SHORT STORY

Lisa attends Vishwam Talent School, located in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. It provides good education but there is an unsolved mystery in this school. Important files and things keep going missing on campus. There are no CC cameras anywhere. Many children complained that their things belongings have disappeared too. They have talented students in each class. They called toppers and asked them to find out. Even teachers stayed back whole night and investigated. Yet, none of them could crack the case.

Lisa was neither a topper nor a popular girl. She tried many ways to communicate with teacher about what she learnt about the mystery. Once, she went to the receptionist who is daughter of director and principal. But the receptionist refused to investigate. The receptionist was very cruel with the children and stayed whole night and. Taking her mother’s permission, Lisa too decided to stay on the campus for the whole day and night.

That night, Lisa saw a girl coming from the stairs, who was wearing scarf to cover her face. Lisa followed this girl. The mystery girl entered a classroom, took chalks, along with the duster, and threw them out of the window. Then she went to the open area where they fell. She dug a hole and kept them there. Lisa followed her to the open area and hid behind a tree. While the mystery girl was digging, Lisa saw many things which had gone missing in her classroom in the pit. Lisa recognised the thief to be the receptionist herself.

Next morning Lisa related everything to the director. Director said, “Well done. I am so sorry for these thefts. I will take care of the thief.”

After two days director called for a grand assembly. The teachers returned all the stolen articles to the children. The director then revealed that the whole theft-affair was a prank. He just wanted to find out who the best detective in our school was. Director called Lisa and awarded her a cheque of one lakh rupees.

by

Muvva Vyshnavi

Class VIII

Written in February 2024