SHORT STORY

Happy Kids, a prestigious high school in Karnataka, was grappling with a severe crisis. Most of the students were vomiting every day and contracting diseases. Madhu, a student in that school, was baffled by this phenomenon. Even some teachers quit because of the problem, which made principal very worried. One day, her friend Priya caught cholera, which made Madhu determined to solve this mystery.

Principal sought to choose a student to crack the mystery. Madhu eagerly grabbed this opportunity. She started exploring the school’s surroundings. She saw a snack shop opposite to her school, where children from her school purchase a lot of food items every day. She wanted to find out what that shopkeeper was actually selling. Next day, she took a leave and went to the shop as a worker, pretending to be a worker.

Next day, she went in a disguise to that shop and asked for a job. She pretended to be a worker for one day. The shopkeeper hired her. Once she was inside the shop, she discovered that they were selling many expired junk food items, like Lay’s and Kurkure. She immediately reported this to the police in her area and the cops immediately swooped down on the shop and seized it.

The very next day, principal called for an assembly. He welcomed Madhu onto the stage and explained about her heroic actions, which made him proud. As a token of appreciation, he awarded her a cash prize of 2,000 rupees. From then onwards, the incidence of diseases has reduced and the school gradually became healthy again.

by

Ram Harshith Kandula

Class VIII

Written in February 2024