SHORT STORY

“Zzzzt, zzzzt,” rang the phone. Lavanya felt scared because she was alone at home.

She timidly answered the call; it was her aunt. Her aunt said, “Hello, Lavanya, I’m going out without my daughter Bhoomi. She is alone. Will you come here and take care of my daughter?”

Lavanya said, “Okay.”

She took her new cycle out and started on her way. She saw many cows on her way. She saw a strange person walking. Most of his face was hidden behind a plain mask, but his eyes were red. He wore torn clothes. Another mysterious thing about him was that he held something like a stick with many keys.

Lavanya walked quickly away from him. She arrived at her destination, her aunt’s house. She found Bhoomi, her aunt’s daughter, sleeping peacefully. Lavanya closed all the doors and also slept. She dreamed beautiful dreams, but suddenly woke up to the baby crying. Bhoomi was crying for milk. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Lavanya picked a knife from kitchen and opened the door. It was only her aunt.

Her aunt said, “Lavanya, didn’t you go to your house? You are here? But I don’t see your cycle outside.”

Lavanya exclaimed, “What? My cycle is not here?”

Lavanya ran out and realised that someone had stolen her bicycle. She frantically searched for her bicycle, but to no avail. She then called her father and explained everything.

Her father came on a bike and shouted at her. She also spotted the black masked strange person. She asked her father about him. Her father said he was only a locksmith who had come to fix their door lock. Lavanya was confused.

The father and daughter searched around the area, but couldn’t find the bicycle. Lavanya missed it a lot.

by

Lalitha Priya Pagadala

Class VII

Written in July 2023