I participated in a short story writing contest that was held by a major newspaper. Though I did not win the contest here is my entry. Let me know in your comments whether you enjoyed the story. The ask for the story was to use the passage- "I wish I could turn back the clock and bring wheels of time to a stop".
==============================================================
After a hearty dinner and his favorite sweets, Dhruv announced his intention of trekking at the dinner table. His grandfather looked amused at his suggestion and said, “ We shall see, but before that, I have some gifts for you.“ Rohan yelped with joy and followed his grandfather, who brought a yellow plastic bag bearing gifts for the kids. Dhruv got a pair of swanky sunglasses, he thanked his grandfather and thought that he would put them to use on the beach. “I am Spiderman”, yelled Rohan excitedly, pointing to the big red spider print on his new oversized blue T-shirt. Dhruv laughed and said, “ No you are not Spiderman, you are a little red spider”.
The next day, Dhruv’s parents were busy catching up with old friends. A stream of relatives appeared and every one of them seemed to have an annoying curiosity in Dhruv’s studies. He could not stand the pretentious uncles and aunts who gave unsolicited advice. He escaped into his grandfather’s study and looked at the collection of tribal artifacts and numerous books. He was closely studying a mounted tribal bow when he heard his Grandpa walk into the room. “Looks like you finally found something interesting today”, Dhruv’s Grandpa said smiling at his teenaged grandson. Dhruv complained, “I don’t like sitting at home, I want to get out. Please promise to take me trekking tomorrow.” As if on cue, Rohan appeared and started jumping, “I want to come too, please take us for trekking Grandpa.” While Dhruv never imagined Rohan on the trek, his pleading seemed to work. Mr. Naidu, Dhruv’s Grandpa was a healthy man in his early sixties, with a full head of silver-white hair and broad shoulders. Mr. Naidu was glad that his grandchildren wanted to spend time outdoors instead of sitting in front of a television. He promised kids that he would do so if they put on their best behavior with the all the guests. Dhruv grudgingly agreed to the proposal and dragged back his feet to the living room.
On the day of the trek, Dhruv’s grandma packed some pooris and mashed potato. Dhruv whined that he wanted sandwiches and not pooris. His father reminded Dhruv that he was visiting his grandma as opposed to starring in a Hardy Boys adventure. Dhruv was not amused by the comparison but chose not to fight back. Dhruv’s parents had excused themselves from his trekking plan citing important tasks that they needed to finish. The boys were in safe hands, as their grandfather knew the area very well. Around 3 PM, the kids packed their bags and put on their shoes, they quickly filed into Mr. Naidu’s vintage white ambassador. Dhruv had brought his new sunglasses, while Rohan had put on his oversized spider shirt and was humming a silly Spiderman tune all through the ride. As they reached the Beach road, they could see waves crashing on the shores and feel the salty strong wind on their faces. The road ran parallel to the beach and curved around the hill. The beach had white sands with strong tones of black eroding soil, lined with patches of Coconut and Casuarina trees. The salty breeze carried a scent of dried fish, as they drove past a group of fisherman huts. Their car slowed down as it turned onto a untarred road leading up to the foot of the hill.
“It takes about ninety minutes to reach the top and forty-five minutes to come back. Make sure to stay close to each other at all times”, cautioned Mr. Naidu. Dhruv made a mental note to reach the summit in half the time and had no intentions to stay with the group, as they would slow him down. Few minutes into the trek, Mr. Naidu pointed to the acacia shrubs and warned the kids to stay clear of them. Dhruv was focussed on the summit and steadily picked up pace. Midway into the trek, he turned around to find his Grandpa and Rohan examining a Touch-me-not plant. Rohan ran his tiny fingers along the edges of the Touch-me-not leaves, his eyes widened and mouth opened in amazement as the leaves folded inward on his touch. Rohan ran to his elder brother to describe the miracle he just saw. Dhruv acknowledged his brother’s excitement and reminded him to keep up the pace, “We need to reach the summit faster than anyone else”. Dhruv’s words fell on deaf ears as a bright blue butterfly diverted Rohan’s attention. Rohan followed the butterfly, that fluttered over acacia shrubs and before anyone could realize he let out a shrill cry of pain. Mr. Naidu ran up to a bleeding Rohan and comforted him. After quickly pulling out the sharp thorn, Mr. Naidu said that it would be best to head back to the car and dress Rohan’s wound. Dhruv was infuriated at the idea of heading back, he was angry at Rohan’s carelessness. Dhruv thought that Rohan should not have come in first place, and now he had ruined the whole trek.
