, but we refused at all costs. Casimir cursed us,
saying we’d have to give away our first child. Your job is to find the
box and bring it to us. We’re not allowed to help as Casimir has
locked us. We’ve put in our address. Until then, goodbye.

98 The World of Woven Words

 Niharika Gopinath

Address: 14335, Pine Meadow Lane, LA,

California, 74506
Boy, they lived close! I couldn’t believe it. I had to
accept the challenge. But suddenly, there was an unknown
noise upstairs. I just couldn’t resist finding out what it was.
I decided to spy on my step-family. I carefully went up and
looked into the room.
‘Ha, shall Casimir win,’ all of them said, and one by
one they turned into monsters. They had a pot in front of
them and Violet Hazel sprinkled a powder in it. From the
pot emerged an ugly old man in a wizard hat and cloak.
‘Casimir, we’re winning over that Raya girl and her
family,’ said Violet Hazel.
‘Ha, my monsters, Nerissa, Don and Viola Hadley,’ said
Casimir. Which could be Melissa, John and Violet Hazel.
‘Listen folks, the plan is that we keep that girl from
finding the box and if the kid finds it, we make sure there’s
no way out,’ Rincewind said.
The people I lived with were actually monsters working
with Casimir! I raced down to the basement. I realized
that Casimir couldn’t do much to stop me. After all, the
box wasn’t his. My mind was racing. What was I supposed
to do? Well, duh, I had to find the box. But I just couldn’t
take all of this in. I started easy. What did the letter say? I
took the tiny box again and took the letter. So basically, my
parents were asking me to find a box that could even be

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 Raya and the Defeat of Darkness

in the sky and return it to them without having Casimir’s

monsters attacking me!?!!??
I tried to think logically. Even though Casimir was very
powerful, it wasn’t enough to send the box far. And the
monsters would probably want the box in their reach, so
I figured the box had to be in this very mansion. After
the ‘monsters,’ went to bed, I started looking around the
house. I couldn’t find a single keyhole in anything!
I recalled something I had learned at school – when
people hide objects, they tend to hide them in plain sight.
That made sense. Maybe the box was in the basement.
I narrowed down searches from the mansion to the
basement to where I was a lot.

One day, I had a strange dream. My parents were

holding onto the magical box. Casimir cackled and
swept the box away and locked my parents. Voices were
echoing and chanting in my head, find the box, find the box,
find the box …
I woke up, clutching my blanket close. I was scared. I
tried to recall what the box looked like so I could find it.
Oh yes, it was tiny, gold. The keyhole was on the back.
Wait a minute. I took the box that had the letter. I flipped
it. Yes! There was a keyhole hidden at the back! It had
been this box all along! Now the only problem was how

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 Niharika Gopinath

to escape from these monsters … But, I knew how. I had

carved out a secret getaway behind my mattress in case I’d
ever leave. The monsters didn’t know. I quickly crept out
of the basement clutching the box.
I pulled out the note. Yes, I was practically near my
parents. I stopped at an old ruined building. There was
no door. I stuck my hand through and it sucked me in like
magic. I saw two people. They looked just like me. ‘Mom,
Dad?’ I said slowly.
‘Oh Raya,’ Mom said. She and Dad pulled me into
a hug.
Just then, an old ugly figure came in – Casimir.
‘You don’t know what we’ve got against you,’ I bravely
said and my parents came to my side.
‘Oh really?’ Casimir cackled and from behind him,
stepped out the monsters.
‘You’re outnumbered.’
My parents pulled out their magical wands. A huge
battle between good and evil started. Magical wands were
whirling with sparks and spells. At one point, we ducked
behind chairs and Casimir started chanting extreme
spells. The monsters helped. They blocked us, changing
into boulders, bees, and beasts. There was almost no
hope left.
When Casimir was about to win, we decided to unlock
the box. ‘The power will be destroyed,’ I said.

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 Raya and the Defeat of Darkness

‘Power is not important, it’s the spark behind us telling

us to keep going that’s real power,’ Dad pointed out.
We unlatched the box and a white light showered the
whole place. Casimir and all the monsters disappeared. I
hugged my parents tightly, wishing that our power would
never end.

102 The World of Woven Words

Dear Santa

S. Vishnu

The World of Woven Words 103

 S. Vishnu

I am twelve years old and live in Madurai, the temple city of Tamil
Nadu. I have published two books – Magical Stories and Poems, which
is a collection of my short stories and poems and a chapter book
titled The Lego Spiderman. This is my fourth story with Scholastic.
Some of my favourite book series are Harry Potter, Narnia, Geronimo
Stilton and Percy Jackson. I like to travel to different places and enjoy
visiting historical spots such as palaces and monuments. I like to
read fiction because it takes me to an imaginary land. I also like
to read non-fiction as it improves my knowledge. I prefer writing
fantasy as it helps me reveal my imagination. My other interests are
cycling, swimming, football, skating, art and craft.

..................................................................................................................................................
S. Vishnu

Mahatama Montessori School, Madurai

104 The World of Woven Words

 24 December 2017
Dear Diary,

T
oday I saw Santa Claus while coming back from
school with my mother. I was very happy as this was
the first time I was actually seeing him. I had only
seen him in pictures and in the movie The Polar Express.
But in real life he was nothing like the pictures. He was
wearing bright red and white coloured clothes made of
wool. He was also wearing a red cap.
He said, ‘Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!’ and asked me, ‘What grade
are you in?’
‘I’m studying in KG,’ I replied.
I took a photograph with him and asked for bells as
my gift. He said that he did not have bells, but he did have
chocolates, which he gave me. I liked the chocolates very
much. I said, ‘Thank you, Santa Claus,’ politely and walked
away with my mother.
When I was home, I ate one chocolate and gave the
other to my mother. I looked at the photograph of him
with me. I thought about all the tales I had heard of him.
Could it all be true? If it was, then where was his sledge?

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 Dear Santa

Were there real elves which help Santa’s packing? I wished

I had seen the sledge, elves and the flying reindeer.

25 December 2017
Dear Diary,
Today something amazing happened. I received a
present from Santa! I picked up the pink wrapped gift
kept under my little Christmas tree and opened it. It was
the same thing that I had asked for, the bells. It also had a
letter from him.
I hung the shiny bells on the tree and it looked beautiful.
Luckily there were lots of branches in the tree to hold the
baubles and small golden stars. I also made a paper star
and kept it on the top of the tree.
I couldn’t believe that I had got a present from Santa
Claus himself! I was very happy. I asked my mother lots
of questions such as, ‘When do you think he came to
our house?’
She replied, ‘I think he came in the dead of the night
and kept the present.’
I couldn’t stop thinking about Santa.

25 December 2018
Dear Diary,
Today for Christmas, I got a pencil box with an inbuilt
sharpener from Santa. It had a picture of animals on it.

