Maurya'sMagicalMonsoonMorning

Copyright©2019byKanikaG

Allrightsreserved.Thisbookoranyportion

thereofmaynotbereproducedorusedinany

mannerwhatsoeverwithouttheexpresswritten

permissionofthepublisher,exceptforthe

useofbriefquotationsinabookreview.

FirstEdition,2019.

Website

https://kanikag.com/

2

Maurya'sMagicalMonsoonMorning

OneSaturdaymorning,Mauryawokeupwhenthe

sunshoneintohiseyesthroughthe

curtains.Hewasexcited,becauseheloved

playingtenniswithhispapaonsunny

mornings.But,whenheopenedthecurtains,

hewassurprisedtoseethatitwasraining

heavily,andthesunwasshiningbrightly

throughdarkgrayclouds.Howwasthat

possible?Hewantedtoknow.

Heranoutofthehouseinhispajamas.He

livedonthetwenty-firstfloorofahigh

risebuilding,buthewastooexcitedtowait

forthelift.So,herandownlotsandlots

ofstairs.Finally,hewasoutintheopen

soakingintherain,onthelawn,infrontof

thebuilding.

3

Ashelookedaround,hesawthemostterrific

rainbow.Itwasbiggerandbrighterthanany

rainbowhehadeverseen,eveninastory

book.Densecloudscoveredtheentiresky

exceptthesun.Therainbowlookedbeautiful

againstthegraybackground.

Mauryaranaroundthelawnwhoopingwithjoy.

Suddenly,henoticedsomethingstrange.There

wasatreeladenwithbrightredpomegranates

rightinthemiddleofthelawn.Mauryawas

surethatneitherthepomegranatesnorthe

treehadbeentherethepreviousday,orever

before.Wheredidtheycomefrom?Whatwas

goingon?

Burstingwithcuriosity,Mauryapluckeda

pomegranate.Itfeltquitereal.Hehada

suddenurgetotasteit.Buthecouldnot

openitwithhisbarehands.Sohefounda

sharprockandbangedthepomegranatewith

it,tillitbrokeopenandtheprettyred

seedsspilledout.

4

Mauryapickedupahandfuloftheseedsand

puttheminhismouth.Theytasteddelicious,

butashechompedontheseeds,hefeltvery

strange.Hisinsidesbegantosquirmand

wiggle.Mauryagotscaredandtriedtospit

outtheseeds,buthefoundthathecouldn’t,

andthenhenoticedthathismouthwas

turningintoabeak,ABIGYELLOWBEAK.

NowMauryawasreallyfrightened.Whatwas

happeningtohim?Weretheseedspoisonous?

Helookedathishandsandnoticedtheywere

becomingfeatheryandthenhesawthatclaws

werestickingoutofhisbedroomslippers.

Beforehecoulddoanythingaboutit,hehad

completelytransformedintoagiantblack

cuckoobirdandhispajamaslayrippedto

shredsontheground.

Mauryascreamedinpanic,butallhecould

hearwasaraspy"KooKoo".Terrified,Maurya

startedflappinghisarmsandrunningaround,

butofcourse,hisarmswerenolongerarms.

Theywerewings!Sohefoundhimselfsoaring

5

intotheair.Icanfly,hethought,

astonished.Infact,hewassosurprised,

thathestoppedflappingandfellbackdown,

plop.

Icanfly,IcanflyMauryathought,elated.

Ihadalwayswantedtofly,andnowIcan.So

forgettingallhisworries,Mauryaspreadhis

giantwingsandtooktothesky.Hereached

uptothe46thfloorwherehisfriendGamala

lived.Hewentandperchedonherwindowand

lookedthroughit.Gamalawasfastasleep.

Lazygirl,Mauryathoughtandshoutedouther

name.Butallthatcameoutwasaloud

screechy"KooKoo".Gamalawasstartledout

ofherslumberandstaredatthegiantblack

birdatherwindow.Frightened,shestarted

throwinghertoysatit.Mauryajustabout

managedtododgeaglassbottleofredposter

color.

ScaredthatGamalamightmaimhim,heflew

6

awayhigherintotheskyanddecidedto

explorethecityfromhighabove.Therain

hadebbedandtherainbowhadfaded.Butfrom

upthere,Mumbailookedlikeitwasmadeof

Legos.Tinytoycarszippedupanddownlong

graystrips.

Mauryareachedapartofthehighwaywhere

themetroconstructionhadjustbegun.

Suddenly4laneshadtomergeintooneand

createdacolossaltrafficjam.Maurya

rememberedhisschoolbushadbeengetting

stuckatthisveryplacefor10minutesevery

day.Butnowhecouldjustflyoverthe

mess.Delightedhebegantosingandfilled

theairwithmelodiouskoos.

Mauryamerrilyflewoverbuildingsand

billboards.Suddenlyheheardthemost

frighteningsound.Ahugescaryobjectwas

headingforhimatgreatspeed.Mygoodness!

It’saplane,Mauryarealizedandveeredaway

justintime.