Mr. Naidu dressed Rohan’s wound using his first aid kit in the car. Rohan had by now stopped wailing but seemed very concerned about the white bandage on his right calf. Dhruv was silently furious at both his Grandpa and Rohan who had just ruined his vacation. They headed to the beach, Mr. Naidu parked his car in the shade of Casuarina trees and walked on the shore until they found a secluded spot. Mr. Naidu spread a blanket and all of them rested for a few minutes. Neither Dhruv nor Rohan knew how to swim, hence the waters did not entice them much. A small growth of rocks jutted into the sea few yards from their spot. The sound of waves crashing against these rocks and sea spray filled the air. Rohan’s tears had dried and formed two dark streaks against his cheeks. He was curiously spying on the little crabs that mysteriously appeared from small holes on the beach and were busy rolling tiny balls of sand. He kept humming “ Spiderman! Spiderman!” as his knees sank into the sand as he crouched over the little crabs. “Time to eat those pooris, I left them in the car, Dhruv can you run and get them?” asked Mr. Naidu. Dhruv was still fuming and in no mood to take orders, ”Why do I have to get them? You can get it yourself.” he shot back. Mr. Naidu gave his arrogant grandson a disappointed look and rose to get the food from the car. “Don’t go near the water”, he instructed trudging back to the car. Almost instantly Dhruv felt guilty and angry at his own behavior. He looked at the little rascal, who oblivious of his mistake, kept humming louder and bolder.
“You are no Spiderman, you are a stupid little coward”, shouted Dhruv. Rohan was taken aback at this sudden outpour from his brother but was determined to defend himself. “I am not a coward, you are a coward.” blabbered Rohan. Dhruv could not stand Rohan’s insolence, “ You should not have come today, forget the hill you cannot even climb that stupid rock. You little coward.” The angry waves crashed onto the rocks as the brothers stared at each other. Rohan turned around and started to run determinedly towards the rocks and screamed back “ I am not a coward.” After a brief moment, reality hit Dhruv and he ran behind his brother to stop him from climbing the dangerous rocks that jutted into the sea. Rohan had already started climbing slippery rocks with his tiny bare feet and when he reached perilously close to the water, he turned around and raised his little hands in triumph. As Dhruv pleaded with him to come back, suddenly a strong wave knocked Rohan against the rocks and pulled him into the water. Dhruv ran behind him, but the current was too strong and pulled Rohan further into the sea. Rohan screamed for help, Dhruv yelled for help, he turned around hoping to find his grandpa but he had disappeared behind the growth of the trees. Dhruv looked helplessly around and ran as fast as he could to call his Grandpa. At the edge of the shore, he shouted at the top of voice for help, he saw his Grandpa and a couple of fishermen run towards him. He turned around and pointed towards the sea and asked them for help. He ran back towards the beach but could not spot his brother anymore. The Sun was setting and the shadows lengthened on the eastern shores. Dhruv’s eyes frantically searched for Rohan in vain. As the fishermen jumped into the sea, Dhruv sank onto his knees. A silent prayer escaped young Dhruv’s lips, “I wish I could turn back the clock and bring the wheels of time to a stop.” his teary eyes were tightly closed and palms pressed in hope.Dhruv remembered the last words Rohan heard him say and muttered "You are not coward, you are my red little spider "
==============================================================
The Little Red Spider
==============================================================
Dhruv peered out of the airplane window as the aircraft circled around the port city Vishakhapatnam. The bustling city was a natural port with hills flanking either side of the coastline. Dhruv was visiting his grandparents for summer holidays. He nudged his kid brother Rohan, who in deep sleep had rested his head on Dhruv’s shoulder. Rohan was seven years old and shadowed his 14-year-old brother everywhere he went. Their parents were seated in the row ahead of them and were preparing for the landing. Dhruv’s vacation destination had created a buzz among his friends in Delhi. He had shared his grand plans of trekking hills and bathing on white sand beaches with his close group of friends. He promised them that he would come back with pictures and stories of his conquests.