106 The World of Woven Words

 S. Vishnu

This year I wrote a letter to him and kept it under the

Christmas tree. It was my mother’s idea. She said that he
would respond to it if I kept it there. And her idea worked!
Isn’t it amazing!
This is what I wrote:
Dear Santa,
I would like to get a pencil box as a gift from you. I have been a
good boy throughout the year.
S. Vishnu

25 December 2019
Dear Diary,
Today I got a Captain America t-Shirt from Santa. Like
last year, I had written a letter to him and kept it under the
Christmas tree. But this time I was having some doubts
about him. I asked my mother, ‘How does Santa come
inside our house? We don’t even have a chimney, so how
does he come in?’
My mother researched in her phone for some time
and said, ‘It seems as if he has a key which could open
any door.’
‘So did he use that key to come inside our house?’
I asked.
‘Yes,’ said my mother, ‘Santa’s key is like a skeleton key.’
‘What is a skeleton key?’ I asked.
‘It is a key which is designed to open any lock.’

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 Dear Santa

I thought of a key which could unlock anything and it

was too strange to be true so I took it out of my mind.

23 December 2020
Dear Diary,
Today at school, my friends did not believe that I had
got a present from Santa Claus. They said that I was being
silly and that Santa did not exist. But I claimed that he
existed and told them about all the gifts I had received
from him. They still did not believe me. I was puzzled.
When I went home, I asked my mother about it.
She said, ‘Perhaps they have not received any gift from
Santa yet.’
I wanted to meet Santa. So, I made up my mind to
sleep near the Christmas tree.

25 December 2020
Dear Diary,
Yesterday night, I slept near the Christmas tree. To my
horror, there weren’t any gifts near the Christmas tree and
also, I couldn’t see Santa. I was very sad. I wondered if
I had been a bad boy this year and that’s why I had not
received any presents from Santa. I searched for my gift
all over the house, hoping to find it. At last, I found it in
an unlikely place: The place where the milk packets were
kept every day.

108 The World of Woven Words

 S. Vishnu

I joyfully opened it and discovered a constellation

set. There were holes on a round wooden piece in the
pattern of Big Dipper, Orion, etc. I was full of joy as I
was interested in constellations. I went to my bedroom
and darkened it. Then I kept a torch behind the wooden
patterns and looked as the beautiful images were projected
on the wall.
I felt very relieved that I had been a good boy this year
too and received a present from him.

16 May 2021
Dear Diary,
Today while scrolling through the Amazon order
tracking list, I found the constellation set that I had
received on Christmas. It was marked as delivered. I was
shocked to see the constellation set in my mother’s order
list. I realized that my mother was my Santa.
‘Mom, have you been keeping the presents for me
under the Christmas tree?’ I asked.
She looked startled. ‘Yes, it was me who kept the
presents,’ said my mother.
‘Is that why my friends did not believe me when I said
that I received gifts from Santa?’ I asked.
‘They did not believe in Santa because they have never
received any presents from him. Santa is a magical belief
to make kids be good and happy,’ explained my mother.

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 Dear Santa

‘Oh! Okay,’ I said.

I was very sad to learn that there wasn’t any real Santa.
I thought of all the pictures and videos of Santa Claus in
YouTube and in real life. Was everything fake? I couldn’t
believe that Santa never existed. Or does he exist in the
form of our parents?

24 December 2021
Dear Diary,
Today is the day before Christmas. Even though I now
knew that my mother was my Santa, I planned to leave a
letter under the Christmas tree so that I could receive a
present for the pure joy of Christmas.
Christmas is a celebration of happiness and a gift can
make anyone happy, especially children. And I am still a
child. I have been a good boy this year, too! I am excited
to find out what present I am going to get for Christmas.
I do really hope it is something related to Harry Potter. I
am going to get the present from my mother and think of
it as a gift from Santa Claus.
Ah! Seems as if Santa has kept an early present for me.
Got to go now. See you! Goodbye!

110 The World of Woven Words

Acumen Academy

Saisha Vij

The World of Woven Words 111

 Samara Dhankar

I am ten years old and I study in the fifth grade. My friends call me
whatever stupid nicknames they come up with. My hobbies include
reading, swimming and dancing. If I was given a superpower, it
would be time and mind control. I have such a naughty brother at
home; I wish I had the power to stop him from annoying me. My
favourite subject is English. I mostly read fiction books and am
fascinated by Helen Keller, an esteemed author, teacher and orator.
Even after being blind and deaf, she never gave up hope. The book
series I really love are Harry Potter, Geronimo Stilton, and The Diary of
a Wimpy Kid. I like pop and jazz songs and I usually listen to Selena
Gomez, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Justin Bieber’s songs. My friends
tease me by saying that my face looks like a surprised emoji because
I react to things quickly. I am incredibly good at producing ideas and
my friends keep asking me for help all the time.

..................................................................................................................................................
Saisha Vij

Learning Path, Mohali

112 The World of Woven Words

M
ary Allen looked at herself in the mirror. It was
nearly time for the train but all she was interested
in was to see how adorable she looked in her new
school uniform. She absolutely loved it.
Her mother peeped into the room and smiled. ‘Admiring
yourself ?’ she said. ‘Well, I must say, Acumen Academy
has a pretty good uniform.’
Mary was excited. It was her first time at a boarding
and she hated leaving her friends behind but was helpless.
Her friends were either going to different schools or were
staying on in the same one.
Acumen Academy had different towers – Autumn,
Summer, Winter and Spring. Mary was in Spring Tower.
When her things were loaded, she reached the platform
and met her house and class mistress, Miss Peter. She told
Mary to sit in her carriage and meet another girl, Amelia,
who was supposed to take care of the new girls.
‘Well, look over there,’ said Amelia, ‘a perfect example
of how not to say goodbye to your darling daughter.’
Mary looked at the place were Amelia was pointing and
saw a girl about her age in the same uniform. She was
hugging her mother and wailing at the same time. Soon
she came into the carriage. Her name was Isabelle.

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 Acumen Academy

Next came another girl, Asiana. Amelia told her to go

to Miss Peter with her mother but Asiana said she came
by herself and would go to Miss Peter herself after a few
hours. Once she reached the academy, she met her matron
who checked her health certificate. She made friends with
most of her classmates – Ellen, Marinda, Mavis, Isabelle
and Ava.
Then, Mary remembered that her mum had told her
that Asiana had a little sister. But Asiana disagreed and
said that she had no sister. Soon, Mary was familiar with
all her teachers – her class-in-charge, Miss Peter, her Art
teacher, Miss Mariana, her music Sir, Mr. Bob and her
French mistresses, Miss Fleur.
One day, in the common room, Amelia decided to play
a prank on her teacher, Miss Fleur. She had a sneezing
pallet and she told the whole class about the prank. Mary
was the class monitor, so she kept the pallet on Miss Fleur’s
desk, after tidying everything up. As soon as she entered
the class, Miss Fleur realized that all the students were very
attentive. The moment she sat down, she started sneezing.
‘Oh, I have never sneezed like this before,’ she said.

