Young Adult
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Biryani for Two
Pramit Dutta 1 The sun peeked through the jharokhas of the old Nawabi architecture as Zoya Rehman adjusted the camera angle for her vlog, the aromatic chaos of the Battle Biryani set behind her in full swing. “Good morning from Hyderabad, doston!” she chirped, her voice crisp, her tone animated. “I’m Zoya, and today I’ve…
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The Solar Eclipse Diaries
Riya Bhattacharya 1 The sun hung low in the Kolkata sky, its light strangely muted as if nature itself was holding its breath. The city buzzed with excitement over the impending solar eclipse, the rare astronomical event that had drawn both superstition and science into equal frenzy. But sixteen-year-old Isha Sen couldn’t care less. Trapped…
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The Last Game of Polo
Arun Bhatia ONE Samir Singh stood at the edge of the polo field, the sound of hooves thundering in his ears, as he watched his father, Veerendra Singh, ride across the vast estate that had been the heart of their royal legacy for generations. The sprawling grounds, dotted with grand palaces and ancient temples, had…
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The Elephant Festival Club
Kabir Malhotra One Dev Mehra had always believed his camera saw what he couldn’t say. It was easier to stand behind the lens, to frame color and light into quiet stories, than to face people and speak his thoughts aloud. When his cousin Anika tugged at his arm that morning, excitement glinting in her eyes…
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The Midnight Train to Kolkata
Priyangshu Patil 1 Sahil sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the clock as the minute hand crept closer to midnight. The sound of crickets outside his window blended with the faint hum of the small village, but inside the room, there was a heavy silence. Tomorrow, or rather, tonight, he would be…
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When We Danced That Summer
Ira Mehrotra The Town That Smelled of Salt and Silence The train screeched to a stop like it wasn’t ready to let go of Rihan Bose. He stepped down onto the sun-bleached platform of Kavar, a small town that clung to the southern coastline like a secret. The salty wind stung his skin, and gulls…
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Paper Boats in Powai Lake
Avni Kapoor One The school bell echoed through the marbled corridors of Ridgeway High, its chime too polished, too clinical—like the rest of the campus. Shaurya Mehta stepped out of the black BMW, his school blazer immaculately pressed, his expression unreadable. His driver wished him luck, but Shaurya barely nodded, already scanning the building as…
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The Dance of Dreams
Divya Iyer (1) Anika sat quietly in the corner of her room, the soft glow of the evening sun filtering through the curtains, casting a golden hue on the worn pages of her Bharatanatyam manual. Her feet itched to move, her body longed for the rhythm, the dance that had been a part of her…
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The Song of the Peacock
Vikram Nair Chapter 1: The Flute’s Call The sun hung low over the village of Vypin, casting long shadows across the palm-fringed backwaters that glimmered like silver ribbons. Arjun, a boy of sixteen, stood on the rickety dock, watching the fishermen return with their daily catch. The salty breeze tousled his unruly hair, and the…
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The Monsoon Letterbox
Aarohi Jadhav Chapter 1: Rain, Reluctance, and Rust The bus ride to Dapoli was as grey and endless as the monsoon clouds that followed it. Vanya Kale sat hunched beside the window, her earbuds silent, the phone in her lap long out of charge. Her mother’s hurried goodbye still echoed in her ears — “It’s…
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The Playlist Project
Mayurakshi Deb One Jay Malhotra walked through the tiled corridors of St. Cecilia’s High School as if he were moving through static—half there, half not. Students passed in waves: some laughing, some shouting, some drowning in their own phones. He kept his earbuds in but played no music, just the illusion of sound to avoid…
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The Yearbook Lie
Part 1: The Caption That Shouldn’t Exist The bell rang for the last time that Friday afternoon, and the hallways of Lakemount High flooded with bodies—seniors hollering, juniors buzzing, lockers slamming shut like punctuation marks on a chaotic sentence. Avani Kapoor walked slower than most, her earbuds in, her playlist whispering solace. She didn’t need…