Dhruv and Rohan were bustling with energy by the time they reached their grandparent’s home. After customary greetings, Dhruv quickly ran to the terrace to spy the sea on the horizon and right next to it was the imposing Kailashgiri hill with its red soil and dark green treetops. Perched on top of the hill, was a huge white statue of Shiva, overseeing the wide expanse of Bay of Bengal as the setting Sun turned the sky reddish orange. The salty sea breeze ruffled Dhruv’s hair and evoked a smile. He heard rapid but tiny footsteps of Rohan who joined him on the terrace. Rohan was a happy kid, with large brown eyes and chubby cheeks. Dhruv loved Rohan but was annoyed by his constant tagging along. A gust of wind messed with Rohan’s mop of brown hair and made his button nose twitch, he let out an excited chuckle. “Grandma is calling you for dinner”, announced Rohan flashing a toothy smile. As twilight set in, Dhruv silently bid a quick goodbye to the hill and raced his brother to the dinner table.After a hearty dinner and his favorite sweets, Dhruv announced his intention of trekking at the dinner table. His grandfather looked amused at his suggestion and said, “ We shall see, but before that, I have some gifts for you.“ Rohan yelped with joy and followed his grandfather, who brought a yellow plastic bag bearing gifts for the kids. Dhruv got a pair of swanky sunglasses, he thanked his grandfather and thought that he would put them to use on the beach. “I am Spiderman”, yelled Rohan excitedly, pointing to the big red spider print on his new oversized blue T-shirt. Dhruv laughed and said, “ No you are not Spiderman, you are a little red spider”.
The next day, Dhruv’s parents were busy catching up with old friends. A stream of relatives appeared and every one of them seemed to have an annoying curiosity in Dhruv’s studies. He could not stand the pretentious uncles and aunts who gave unsolicited advice. He escaped into his grandfather’s study and looked at the collection of tribal artifacts and numerous books. He was closely studying a mounted tribal bow when he heard his Grandpa walk into the room. “Looks like you finally found something interesting today”, Dhruv’s Grandpa said smiling at his teenaged grandson. Dhruv complained, “I don’t like sitting at home, I want to get out. Please promise to take me trekking tomorrow.” As if on cue, Rohan appeared and started jumping, “I want to come too, please take us for trekking Grandpa.” While Dhruv never imagined Rohan on the trek, his pleading seemed to work. Mr. Naidu, Dhruv’s Grandpa was a healthy man in his early sixties, with a full head of silver-white hair and broad shoulders. Mr. Naidu was glad that his grandchildren wanted to spend time outdoors instead of sitting in front of a television. He promised kids that he would do so if they put on their best behavior with the all the guests. Dhruv grudgingly agreed to the proposal and dragged back his feet to the living room.
On the day of the trek, Dhruv’s grandma packed some pooris and mashed potato. Dhruv whined that he wanted sandwiches and not pooris. His father reminded Dhruv that he was visiting his grandma as opposed to starring in a Hardy Boys adventure. Dhruv was not amused by the comparison but chose not to fight back. Dhruv’s parents had excused themselves from his trekking plan citing important tasks that they needed to finish. The boys were in safe hands, as their grandfather knew the area very well. Around 3 PM, the kids packed their bags and put on their shoes, they quickly filed into Mr. Naidu’s vintage white ambassador. Dhruv had brought his new sunglasses, while Rohan had put on his oversized spider shirt and was humming a silly Spiderman tune all through the ride. As they reached the Beach road, they could see waves crashing on the shores and feel the salty strong wind on their faces. The road ran parallel to the beach and curved around the hill. The beach had white sands with strong tones of black eroding soil, lined with patches of Coconut and Casuarina trees. The salty breeze carried a scent of dried fish, as they drove past a group of fisherman huts. Their car slowed down as it turned onto a untarred road leading up to the foot of the hill.