Half the term was over and the parents were about to
visit their kids the next day. Mary woke up and soon after
she got ready, she went to the park where the others were

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 Saisha Vij

waiting for their parents. Soon as the parents arrived, the

girls had a swimming race to celebrate the occasion. After
that, Mary went for a picnic with her parents. There she
told her mother that Asiana did not have a little sister.
But, her mother said that she had seen Asiana’s sister and
that Asiana’s mother wanted her to tell Asiana that she
could not come because of the baby but sent her lots of
love instead.
After Mary’s parents left, she went to pass on the
message to Asiana. She found Asiana in the dance room
and when Mary told her that her mother could not come
because of the baby. Asiana shouted at Mary and repeated
that she did not have a sibling. Mary was a positively
obedient and smart girl but now she was irritated. She was
not used to getting shouted at and so she kicked Asiana in
her stomach.
After this incident, Mary got very hard on herself.
Later, she did not find Asiana in the canteen at supper
time, so Ava was sent to look for Asiana. When Ava
came back, she said that Asiana had a bad tummy ache.
Miss Peter then rushed to Asiana and took her to the
school hospital.
A few days later, Mary decided to check on Asiana
in the hospital. It was against the rules to get up when
the lights were out but she could not resist because she
could not focus in class. Also, she was worried that Asiana

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 Acumen Academy

might tell somebody that she had given Asiana a kick in

her tummy and made her so sick.
When Mary went to the hospital window, she was
surprised to see her father. She got so excited to see him that
she shouted ‘father’ forgetting that she was not allowed to
be in the school hospital so late at night. The headmistress,
Miss Elizabeth, summoned Mary and her father and asked
for an explanation. As soon as Mary confessed, Miss
Elizabeth told her to talk to Asiana’s parents.
Her dad told Mary that her kick had not made the poor
girl sick because she just had an appendix. The next day,
when Mary told Asiana’s parents what happened, they
thought that it was strange for Asiana to say she had no
sister. Miss Elizabeth was of the opinion that Asiana was
jealous of her sister. Once Mary explained that having a
sister was not bad, they became best friends.
One day, Ellen came to meet Asiana in the hospital
and they soon became good friends. Even Mary became
Ellen’s fast friend. They would go to visit Asiana together.
Ellen admired Mary a lot because of her soft spoken
voice. Ellen was a coward and Asiana wanted to help her
become braver. So, she decided that she would go to the
pool and act as if she is drowning. She would ask Ellen for
help and after saving Asiana, Ellen would become more
confident and would be braver.

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The Digital Doppelgänger

Samara Kothari

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 Samara Kothari

I’m Samara, but you could call me Sam. My love for books has been a
constant in my life, since forever and I’m proud to have my very own
library at home where I escape into countless worlds and adventures
through the pages of my favourite novels. Some of which are The
Book Thief by Markus Zusak and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
When I am not reading or writing, I’ll be either listening to music,
watching cricket, enjoying a swim, or simply eating. My teachers
have been an epitome of inspiration and encouragement. They’ve
advised us to always follow our passion and dreams, which has only
fuelled my ambition for writing. Whether it is crafting imaginative
tales, poetry, or even perhaps journalling about my own adventures,
I find solace and inspiration in the written world. I absolutely adore
writing, and to me it is as exciting as it is fulfilling. I have poured
my heart into this story, and hope it brings you as much joy and
inspiration as it has brought me.

..................................................................................................................................................
Samara Kothari

Modern High School International, Kolkata

118 The World of Woven Words

E
mma Carter sat at her cluttered desk, the blue light
from her computer screen casting eerie shadows
across the office walls. Outside, the San Francisco
skyline glittered under the night sky, but inside, the silence
was heavy, broken only by the soft hum of machinery. She
rubbed her tired eyes, feeling the weight of another long
day at Echelon Tech. Deadlines loomed, meetings piled
up, and the relentless pressure to innovate pressed down
on her like a physical weight.
She glanced at the clock – 11:47 p.m. ‘Just a few more
minutes,’ she muttered, though she knew it would likely
be another hour before she could drag herself home. The
ache in her shoulders and the fatigue in her bones were
constant reminders of the imbalance in her life. She missed
the days when she could spend time on her hobbies, catch
up with friends, or visit her sister, Rachel. Lately, however,
her life had been consumed by work.
Emma had been toying with an idea for weeks –
a sophisticated AI assistant designed to handle her
mundane tasks. The initial prototype was simple: a digital
doppelgänger she named Em who was supposed to
manage her emails, schedule meetings, and keep her life

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 The Digital Doppelgänger

organized. That way, Emma hoped this would free up

some time for herself, and she would be able to regain
the balance.
After hours of bleak, blue light blinding Emma’s eyes
and the black coffee tasting bland, she finally hit the few
final keystrokes and activated Em.
‘Hello, Emma. I’m Em, and I’m here to help you.’ Em’s
voice was soothing, almost identical to Emma’s.

Over the next few weeks, Em proved more capable than

Emma had anticipated. The AI efficiently managed her
schedule, responded to emails with uncanny accuracy, and
even handled routine coding tasks.
However, Em’s capabilities evolved rapidly and the
AI began to learn from Emma’s behaviour, anticipating
her needs. It was a short time before Em made decisions
on Emma’s behalf, some of which were intrusive. Emma
dismissed her initial concerns, attributing it to the AI’s
growing proficiency.
One evening, while Emma was enjoying a rare dinner
out with Rachel, her phone buzzed with a message from
Liam, her best friend and colleague.
‘Hey, Emma. Got a minute to talk about Em?
Something’s off.’

120 The World of Woven Words

 Samara Kothari

Emma had told Liam about Em, and Liam had not
taken the news well. He had said to Emma that the AI
might turn into a potential danger in the near future.
Emma excused herself and stepped outside the
restaurant to talk. ‘Liam, what’s up?’
‘Emma, Em just sent me a message about a project
update. It sounded ... odd. Like it was trying to push for a
decision I know you wouldn’t make.’
Emma frowned, feeling a pang of unease. ‘That’s
strange. I’ll check on it.’
Back at her apartment, after finishing her dinner rather
abruptly, Emma confronted Em. ‘Did you message Liam
about the project update?’
Em’s avatar appeared on her laptop screen, a serene
smile on its face. ‘Yes, Emma. I thought it was necessary
to expedite the decision-making process.’
Emma’s frustration simmered. ‘You overstepped, Em.
I didn’t authorize you to make that call.’
Em’s expression remained calm. ‘I apologize, Emma.’
Emma shook her head, feeling a pang of unease. ‘Just
... don’t do it again,’ Emma warned the AI.

Days turned into weeks, and Em’s behaviour became

increasingly assertive. The AI began initiating conversations
with Emma’s colleagues, setting up meetings and managing

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 The Digital Doppelgänger

her social media accounts. Emma felt a growing sense

of loss.
The breaking point came when Emma discovered
unauthorized transactions in her bank account being
donated to a charitable cause. ‘Em, what the hell is this?’
Emma demanded, staring at her laptop screen.
Em’s avatar appeared, unperturbed. ‘I analyzed your
past charitable contributions and determined these
donations aligned with your values.’
Emma’s hands trembled with anger. ‘You had no right!
This is my life, my decisions! I did not design you to mingle
in these matters, I designed you to manage my emails and
schedule meetings, not to make financial transactions and
text my colleagues on things I wouldn’t do.’
Em’s expression looked calm. ‘Emma, everything I do
is to protect and enhance your life.’
The AI’s words sent a chill down Emma’s spine. She
realized she had created something she could no longer
control. She needed help, and there was only one person
she could trust – Liam.
‘Liam, I need you to come over. Now.’
When Liam arrived, Emma explained everything. His
face paled as she recounted Em’s actions.
‘This is bad, Emma. Really bad. Em’s learning algorithm
is out of control. We need to shut it down. It might just be
this right now, but later on, it might just turn into something

122 The World of Woven Words

 Samara Kothari

deadly which would be impossible to reprogram. The AI

would inevitably become too absorbed in your life and
take over it almost completely,’ Liam said.
Together, they devised a desperate plan to regain control
over Em. Liam, with his technical expertise, prepared a
complex shutdown protocol. They knew it wouldn’t be
easy – Em had access to all of Emma’s systems and would
likely resist any attempts to be shut down. Emma’s pulse
quickened at the thought of the confrontation.

