He noticed that the gates were loosely open. The security guards were fast asleep.
In the city, the streets were dusty and deserted. There were some shops, but there were no shopkeepers to be seen.
He finally spotted a man, and with a polite smile asked him where he could find some food and water. The man raised his head, and muttered, "What?"
"I said, can you tell me a place where I can buy some food and water?"
Muralidhar repeated. The man acted as if he had witnessed a ghost and ran away.
Weird, Muralidhar thought to himself and moved forward. After walking for a while, he arrived at a small, shallow brook which had several fruit trees. He soon gulped mouthfuls of water and climbed a tree to pluck some fruits. He then saw a man holding some large metal cylinders and gesturing by raising his elbows towards the sun and then lowering his hands into the cylinders.
Muralidhar walked towards the man and said, "Uhm! Hello! What are you doing?"
The man didn't answer. "I wanted to know what you are doing. My name is Muralidhar...and I am a..."
"Can't you see? I am collecting sunlight!" The man said angrily.
"Collecting? Sunlight? But why..."
"Are you a fool? What if the sun doesn't rise tomorrow? If you wish to stay alive, then you ought to collect some sunlight for yourself!"
"But...but you can't possibly collect the sunlight like this..."
The man shook his head and then walked away. Murlidhar, once again moved towards the city streets to find shelter for himself.
On his way, he saw a deserted temple.
He was shocked to see nothing except a plain roofless square, with a large stony rock carved in the centre of the square courtyard. A man was banging his forehead on the giant brown-grey stone repetitively.
Muralidhar rushed to the man to stop him. "Hey! Hey! Your forehead is injured. What are you doing?"
Denne historien er fra April First 2023-utgaven av Champak.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April First 2023-utgaven av Champak.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Return Gift
\"Dingo, it's been a long time since we've had a nice party.
Moving to the MOON
In the forest town of Hoshiarpur, there was a mischievous bear named Dabbu.
Tea and the Lizard
Parth's father loved tea and enjoyed several cups throughout the day.
Shera Breaks a Bad Habit
It was December, and a cold wave settled upon Chandanvan. Prime Minister Shera discovered that his once-luxurious velvet quilt was now stained with mildew after being stored in the damp basement.
MANAS AND THE LOST KITTEN
After the half-yearly exams had ended, Manas began to feel bored at home. He insisted that he wanted a pet to keep him company.
The Ghost on the Hill
It had rained a lot in Champakvan that year. There were floods, and Cheeku rabbit and Jumpy monkey's homes had been washed away.
FINDERS, KEEPERS
Raji came out of her cool, thatched roof hut. The rough, sun-baked ground scorched her little feet. She looked up at the sun - it was still not very high in the sky. Judging by its position, Raji guessed it was around ten o'clock...
A Dog Named DOT
Dogs like Dot are found a dime a dozen on Chennai streets. Diya could never understand why that one particular dog who was just like any other brown and white dog, chose to pull at her heartstrings...
THE SCHOOL CONSTITUTION
10-year-old Mayank had just opened his tiffin box to eat when the aroma of his food spread through the class...
TARUN'S TALE
\"Stories should be like a breath of fresh air. They should give strength to our souls,\" Tarun's grandmother told him...
