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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.
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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
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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.
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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