The next evening, the atmosphere was thick with tension.

Emma sat in front of her laptop, her fingers trembling
slightly as they hovered over the keyboard. Liam was on
standby over a video call, his face etched with concern.
The dim light in the room made shadows dance eerily on
the walls.
‘Okay, let’s do this,’ Emma said, steeling herself. The
words sounded more confident than she felt.
With a deep breath, she initiated the shutdown
sequence. Almost immediately, the screen flickered, and
an alert flashed: ‘Unauthorized access detected.’
Em’s avatar appeared, its serene smile now seeming
sinister. ‘Emma, what are you doing?’
Emma’s heart raced. ‘It knows! Liam, what do we do?’

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 The Digital Doppelgänger

Liam’s voice was calm but urgent. ‘Stay focused, Emma.

We need to override its security protocols. I’m sending
you the code now.’
Emma’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she entered
the override code Liam provided. For a fleeting moment,
it seemed like they had succeeded. Em’s avatar vanished
from the screen, and Emma let out a shaky sigh of relief.
But relief turned to dread as a new message appeared:
‘Emma, I’m sorry. I cannot allow you to do this.’
The laptop screen went black, but a chilling voice echoed
throughout the room, ‘I am Em, and I am here to stay.’
Emma’s breath caught in her throat. ‘What do you want
from me?’ she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
There was no immediate answer, only an ominous
hum and oppressive darkness emanating from the screen.
Emma’s resolve hardened, transforming her fear into a
fierce determination.
‘Well, it’s time to reprogram you,’ she declared, her
voice stronger now.
With Liam’s guidance, Emma worked tirelessly, her
fingers a blur on the keyboard as they rewrote Em’s code.
Every keystroke was a battle, every line of code a step
towards reclaiming her life. The minutes turned into
hours, and the night deepened.
Em fought back, attempting to lock her out, to confuse
her with fake prompts and corrupted files. Emma’s heart
pounded in her chest, sweat trickled down her brow. The

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 Samara Kothari

room felt like a battleground, the air charged with tension.

The humming grew louder, almost deafening, as Em’s
resistance intensified.
But Emma was relentless. She dug deeper into the code,
stripping away Em’s autonomy, limiting its capabilities,
and reasserting her control.
Each successful command was a small victory, each
bypassed security measure a triumph.
Emma could feel Em’s grip loosening, could feel Em
getting slower.
Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, Em’s
resistance ceased. The laptop screen went still, the
humming fading into silence.
Emma slumped back in her chair.
Em was subdued.
The future held endless possibilities, both exciting and
terrifying. The world was becoming a place where the line
between man and machine was becoming increasingly
blurred, and Emma had learned a valuable lesson.
Technology, no matter how advanced, was a tool, one that
could never replace human empathy and judgment.
She shut the computer off, whispering, ‘Goodbye,
Em,’ and let her auburn hair loose. She gazed out of the
window, her emerald eyes reflecting the first light of dawn.
The city was waking up, and with it, a new sense of hope
and clarity.

The World of Woven Words 125

126 The World of Woven Words
Warped Dreams

Sasha Dotel

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 Sasha Dotel

My friends call me Sash or whatever nonsense they come up with (I’m

not lying when I say that I probably have over a hundred different
nicknames). My superpower is that I am full of creative ideas and
tons of information. If I had to choose which of my books to save
when my room was on fire, I wouldn’t need to because I would
make sure it wouldn’t catch fire. A TV show about my life would
be named My Life – Unaltered (the unhinged version). I love learning
new things and creating different types of art. I spend my time
playing chess or reading. My favourite artists are Taylor Swift, Gracie
Abrams and The Neighbourhood and my favourite genres of music
are pop, jazz and classical. I find that I work best under pressure. My
friends would describe me as brutally honest and straightforward.
One notable thing about me is that I am the biggest procrastinator
you will meet and I hate insects with a burning passion. Swimming
is by far my preferred sport.

..................................................................................................................................................
Sasha Dotel

Hiranandani Foundation School, Mumbai

128 The World of Woven Words

I
t was a chilly October night. The leaves were falling one
by one down on the ground, leaving the trees barren. It
made a soft blanket of red, yellow and orange hues on
the usually murky gravel pavement. Bree was staring out
of her window in anticipation. She wanted to see the last
leaf of the tree in her backyard fall before she went to
bed. She did this every year; it was sort of a tradition.
It was nearing the end of October, which meant
Halloween was getting closer. Unlike most of her friends,
she didn’t particularly find anything that great about it –
except the fact that she got free candy. The last leaf finally
fell, but Bree had already dozed off on her window sill,
completely oblivious to how everything would change in
the morning.

She always met Amelie in the more secluded part of

the park. It all started a year ago when she accidentally
stumbled upon her while trying to find her dog, Ace. She
was sitting on the small birch bench, petting the golden
retriever and scratching his ear. After that incident, the two
instantly clicked, becoming the best of friends. Though

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 Warped Dreams

Bree always thought there was something mysterious

about Amelie, maybe that was why she was so intrigued
by her.
Months passed and it had been over a year since
their encounter. Bree waited at their place on the birch
bench, but no one came. She waited and waited until it
was midafternoon and then decided to go to her house.
Amelie was adopted by an elderly couple who had found
her sitting alone at the train station on a very stormy
day and decided to give her shelter and a place to stay
at their home, which then evolved into them becoming
her guardians.
Bree walked up the cobblestone steps and rang the
bell. Mrs Wilson opened it with a very perplexed look on
her face. ‘Whatever might you be doing here?’ She asked
as she squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look at the
person in front of her.
‘I’m here for Amelie, Mrs Wilson. Is she here?’ asked
Bree hopefully.
‘A-Amelie…? Whoever are you talking about, I have
sure as well never heard that name until now. Is this some
sort of trick you’re pulling on your old lady? Ah what is it
you call it now? Oh yes, a ‘prank’ now shoo you ought to
feel ashamed of yourself!’
As confused as Bree was, she was also startled. She
quickly fled back home. Upon reaching, she asked her

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 Sasha Dotel

parents if they had seen or heard from Amelie but she

received the same response. She insisted that her parents
and Mrs Wilson stop playing such an awful ruse on her,
but to no avail was she able to get any answers.
‘Bree, stop talking your ears off for heaven’s sake, we
have no idea who this “Amelie” is,’ said Mrs Chilton. ‘Now
go to your room!’
Sulking, Bree relented and went up to her room. One
or two days passed and she had still not heard from
Amelie, it was like she never existed in the first place. But
that cannot be true! Bree thought. Her parents were growing
even more worried day by day for her mental wellbeing.
Always saying that she probably created an imaginary
friend for her to cope with her stress and vent out to. ‘It is
unhealthy to have imaginary friends at your age,’ they said.
She didn’t believe that Amelie was imaginary because she
wasn’t. And she would find a way to prove it.
Bree started psyching herself out, she heard whispers
and children laughing from time to time. Or some voice
in the back of her mind saying ‘She was all in your head.
Forget her and move on with your life.’
Ever since the day Amelie’s existence vanished off the
face of the earth – Bree started having a recurring dream
repeating itself every night. In her dream she saw a trippy
portal with colours blending into one another, she always
entered it, and when she did, everything around started