“It takes about ninety minutes to reach the top and forty-five minutes to come back. Make sure to stay close to each other at all times”, cautioned Mr. Naidu. Dhruv made a mental note to reach the summit in half the time and had no intentions to stay with the group, as they would slow him down. Few minutes into the trek, Mr. Naidu pointed to the acacia shrubs and warned the kids to stay clear of them. Dhruv was focussed on the summit and steadily picked up pace. Midway into the trek, he turned around to find his Grandpa and Rohan examining a Touch-me-not plant. Rohan ran his tiny fingers along the edges of the Touch-me-not leaves, his eyes widened and mouth opened in amazement as the leaves folded inward on his touch. Rohan ran to his elder brother to describe the miracle he just saw. Dhruv acknowledged his brother’s excitement and reminded him to keep up the pace, “We need to reach the summit faster than anyone else”. Dhruv’s words fell on deaf ears as a bright blue butterfly diverted Rohan’s attention. Rohan followed the butterfly, that fluttered over acacia shrubs and before anyone could realize he let out a shrill cry of pain. Mr. Naidu ran up to a bleeding Rohan and comforted him. After quickly pulling out the sharp thorn, Mr. Naidu said that it would be best to head back to the car and dress Rohan’s wound. Dhruv was infuriated at the idea of heading back, he was angry at Rohan’s carelessness. Dhruv thought that Rohan should not have come in first place, and now he had ruined the whole trek.Mr. Naidu dressed Rohan’s wound using his first aid kit in the car. Rohan had by now stopped wailing but seemed very concerned about the white bandage on his right calf. Dhruv was silently furious at both his Grandpa and Rohan who had just ruined his vacation. They headed to the beach, Mr. Naidu parked his car in the shade of Casuarina trees and walked on the shore until they found a secluded spot. Mr. Naidu spread a blanket and all of them rested for a few minutes. Neither Dhruv nor Rohan knew how to swim, hence the waters did not entice them much. A small growth of rocks jutted into the sea few yards from their spot. The sound of waves crashing against these rocks and sea spray filled the air. Rohan’s tears had dried and formed two dark streaks against his cheeks. He was curiously spying on the little crabs that mysteriously appeared from small holes on the beach and were busy rolling tiny balls of sand. He kept humming “ Spiderman! Spiderman!” as his knees sank into the sand as he crouched over the little crabs. “Time to eat those pooris, I left them in the car, Dhruv can you run and get them?” asked Mr. Naidu. Dhruv was still fuming and in no mood to take orders, ”Why do I have to get them? You can get it yourself.” he shot back. Mr. Naidu gave his arrogant grandson a disappointed look and rose to get the food from the car. “Don’t go near the water”, he instructed trudging back to the car. Almost instantly Dhruv felt guilty and angry at his own behavior. He looked at the little rascal, who oblivious of his mistake, kept humming louder and bolder.
“You are no Spiderman, you are a stupid little coward”, shouted Dhruv. Rohan was taken aback at this sudden outpour from his brother but was determined to defend himself. “I am not a coward, you are a coward.” blabbered Rohan. Dhruv could not stand Rohan’s insolence, “ You should not have come today, forget the hill you cannot even climb that stupid rock. You little coward.” The angry waves crashed onto the rocks as the brothers stared at each other. Rohan turned around and started to run determinedly towards the rocks and screamed back “ I am not a coward.” After a brief moment, reality hit Dhruv and he ran behind his brother to stop him from climbing the dangerous rocks that jutted into the sea. Rohan had already started climbing slippery rocks with his tiny bare feet and when he reached perilously close to the water, he turned around and raised his little hands in triumph. As Dhruv pleaded with him to come back, suddenly a strong wave knocked Rohan against the rocks and pulled him into the water. Dhruv ran behind him, but the current was too strong and pulled Rohan further into the sea. Rohan screamed for help, Dhruv yelled for help, he turned around hoping to find his grandpa but he had disappeared behind the growth of the trees. Dhruv looked helplessly around and ran as fast as he could to call his Grandpa. At the edge of the shore, he shouted at the top of voice for help, he saw his Grandpa and a couple of fishermen run towards him. He turned around and pointed towards the sea and asked them for help. He ran back towards the beach but could not spot his brother anymore. The Sun was setting and the shadows lengthened on the eastern shores. Dhruv’s eyes frantically searched for Rohan in vain. As the fishermen jumped into the sea, Dhruv sank onto his knees. A silent prayer escaped young Dhruv’s lips, “I wish I could turn back the clock and bring the wheels of time to a stop.” his teary eyes were tightly closed and palms pressed in hope.Dhruv remembered the last words Rohan heard him say and muttered "You are not coward, you are my red little spider "
==============================================================