7

Thatwasacloseshave,Mauryathought

trembling,anddecidedtosteerclearofthe

airportandwatchoutforplanes.

Therainhadcompletelystopped.Maurya

decidedtoflywest.Hewantedtoseethe

openseafromhighabove.SohecrossedJuhu

beachandflewoverthewaves.Butonceall

hecouldseewaswater,hewasscared.Hehad

neverrealizedhowhugetheseareallywas.

Mauryalookedforthesunsohecouldfly

8

towardsit,backeast.Hewasrelievedonce

hecouldseetheshorelineagain.Allthis

flyinghadtiredhimout,andhereally

neededtorest,buthecouldn’tstopuntilhe

hadcrossedthesea.

WhenhereachedJuhubeach,hefeltthirsty

andlongedforsomecoconutwater.Buthis

beakwasn’tgoodforpeckingthroughthehard

outershellofthecoconut.Mauryadecidedto

gohome.

Asheflewback,herealizedhewastiredof

beingabird,butwhatcouldhedoaboutit?

PerhapshisMamawouldknow.Butwouldshe

recognizehim?Mauryabegantocrythinking

hewouldbeabirdforever.

Justthenhenoticedhisbuildingandlanded

onthelawninfrontofit.Hehadhopedthat

eatingafewmorepomegranateseedswould

turnhimbacktonormal.Butthepomegranate

seeds,haddisappearedandsohadthetree

andthefruits.Theyhadvanishedlikethey

hadneverexisted.Mauryawalkedaround

crying.Hewenttothekidsplayareawhich

washisfavoritepartofthesocietygrounds.

Perchedontheslide,henoticedsomething.

Thelawnwasbonedryandsowasthe

playground,exceptforatinypuddle,even

thoughithadrainedheavilyonlyalittle

whileago.Thepuddletoowasdryingfast.

9

Mauryarememberedthatthestrangedayhad

begunwiththesunshinningbrightlythrough

theheavyrain.Herememberedtheunnaturally

brightrainbow.

Perhapstherainwasmagical,hethought.It

gavehimanidea.Heswoopeddownanddrank

inthelastfewsipsofwaterfromthepuddle

justasitdriedaway.Hesmiledwithrelief

ashesawhimselfbeingtransformedbackin

toalittleboy.Thefeathersweregoneand

hewasclothedinhispajamasagain.He

touchedhisfaceandfeltsoftlipsinstead

ofabeak.

Whenhereachedbackhome,Mamahadbreakfast

readyonthetable.Waffleswerehisfavorite

weekendbreakfast."Mauryayounaughtyboy.

Wherehaveyoubeen?"Mamashouted."Youknow

youarenotsupposedtogooutuntilafter

breakfast.".

"ButMama,itwasrainingandtherewasa

beautifulrainbow..."Mauryabegan.

"Oh,enoughwiththeliesMaurya!Can'tyou

seethesunisshinningandthereisnota

dropofwateranywhereorasinglecloudin

thesky?"Mamasoundedangry,soMaurya

quietlyatehiswaffles.

Afterbreakfast,Gamalacamefortheirplay

date."AuntyIsawagiantcuckoobirdtoday,

10

asbigasadog,andscareditawaywithmy

toys."Sherecounted,proudly.

"Youkidsandyoursillystories.Mauryasays

itwasraining,andyousayyousawacuckoo

thesizeofadog."

"Butitwasrainingwhenthegiantcuckoo

cametomywindow,aunty."Gamalainsisted.

"Mauryayoushouldhaveseenit.Itwashuge.

Biggerthanyoueven,Ithink."

Mauryagrinnedanddecidedtokeephis

magicaladventurestorytohimself.Perhaps

hewouldhaveanotherone,soon.Inthemean

time,todaywastheperfectsunnydayfor

sometenniswithPapaandGamala.

11

Thepictureoftheflyingblackbirdwas

obtainedfrompexels.

(https://www.pexels.com/photo/bird-flying-on-

sky-1098888/)

Thepictureoftheaerialviewofcityroads

wasobtainedfromunsplash.

(https://unsplash.com/photos/hXwP1UypUEI)

Thepictureoftheflyingairplanewas

obtainedfromunsplash.

(https://unsplash.com/photos/CwlFCanvxr8)

Thepictureoftheopenseawasobtainedfrom

unsplash.

(https://unsplash.com/photos/LlDQPnErFxo)

Thepictureofthetennisballandracquet

wasobtainedfromunsplash.

(https://unsplash.com/photos/4_n_qvud5tk)

ThecoverartwasdonebyMiniGandsomeof

thecrayondrawingsinthebookweredoneby

PellG.MiniGis4andPellGis7andthey

arebothdaughtersofKanikaG.

MiniGandKanikaGsetoutforawalkinthe

rainintheirhousingsocietytocelebrate

theonsetofthe2019monsooninMumbai.

That'swhentheycameupwiththeideafor

thisstory.Theydiscussedvarious

possibilitieswhiletheywalked,anddrew

inspirationfromthemagicalmonsoonscenes

12

andsounds.

13