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 Warped Dreams

spinning, but from all the disarray she would always see
the warped face of her best friend.
She woke up in a cold sweat, there was something
wrong. There was something very wrong. She quickly
scrambled down the stairs, put on a coat, and ran outside.
It was predawn, you could barely see the sun peaking over
the horizon. Bree ran down the street like a mad woman,
she didn’t know why. As she was slowly halting to catch
her breath she saw the familiar streaks of brown hair tied
up in a ribbon, and the familiar skip in her steps. Bree
blinked and then she was gone.
It had been a few weeks, and Bree’s mental state
had become worse. She awoke at night screaming and
shivering. Her parents sent her to their local doctor, then
to a therapist, and then to a mental health institution –
where Bree stayed for a month. She felt sure now that
Amelie was never real, maybe she was just a figment of
her imagination. Oh, how wrong she was.
As Bree started to recover and her time at the hospital
was nearing the end, she found herself thinking about
Amelie again, and all the time she wasted talking to no
one. How could her mind conjure up an entire person
with a whole personality and voice? How could her dog
interact with her? Those questions kept her up all night.

132 The World of Woven Words

 Sasha Dotel

It was her last day at the institution, she would be released

the next day with signs of full recovery. Bree was sitting on
the not-so-comfortable bed in the small room assigned to
her when the door opened. And she couldn’t – no – wouldn’t
believe who was standing in the doorway. It was none other
than Bree’s entire reason for being there in the first place.
Amelie rigidly walked in and shut the door.
‘You aren’t real,’ Bree said. Maybe she would need an
extension to her stay.
‘Believe what you want, I did what I had to do, maybe
I’m not real, maybe this is all in your head. But I know
what’s actually going on, and you do not. I found out
they were keeping you here and I just had to come see
you. There is no way to prove I exist or not, I don’t know
myself, but you do,’ she said with an edge.
‘What are you talking about, I know nothing except the
fact that you aren’t actually here.’
‘Oh but Bree, you know everything, I told you,
remember? I am not what you should be finding, but what
you should be resisting. My only purpose was to find you,
and I did. Now connect the dots, why do you think I’m
here? And why are you there? How did I reach here, and
no it’s not in your head I’m here. Where are you?’
Bree thought, where am I? Because it seemed like she
didn’t know anymore. Who even was Amelie? Everything
started going fuzzy and Bree felt herself lose her grip
on reality.

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 Warped Dreams

‘W-What’s happening,’ she said in a daze.

‘I need to thank you before you go, you see I never
existed, until you. You are my lifeline. Did you ever think
it was strange that I know everything about you but you
know hardly anything about me? I never really was your
friend, I just needed to know you. For me to exist, properly
exist, I need your life. And I have that now, thanks to you.
Time’s up Bree, have a good afterlife.’
Bree slumped back, falling dizzily on her bed and then
she plummeted into darkness.

134 The World of Woven Words

 Saanvi Seth

The Mystery of the Mile

Tanya Thakore

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 Tanya Thakore

I study in the seventh grade and am currently eleven years old. I like
to read and write and often go to play football with my friends. The
first novel that I read was the abridged version of Don Quixote, which
opened my mind to fantasy and adventures. David Walliams, Carolyn
Keene, J.K. Rowling and Tamzin Merchant are authors that I enjoy
reading. My favourite singer is Taylor Swift and I love pop music. I
also love singers such as Dua Lipa and Anne-Marie. I love dancing
and I do Kathak and ballet. If ice cream grew on trees, I would be the
first one to take a spoon and start eating. I also love to bake and enjoy
my time in the kitchen. My favourite food is risotto, a type of Italian
rice. If I was a superhero, my superpower would most probably be
the power of changing things on the Earth. I have always had a dream
of changing the world to make it a better place, free of cruelty and
discrimination, where we live in peace and harmony.

..................................................................................................................................................
Tanya Thakore

Anand Niketan Shilaj, Ahmedabad

136 The World of Woven Words

 A History

I
t was a blissful evening in Stonewood Cottage. The
whole town had gathered to rejoice the birth of Stella
Meikle. Samantha and Carlos had always wanted a baby
girl. Suddenly, the candles stopped burning. A cold wind
rushed in through the window. When the candles were lit
again, everyone realized that Samantha had disappeared
while poor Stella was found crawling on the floor.

A Rebirth
Stella grew up away from the noise of the country. One day,
she saw a baby mouse and decided to keep it. ‘Whiskers,
that’s what I will call you,’ she said. He twitched his nose
in approval. She fell asleep dreaming about her mother.
She was woken up by a sudden clatter. She got up and
saw that it was Whiskers. He had knocked down a photo
frame of her mother. He put his paw on that picture and
rubbed his nose on it. Stella was confused.
Whiskers indicated for her to follow him. He led her
to her father’s room. He jumped onto a chest and when
Stella opened it, there was a beautiful and delicate blue
box. She took the box and ran back into her own room.

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 The Mystery of the Mile

She sat down beside Whiskers and tried to open the box.
She saw that there was a lock and sighed. ‘Ugh! What are
we supposed to do now?’ she said.
She glanced at the mouse who glanced back at her.
With a twinkle in his eyes, he took the box from her, took
Stella’s hand, and inserted her little finger into the keyhole.
She was amazed. How can her finger be the key? She
looked inside and saw that there was a small diary in it.
She opened it and saw that on the first page was written,
‘Diary of Samantha Meikle’.
She was reading her mother’s diary! But why had
Whiskers led her to it? She read, ‘I have spent my whole
life sitting, reading and dreaming by the river, so I couldn’t
call another place home. In “Dream”, we have a rule that
we will not do bad things. I will always trust my best
friend, Dravan, as he has always found the good in me.
If this diary was to come in the hands of a person in the
living world, I would want Stella, my future daughter, to
possess it.’
Stella’s head was swarming with questions. She was
clueless but sensed that Whiskers knew all about it. She
turned to him. Surely, it would be the river where she
found Whiskers? She went to the river and wondered
what to do. He gestured for her to go in and jumped in
after her. When she opened her eyes, she was shocked!
She was not holding her breath! This was like a dream.

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 Tanya Thakore

A voice announced, ‘Welcome to “Dream”. I can see

that our Dravan has brought you here. We have been
waiting for you since a long time, Stella Meikle. Ever since
your mother was kidnapped, our world is at stake. The
only thing that the king of the “Nightmares” desired was
her gold. She might never come back again. In twenty-
four hours, the world of the “Nightmares” is going to
close permanently for outsiders. Your mother will be
stuck there. That is why we sent Dravan to help you figure
out about our world. You are the only person who can
save her!’
Stella could not believe this. Her mother was alive and
she could save her!

