Surprise!!

“Surprise!!” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by B G Namrata, Cambridge public e- school, Krishnagiri, India.

Surprise!!

“Hello, anyone there” shouted Janu. Janeshwari was a girl who studied in 7th standard at Little Sparks Higher Secondary School. All called her Janu. She was always a late comer to school and she was thinking that nobody liked her including her parents. But in reality, they all loved her. “Hello, anyone there” she shouted again. She was the first person who entered the class unlike any other day. She quietly sat in her desk finding no one in the class for some time. She lost her patience and planned to read for that day’s test. She went to take the textbook from the shelf. Suddenly, she felt something touching her on the neck. She turned back to see what was it. It was a black giant spider. She shouted very loudly as she was so scared. Silently, she came back again to her desk. Sitting in the desk, she bent down to take her fallen pencil. When she rose up, she found an ugly cockroach on her textbook. She again shouted loudly pushing away the book fiercely from the desk. It fell down with great sound.

She relaxed herself and sat calmly for some time. Then, she decided to write something on the black board. She took a chalk from the chalk box and started to write on the black board. While writing, she saw a group of ants marching towards her leg. She was very frightened. She stamped all the ants with her, big black shoes and again went back to her desk. She sat quietly for 5 minutes. Suddenly the lights were off. She felt that her classroom was a haunted one and she went near the switch board. The switches were off. She could not understand what was happening. Again she relaxed herself and switched on the lights and she turned back. She was shocked. There were her classmates who shouted “Surprise!!” They gave the surprise to her as that day was her birthday.

Her classmates made her to cut the cake which was a clone of her. She can’t believe that moment. She realized for the first time that her classmates loved her. She told them, “This is my best birthday ever” enjoying the cake”, finished Anandhi, who was living with her little son Ravi in a remote village. She was saying this story to her son. Anandhi asked Ravi, ”Do you like this story, my dear” but got no reply from him as he was sleeping in Anandhi’s lap after listening to her story. Anandhi just smiled at him and made him sleep aside and she slept.

Next day, when she woke up, Ravi was missing. She was very afraid as Ravi was her only son. She loved Ravi more than how much she loved her parents. She searched for Ravi all over the village but he was not found. Anandhi was very upset. She skipped her breakfast and lunch. It was evening. On her way back home, she was thinking about Ravi every millisecond. She cried nonstop. Sitting in the backyard, tired and dejected Anandhi recalled the times she spent with Ravi. She could not control her tears. Suddenly, she felt a very small hand on her shoulder. She turned back to see who was it. To her surprise it was Ravi. Anandhi embraced him very tightly and asked, “Where did you go, my dear?” Ravi didn’t answer her question but he said, “Come with me” closing her eyes. Anandhi went along. Ravi opened her eyes. Anandhi was in a shock. She saw the hall of her home full of decorations. She also saw a 3-step cake with her photo printed on it. She saw her son with joy and tears rolling down her cheeks. She hugged Ravi and gave him a kiss. Ravi hugged his mother with love and said “Happy birth day mom”. Anandhi and Ravi enjoyed the cake and made a prayer to Ravi’s dead father. Anandhi told Ravi, “This is the best birthday ever my dear son” who was licking his cream coated fingers.