The ringing of bells and the chanting of priests echoed resonantly through her ears. The smog from the fire was soaring higher and higher in the air. The waft of incense sticks hovered in the room. The instant Neha came out of the room, she felt as if she could finally take a breath. Nobody understood how troublesome it was for an atheist to be a part of a pooja. For her, it was like being somewhere she did not belong. She didn’t understand the purpose of believing in God because she could believe in herself and that belief was what mattered to her. Although, she didn’t have much choice. Most of the times, when anyone heard about her being an atheist, they would get startled; all the more because for people around her an ideal girl should have been following their rules of devotion. Her mother believed that religious worship was crucial as she thought that God was the only one who could protect her at all times.
Category Archives: 12+ years
Evolution of children’s literature in India
My first foray into the world of literature was when I was three. My dad got me a magazine called ‘Magic Pot’ and simply said ‘You’ll like this. Read.’ I admit, I initially read only for the free stickers that came with the book, but as I grew older, most of my time was spent swimming through pages of monthly magazines and storybooks that my cousins passed on to me.
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Gloom And Hope
A sunflower sings this for its beloved lover and caretaker- the sun.
Always has it been a boon for me,
Adjudging the sight of you;
But, time flies; and so do you, at dusk,
Leaving me with, but
Gloom and hope.
Rogue Paths
I wake up to find myself handcuffed to the hospital bed. The drug they injected me with to tame me seems to be wearing off. Ugh! This again. Better to get it over with, I guess. I drag my free hand into my bun and retrieve a small blade. As usual the dumb police never bothered to check in there thinking a man’s bun would just be a fashion statement. I twist to my side and turn the blade in the keyhole clockwise. My hand comes free. I learnt to pick locks when I was young, one of my many talents. I shake my hand hard to get rid of the stiffness and get up from the bed.
Dear Future
Dear future,
You may not have given us what we want,
But have taught us what to do and what shan’t.
You may not have acquainted us with flight,
But might’ve given us the potential to fight.
Two To Tango By Shreyas & Aditya – Special Mentions
At Beyond the Box, we are constantly thinking of ideas to give something unique, refreshing as well as challenging to our community of writers. Two to Tango was one such endeavour to encourage the participants to work along with another writer as a team and bring about a creative synergy. 66 teams participated in this one-of-its-kind contest and the winners were chosen by an eclectic jury panel comprising of prolific authors Ramendra Kumar, Shilpa Suraj and Apeksha Rao. Below prompt was given to the writers and they were asked to narrate the same story from two different points of view.
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Book Review – Playing
Book title – Playing
Author – Sunaina Ali
Illustrator – Debasmita Dasgupta
Genre – Children’s Fiction/Picture Book
Publisher – Katha India
Recommended age – 6+ years
‘Playing’, written by Sunaina Ali, is a short yet delightful picture book for children aged 6 years and above.
Dear Dad – Father’s Day Special Poem Feature
Your pain is never conveyed,
But when I am sick
On my bedside you have stayed.
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Misunderstandings – Father’s Day Special Story Feature
Ivy drags herself out of bed on the freezing morning. It’s the same, tedious routine she has to follow, day after day. Wash, get dressed, have a meagre breakfast, then walk to the college campus, because they can’t afford the bus. Still, her life isn’t nearly as bad as some of the other kids she knows at college.
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The Bright Side
The resounding sound made by the alarm was enough to wake Sheela up. Though the alarm rang every day, she was tired of this routine. Her work every day was just this. Waking up at 5 AM; finishing cooking by 7:45 AM; sending off her son and husband; doing the household chores; having lunch; taking a nap for an hour; picking her son up from school; the chores again; eating; sleeping; waking up the next day at 5 AM.