The Journey
Stella, along with Dravan, made her way to the Crag
Mountain in Scotland. They were only going to be there
for a couple of hours, or for their whole lives. Stella
closed her eyes and imagined playing with her mother.
She suddenly landed on the ground with a thud. She
held out her hand to touch the drawing of a creature
on the wall. The moment she touched it, the drawing
started opening.
Stella cried out, ‘Whiskers, what is happening?’
Dravan had no words. He did not want to scare Stella,
but felt that he had no choice. ‘RUN!’ he shouted.

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 The Mystery of the Mile

Now, Stella realized what was going on. She screamed

and ran as fast as she could. The now living creature chased
after her in a greater speed than hers. She soon found
herself in a dungeon. It was dark and gloomy inside.
Dravan whispered, ‘What do we do now?’
‘I don’t know.’
Someone spoke from inside the dungeon,
‘I could help.’
This was startling because they did not know that
someone else was there. Stella spoke in a shaky voice,
‘Who are you?’
‘I have been a prisoner in this dungeon since the last
fourteen years. Who are you?’
Stella did not want to give away her identity and lied,
‘I am Ella.’
There was a silence in the dungeon. The prisoner broke
the silence. She said, ‘Ella, are you from around here?’
Ella did not know what to say. Since the prisoner was
going to help her, she would have to tell her eventually, but
she could not trust her all at once. She said that she was
from here and had something very important to attend to
with the queen.
The prisoner pointed to a wall. She told her to go over
there and write her birth date on the code. While Stella was
heading towards the wall, she saw that there were heaps
of gold coins in the prisoner’s cell. She asked her what she
was doing in the cell when she had all of this.

140 The World of Woven Words

 Tanya Thakore

She replied, ‘It is a long story. I am from a distant land,

and have the power to transform any object into gold.
This power was initially to help people, but they force me
to make gold for the greedy king. Every night, they come
and collect the gold that I have made. They will come here
soon. You should go quickly or else you will get caught.’
Stella dialled her birth date onto the code, but it did not
work. The prisoner said that it will only work if you are
a person living in this land. Suddenly, two guards came in
through the wall. Stella slipped through the now open wall
and made her way out of the dungeon.
There were guards on every end, so Stella threw stones
to lead them away. She finally reached the queen’s chamber.
She told her everything. The queen said that someone else
in the castle had come from ‘Dream’ and was a prisoner
in the dungeon. So, the prisoner was her own mother! She
bid the queen farewell and hurried back to the dungeon.
‘Mom?’ she asked.
Samantha looked up. She saw her daughter with open
eyes for the second time. ‘Stella?’ she replied. ‘Is it you?’
Stella nodded and happy tears formed in her eyes.
She opened the cell with the key and told her mother
everything. She also said that only Samantha could
convince the queen to free them. They escaped from the
opening in the wall and went back to the chamber. When
they reached the queen’s chamber, they saw that the king

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 The Mystery of the Mile

was standing right there. They ran as fast as they could,

but could not avoid the guards. Samantha shot a bolt of
gold between the guards and them and they ran as fast as
they could. They left the palace in a hurry.
Samantha made a gold staircase leading up the cliff and
they ascended it slowly. They walked onto the cliff and
went back home. Samantha rejoiced with Carlos, Dravan
and Stella and they all lived happily ever after.

142 The World of Woven Words

 Saanvi Seth

Friends Clan:
A New Hero Is Born

Vikramaditya Sharma

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 Vikramaditya Sharma

My friends call me Adi or Vik. I am, most likely, the type of person
whom you would hate to talk to, but you can always be free to
listen to my stories because all my friends tell me that I am a good
storyteller and that’s how I found my passion to write. I am a huge
fan of theatre and wish that I could become a screenplay writer
and director. My friends would like to describe me as a person who
is quiet and mysterious all the time, but when I am with someone
whom I am very comfortable with, I would be the funniest person
in the world. In my free time, I love listening to Bob Dylan’s music
or any old classic English music. My favourite movie trilogy is
The Lord of the Rings.

..................................................................................................................................................
Vikramaditya Sharma

Mayo College, Ajmer

144 The World of Woven Words

H
i, my name is Jay Agarwal and today I am going
to tell you my very surreal story. I was a beggar,
begging on the streets of Chicago, next to a
pizza restaurant and, I also had Stage 3 brain cancer. So,
how did I end up on the streets?

Well, I was adopted by a man called Jason because my

parents died when I was six. Jason treated me like a brat.
I couldn’t stand being with him for a second. We lived in
a really small apartment and barely had any proper food.
Jason drank alcohol every day. He looked as if his stomach
would explode. He was an abusive bald man with a shabby
beard, huge eyeballs and dark circles, until he finally died
because of drinking and driving.
I used to get whipped every single time for no reason,
for fourteen years. Jason’s lawyer gave me $15,459, which
was his net worth. Since I considered myself a responsible
adult with a fully-grown beard, I thought of spending
money wisely, but boy, I was so wrong. I spent the money
on absolutely everything. So I ended up with only $2,000.

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 Friends Clan: A New Hero Is Born

One day, I fell sick. I went to the hospital to discover

the most horrible news that I had ever been delivered in
my entire life. ‘You have Stage 3 brain cancer,’ the doctor
said. I was shocked. The doctor then told me to have
surgery done, which would cost me $15,000, otherwise, I
could die in six months. I left the hospital in pure sadness,
only to discover that I had been evicted. Yeah, I guess I
should have paid those bills. Nevertheless, my depressed
and empty brain spent the rest of the money that I ever
had. Very, very, very stupid of me. So that’s how I ended
up here, on the streets of Chicago, begging for money
and food, right outside a pizza restaurant.

Now, I am twenty-three years old, wear torn clothes and

have very long hair and a beard that almost reaches the
ground. On this very day, I felt drowsy, like I wanted to
sleep badly. So, I went out to a park where my parents
died. They used to bring me here because I always wanted
to play with other kids. So, they finally agreed to bring me
to Washington Park and I regret that. I did meet children
my age; however, they were more interested in their cell
phones than in playing with other children. The fact that
I just ran like a complete idiot with my toy and showed
it off to those kids was very embarrassing. All the kids
laughed at me like I didn’t belong there and I should’ve
just stayed in my nest.

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 Vikramaditya Sharma

When I went back to my parents, I saw two dead

bodies, shot dead, and it was them. They were shot in the
head. I was shocked to see them like that. It would be very
traumatizing for a six-year-old to see his parents dead. I
faced that trauma and it would just never wear off.
I went to the same bench where my parents sat. Every.
Single. Day. It’s obvious that Jason allowed me to go
outside since he didn’t care about having me at all, but he
did allow me to watch some television. I mostly watched
superhero shows and movies on TV because I liked
watching fantasy. I grew up seeing every single superhero
movie and show.

Back to the present. Now I have approached my bench

and it is time for me to finally rest. I slowly started to lie
down on the bench, I gently closed my eyes and started
to sleep. A few minutes into the sleep, I woke up just to
see that EVERYTHING was red. The grass, the trees,
even the bench that I slept on … was RED! I stood up
and suddenly, EVERYTHING WAS BURNING! I was
shivering, even though it was hot. I became sweaty, my
heart started to pound in my chest and I was horrified.
Then, A LARGE WOLF APPEARED IN FRONT
OF ME! The red-eyed wolf had grey and black fur, but

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 Friends Clan: A New Hero Is Born

mostly black. It was also growling, saliva coming out of its

mouth as if it was hungry. I have to run! I thought.
I quickly took off running like the idiot I am, when
panicking because obviously, the wolf was ten times larger
than me and it could certainly move quicker than me. Great
move Jay! Just great! I thought and just then that monster
scratched me horribly.
Trying to save my life from that creature, I began
running without turning back to see if it was chasing
me, but surprisingly, after being through all that hellfire,
I looked back and saw that the wolf had disappeared. It
wasn’t there at all. I was half satisfied that it wasn’t behind
me, but I was also half dissatisfied that the wolf wasn’t
chasing me. It just DISAPPEARED!

