Three Line Tale #46: The empty classrooms

The empty classrooms and playgrounds were tired of the deafening silence.Gone were the days when little humans graced those buildings with their presence.In a world where online classes were the norm, the school buildings felt abandoned, lonely, and unloved. This post was written in response to the Three Line Tales, Week 292 prompt by Sonya. Thanks …

Out of whack – a tiny tale

Little Jimmy was excited. He kept pacing around as he waited for his father to come home. He couldn't wait to show off his handiwork. At last, when his father came home, Jimmy led him to the garage to unveil his latest project. Jimmy smiled smugly as he saw his father gape at his creation."Jimmy…wha..what …

Hunted down – a tiny-tale

Once upon a time, I was real. Yes, dragons were real. As real as the air you breathe in. My entire species were trusted companions of humans. We were their winged transporters, helping them soar to greater heights. But humankind grew greedy and in their greed, they saw the world through a different eye. They …

Goodbye – a tiny tale

She was happy that they had come to visit her. She had watched them play under her shade as kids. As teens, they had tried to climb her branches to snatch her fruit. She rarely got to see them as they passed into their adulthood. Little did she know that they had arrived to see …

Family – a short story

Anika followed the family of ducks as they made their way to the pond on the grounds. She watched intently as the little ducklings launched themselves into the water in tiny splashes after their mother. At times, Anika felt jealous of the ducklings. Unlike her, they never had to worry about school, homework, exams, chores, …

Three Line Tale #45: A home…

They didn't live in a posh localityThe nearest shop was miles awayBut they had a home, not just a house This post was written in response to the Three Line Tales, Week 281 prompt by Sonya. Thanks to Sonya for hosting this challenge. If you want to participate, please visit the link for instructions and other …

Hard times – a tiny tale

"Chaaaaiiiii chaaaiiiii. Hot chaiiii", Raju announced relentlessly as he moved from one carriage to the other. The pandemic imposed restrictions had bankrupted him and waylaid his livelihood. When the trains got cancelled, he was forced to seek out odd jobs just to make ends meet. Even then, there were days when his family of three …

The empty-nester – a tiny tale

The wooden benches in her garden had remained vacant for too long. Sita missed her children and the extremely naughty, noisy bunch of grandchildren. The restrictions prevented her extended family from visiting and transforming her home into a hive of activity. This tiny tale was written in response to the June 23rd #1MinFiction Challenge hosted by …

The silver lining – a short story

Even with his secret (from the non-magical people) rescue missions (for the non-magical people), Uncle Albert had a lot of time on his hands. Aunt Rosie suggested he take up a project to combat his boredom. She had recommended completing the project without resorting to the slightest bit of magic. The project she had in …

Evolution – a tiny tale

In a very disturbing turn of events, several trees all over the world surprised humans with their newfound ability to move! It has been reported that several trees all over the world uprooted themselves and started moving forward haphazardly, leaving a trail of mass destruction in their wake. Scientists are quite baffled by this new …

Best Friends Forever – a tiny tale

The first time they had met each other at school, little did Ananya, Mariya and Aisha know that they would end being the best of friends. Fate and circumstances had enabled them to forge a lasting bond of friendship. Even as the seasons passed, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into years and years turned …

Three Line Tale #44: Without light…

Even rainbows need light to come alive and be seen Without light, colours lose their identity Even peacocks seem rather ordinary under the veil of darkness! Colours make all the difference in life. And light enables those of us blessed with the gift of sight to appreciate it. The world would be a very dull …

The castle in the woods – a tiny tale

The relentless waves of covid and the never-ending lockdowns had affected the magical community too. Uncle Albert and Aunt Rosie were forced to close down their café and retire to their castle in the woods. To a non-magic eye, the castle seemed like a dilapidated, abandoned shelter amidst an overgrown yard. But the castle served …

Three Line Tale #43: Are You Happy Now?

Vimal unwrapped the towel that was rolled into a ball and left at the door of his apartment. "Are You Happy Now?" read the towel with an arrow pointing to the other side which read "Open the door; happiness awaits you". Though he was shocked and a little apprehensive, Vimal turned the key in the …

Plastic! – a tiny tale

Matilda had always been obsessed with environmental issues. She did her best to be more environment-friendly. She had always wanted to come with a solution to the never-ending plastic problem. Passionate about saving the environment, she even made a career (and eventually a start-up) out of it.Matilda developed a way of recycling even the stubbornest …

The memory lane – a short story

Mindy had been cleaning out her attic when an old photograph fell to the floor and caught her attention. She picked up the old photo, dusted it off and stared at it. A wave of nostalgia hit her with the force of a speeding train. Her memories took her back to a time when her …

Mr. Cat’s Adventures – a tiny tale

Hey, you! That's right. You, HOOMAN, why are you staring at me like that? I am sitting here, basking in the sun and trying to enjoy a perfectly lazy day. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I had nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with that missing gold fish. Between you and me though, I …

Three Line Tale #42: The world is her canvas

She spread joy wherever she went,like she was re-painting the world around her in bright colours,transforming a world that seemed to have forgotten that colours exist! This post was written in response to the Three Line Tales, Week 279 prompt by Sonya. Thanks to Sonya for hosting this challenge. If you want to participate, please visit …

Three Line Tale #41: Happiness is a piece of cake

Anita broke her fortune cookie, took one look at her fortune that proclaimed "Happiness is a piece of cake" and rolled her eyes. Then a brilliant idea flashed into her mind - now that she had been laid off, she could use the time to turn her passion into her job and turn into a …

Chasing sunrises – a tiny tale

Taking a walk along the beach, with his faithful dog Bosco by his side had been one of his favourite pastimes. Together, they would watch as the rays of sunlight chased the darkness and spread throughout. Even after his master's untimely death, Bosco kept their tradition alive. This tiny tale was written in response to …

The unexpected encounter – a short story

The narrow alleyway leading to the wine shop was almost deserted except for a handful of people. With her nose buried deep in a book, Mia didn't notice the bridge or the adjoining steps until she stumbled and fell to her knees. To her pleasant surprise, she found herself being assisted by a tall, handsome …

The runaway duckling – a tiny tale

Mama Duck was not having a good day or even a good week for that matter. Only a week ago, she had been ecstatic because her eggs were finally hatching!While she attended to her hungry newborns, her attention was momentarily diverted when the last egg hatched. And the last duckling imprinted on Mama Hen instead …

Destiny – a tiny tale

Grew up listening to grandma's stories. Little did she imagine that one day she would be a best-selling author herself. (20 words)This post was written in response to the Twenty-Word Tuesday: Week 33 prompt. Thank you, Bulbul for hosting this challenge. The challenge is to weave a tale in exactly 20 words based on the given …

Escape from reality – a tiny tale

She always turned to her storybooks to escape her own harsh reality. Life seemed much better in the fictional world. (20 words)This post was written in response to the Twenty-Word Tuesday: Week 33 prompt. Thank you, Bulbul for hosting this challenge. The challenge is to weave a tale in exactly 20 words based on the given …

Three Line Tale #40: The Graduation

Ever since she was a little girl, Emma had always dreamed of being valedictorian. She had her heart set on delivering a kickass speech that would make the audience erupt in applause and cheering.But as she looked at the giant framed version of her brother's graduation picture, she realized that her own virtual graduation would …