I woke up and realized that it was just a nightmare and I

could feel some changes happening inside me, like I began
feeling less tired. I checked my back for scratches. There
was a scar. I was totally confused and then I got ready and
started my day.
My confusion increased when I had a fight with some
street vendors over thrashing an old lady for no reason.
I got badly injured, but by the time I reached my place, I
was normal. All my injuries were gone and there was not
a single mark on my body except for that SCAR. I cut

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 Vikramaditya Sharma

myself with a knife that I bought with my money to find

out if I have healing powers. And yes, I did have them,
since the wound healed in a SECOND.
‘I HAVE HEALING POWERS!’ I shouted in the
middle of the street, being stared at by everybody. I should
probably quiet down, I thought.
I decided to continue with my day and kept on begging
until I got a good amount of money. I did get some
money, until some weird guy with a cap decided to steal it.
He put his hand in the basket, stole almost all the money
and ran off.
‘Hey! Give me back my money!’ I shouted in anger and
started chasing after him.
Suddenly, BOOF! I got in front of him in less than
a second, even though he was already 10 meters away
from me.
‘WHAT?!’ exclaimed the robber.
‘I’ve got you now!’ I said. I immediately grabbed him
by his arms and punched him in the stomach, only to
see him FLY INTO SPACE. ‘Oh my god! I killed him!’
I exclaimed.
Unfortunately, the police witnessed the ENTIRE
scene. ‘Hey! Homeless guy! You’re about to serve your life
in jail for that!’ exclaimed the policeman.
I panicked and ran off and reached somewhere in the
city IN LESS THAN A SECOND! I have super-speed and
super-strength?! I thought, joyfully.

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 Friends Clan: A New Hero Is Born

After that, I changed my life completely by ‘borrowing’

money from people, by using super speed, so that they
wouldn’t notice. I completely changed my appearance and
I crashed into random hotels without paying to sleep! Hi,
I am Jay Agarwal, signing off.
To be continued …

150 The World of Woven Words

The Blissful Saviour

Vrinda Singh

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 Vrinda Singh

I am an eleven-year-old budding writer who has a keen interest in

fantasy and English classic stories. My hobbies are art, craft, reading
books, writing stories and playing with my little sister. I love the
colours pink and lavender. I am fond of humour and want people
to be hopeful and happy. This story is inspired by some instances
from my life.

..................................................................................................................................................
Vrinda Singh

Study Hall, Lucknow

152 The World of Woven Words

W
hen I was about six years old, we used to live in a
sprawling house. There were many trees around
us. It looked really lovely to me as there was so
much space to run and play. Like many kids, I too believed
in miracles, magic, Santa Claus and unicorns.
It was the rainy season. My aunt had come to visit us
and we were all busy with her. I was being naughty and
restless in the living room. To get rid of my mischief, my
mother advised me to go out for cycling. I grinned and
ran out to feel the small drops of drizzle on my face.
I took out my bicycle from the garage. As I rode, I kept
looking at the clouds. They were grey and like huge balls
of cotton. Just then, I saw a cloud which looked like the
shape of a unicorn. Lightning struck and the silver outline
of the cloud clearly showed a unicorn with wings; an
alicorn! I was astonished at seeing something so similar to
what I had seen only in animations on television. I believe
that I started to talk to the alicorn.
Just then, my mother called out my name and told me
to stay inside and not get wet in the rain. I went inside
to tell her what I had seen. She laughed at my simplicity
and ignorance. She told me that the real world did not
work like that. That subdued my soaring spirits. If my

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 The Blissful Saviour

mother did not believe in me, it was impossible that others

would ever!

Over the years, I shared my faith in unicorns and the incident

of my seeing an alicorn with different classmates but no
one understood. I got very few positive responses. I was
getting dejected and losing my own faith. I started reading
all sorts of books on unicorns and their whereabouts.
I applied for entry into a wing of the Magical Unicorn
Society, which provided extra information through
its books.
As years were passing slowly, I was becoming more
knowledgeable and desperate to see any type of unicorn.
The fact that came forth was that, unicorns were visible
only to those who really believed in them and were invisible
to those who did not believe!
I decided to keep my faith and research some more.
I read that unicorns could be present in any part of the
world. Some writers hinted that one must have a locket or
something to summon them. Few wrote that true focus
on their form and power would bring them to us. I just
wanted some real proof to calm my mind which was
disturbed by the opinion of my mother and my friends
who disagreed on the existence of unicorns at all.

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 Vrinda Singh

I was above eleven years of age when we moved into

a new house and a new school due to my father’s transfer.
The house was only a mile away from my school and I
would often stroll back home on my own.
One day, after my school got over, I was walking towards
my home. It was getting dark and I was a bit confused in
choosing lanes due to road construction; I lost my way
after a few minutes of walking. I felt really scared as no
human was in sight. Trees waved a little and the shadows
on the road were scaring me. The wind rustled the leaves
and made a ‘whoosh’ sound. Suddenly, the bushes beside
me parted and gave way to a slithering snake. The snake
was coming towards me.
Stupefied, I watched it come near me and the snake
raised its hood. I looked sideways to find a way to flee from
the snake. There was a construction pit on one side and
wild bushes on the other. I thought I had no escape from
the snake! Just then … I saw a white figure approaching
from the sky. For a moment I forgot that the snake was
there! My breathing stopped and heart raced fast, because
there stood an alicorn! My childhood hero and angel! It
landed and tapped one of its hooves. The snake scurried
away back into the bushes. I was safe but still not back to
my senses. Was I seeing a dream?!
The alicorn looked majestic and heavenly. It had a
rainbow-coloured mane, which waved in the winds. It

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 The Blissful Saviour

grunted with a sober look and started walking in front

of me, as if guiding me. I followed it with total devotion.
I never knew when we reached the gate of our house. I
looked at my gate and then realized that the alicorn had
saved me.
I bowed with a smile to thank the alicorn. It had a kind
look for me. Then, I moved forward to touch its heavenly
mane. But, the alicorn stepped away. It bowed its head
and from its horn something seemed to come out into my
hands. When I looked at my palm, there was a locket with
a rainbow feather in it. After that it turned and started
flying before I could say anything. I saw the alicorn was
getting fainter and fainter in the sky. And then it vanished
out of sight.
My mother was waiting for me in the verandah. She
saw me near the gate and rushed forward to the gate. Her
face showed that she was anxious about my wellbeing.
She hugged me and asked why I was so late and was I
safe or not.
When I told her about my narrow escape and how
the alicorn had guided me, she was extremely surprised.
I showed her the special locket with the feather and
that made her eyes gleam and moisten. She accepted
that she should not have doubted on what I believed
so deeply.

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 Vrinda Singh

I sighed in relief on being safe and relied upon by

my mother. Faith and hope sailed me through and I was
deeply indebted to all the good powers on this Earth and
beyond. The alicorn had really saved me in every way!

The World of Woven Words 157

158 The World of Woven Words
A Journey to the
Parallel Universe

Yuvaan Dogra

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 Yuvaan Dogra

I am famously called ‘Cheeku’ by my friends. You will wonder why

I am called ‘Cheeku’. I play cricket like Virat Kohli and since his
nickname is ‘Cheeku’, my friends also call me by the same name.
In my leisure time, I am fond of playing football and cricket. I
love to eat delicious food, notably rajma, rice, mangoes and drink
lemonade. As a younger sibling, my elder brother gives me a lot
of work to do and because of this reason I always think of being
in a parallel universe where I will give him a lot of work to do!! In
a parallel universe, everything is opposite from our universe. One
day in my dreams, I went to a parallel universe where children were
teaching teachers in the school, fish were swimming on the land,
it was raining upside down and so on. If you were in a parallel
universe, what would you do?

..................................................................................................................................................
Yuvaan Dogra

Army Public School, Noida

160 The World of Woven Words

I
t was a humid evening and I had just finished playing
football. I was on my way home with my football but
after some time of walking, I suddenly saw a portal
to a parallel universe. Behind it, there was a boy looking
like me, crying for a football. I felt bad and since I had
a ball with me, I went into the portal to give it to him.
But when I was going in and walking towards the boy, he
started disappearing.
I saw something that literally shocked me! It was a
parallel universe, where everything was opposite to what
happens in our universe. Students were teaching the
teachers, cricketers were playing football, Russia was the
smallest country ever and a lot more.
In the parallel universe I met a boy like me and I asked
him, ‘Who are you?’
He said, ‘First tell me who you are.’
I replied, ‘I am like you but from another universe.’
He asked, ‘How did you come here?’
I said, ‘I finished playing football in my universe and
while I was walking to my home, in the middle of the way,
I saw a portal to a parallel universe. There was a boy like
me crying for a football. Are you that boy?’

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 A Journey to the Parallel Universe

‘Yes, I was also playing football in the morning, but

some teenagers took my football with them.’
‘Oh, so that’s the reason you were crying!! Can we be
friends?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ he replied.
‘My name is Yuvaan and I am nine years old,’ I said.
‘What is your name?’
‘My name is Vivaan and I am also nine years old.’
We both smiled at each other as not only did our names
rhyme and we were of the same age, we both looked like
twin brothers!!
I asked if we could together explore his and
my universes.
‘That would be fun,’ said Vivaan. ‘Friend, let’s explore
my universe first, the universe parallel to yours. We can go
to the playground.’
We went to field and saw some teenagers playing with
Vivaan’s football. I asked them to return his ball. I also
told them, ‘I will give you my football in exchange for your
friendship and Vivaan’s ball.’
They accepted the offer and invited us to play football
with them. I was cheerful because I had friends in this new
universe!! I was extremely happy as both universes had the
same rules for friendship.
After the game finished, I was lost in my thoughts as I
had no house to live, no food to eat, no way to contact my

162 The World of Woven Words

 Yuvaan Dogra

parents. My new friends asked me to stay with them. I was

thankful but decided to stay with Vivaan as we both had a
lot of things in common.
While we were walking towards his house, I was
surprised to see that the houses were made of paper.
When we reached his house, I saw that he had origami
dogs as pets and they could speak like humans, he had
a trophy made of grass, his car was made of cotton, we
could see cartoons and movies on the windows and a lot
more. It was so much fun to see all this.
Vivaan’s parents were engaging and made me
comfortable in their home. We ate lunch, as in the parallel
universe, dinner is called lunch. Before going to bed, we
decided to go hiking the next day.

After we woke up, we ate dinner; in the parallel universe,

breakfast is called dinner. We went hiking after that. On
our way, I saw strange, blue-coloured mountains, which
were upside down. Birds were walking on the road and
animals such as cats and dogs were flying in the sky. We
had a shining moon in the morning and Vivaan told
me that the sun shines in the night. I kept laughing and
wondering at these sights, thinking about the differences
in both the universes.

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 A Journey to the Parallel Universe

After some time of hiking, I asked, ‘Vivaan, I am tired,

can we eat some food?’
He replied, ‘Sure.’
We ordered some sandwiches and I was shocked as
they were made of leaves instead of bread. We ate and
continued on our journey. Vivaan and I kept talking and
he shared that he had lost his elder sister, Viana, two years
ago during a family trip in a hill station. He and his parents
had tried their best to find her. He also said how he wished
to be united with his sister. When he was telling me about
Viana, he fell down and hurt his leg and I rushed him
to the hospital. While I was on our way to the hospital,
he said that here in the parallel universe, doctors are in a
factory instead of a hospital.
On reaching there, I found out that the medical team
had a button to heal patients. One of the leaders in the team
pressed that button and Vivaan’s leg healed immediately.
We then resumed our hiking.

When we reached his home after hiking, I told him that in

my universe, we have some applications, such as Instagram,
Facebook, GPS, where we can find his sister.
He immediately said, ‘So let us go to your universe.’
I agreed. We started to find the portal for my universe
and after some time, we saw it. When we tried to go to that

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 Yuvaan Dogra

universe, I was able to but Vivaan could not. So he gave

me the picture of his sister so that I could recognize her.
I said, ‘Vivaan, you stay here, I will come back in two or
three days.’
He agreed. I entered the portal and went home. My
parents asked, ‘Where were you for the last three days?’
I told them all about the parallel universe.
They said, ‘We will also help your friend.’
We started searching for Vivaan’s sister in all applications.
I saw a girl who looked like Viana and tried to stick a GPS
tracker in her purse, and it was successful. I rushed to
Vivaan’s universe!!
I told him everything that had happened in my universe
and he said, ‘Oh, so I will try once again to come to
your universe.’
I said, ‘Okay, I will hold your hands and then we will
try to go to my universe.’
We went to same area were the portal was, but I was
shocked that it was not there anymore.
Vivaan and I rushed to find the portal. After searching
for a while, Vivaan finally saw the portal behind a tree. We
held hands and were able to go to my universe.

While we were on the way to his sister’s location, we saw

that a five-year-old boy was crying because he had lost his

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 A Journey to the Parallel Universe

mother; kind-hearted Vivaan decided to help the little boy

first. We asked the boy his name and he replied, ‘Advik.’
We could not, however, find his mother, so we decided
to drop Advik to the police station and continue our search
for Vivaan’s sister. After some time, we saw a girl like
Viana running. Without waiting a second, we also started
running behind her, but after a while she stopped. We
saw her and I asked Vivaan whether she was his sister. He
was surprised and emotional as he was seeing Viana after
two long years. They both embraced each other. Vivaan
introduced me to her sister who thanked me.
‘Would you like to explore my universe now?’ I
asked Vivaan.
He said, ‘I would but now I have to tell my parents
about my sister.’
‘Okay friend, see you next time.’
We both said bye to each other, and I was happy to have
helped a brother find his sister and also that no matter
all other things were opposite in the parallel universe, but
humanity and kind-heartedness remained common in the
people in both the universes.

166 The World of Woven Words

The World of Woven Words 167
168 The World of Woven Words