CREATIVE CORNER

One freezing evening, Sofia tucked her cuddlesome teddies in bed and wriggled in beside them.

“Good night, sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” Her Dad said chirpily.

“Good night, Dad,” said Sofia sleepily as she looked at the twinkling stars and soon drifted into a deep slumber.

Just then her bed murmured, “Left, right, hold on tight. We’re off to the land of fairies tonight!”

Sofia woke up with a start and rubbed her eyes and asked, “Who is that?” 

“I,” chuckled her bed as it leapt up and hollered excitedly, “Here we go!”

Sofia’s bed turned and with one twist transformed itself into a carriage and soon Sofia found herself dressed as a princess. She was over the moon as her carriage sped past the cities and towns and brought her to a magnificent town called ‘The Flower Top Town’. This town was a home to many Lilliputian lasses who worked industriously. Sofia was utterly impressed by their diligence and dedication. She ran towards them to introduce herself and shake hands with them. The moment she shook hands with a Lilliputian lass, the lass took her by surprise by transforming into a fairy. One by one all the Lilliputian lasses turned into fairies as Sofia shook hands with them. The most beautiful looking fairy walked up to Sofia and introduced herself as Glitterpond. She effusively thanked Sofia for coming to fairyland and transforming the lasses into fairies with the shake of a hand.

Soon Sofia’s bed appeared to remind her that it was time for home. Glitterpond gave Sofia a glittering chain with her photo in a pendant as a souvenir. Sofia thanked the fairies and leapt onto her magical bed. Soon they reached Sofia’s home and the bed landed on the floor with a THUMP. Next morning when Sofia woke up, she thought the visit to fairy land was a dream. But when she was wide awake, she found Glitterpond’s chain around her neck. She shut her eyes and thanked Glitterpond for the magnificent memento.

One stormy night, my bed suddenly turned into an aircraft. Whish… Whosh… Whish… Whoom… and we were off to Scrumptious Land. The sun above us shone magnificently as it had turned the colour of a ripe, golden yellow mango. The people in Scrumptious Land were dressed up in noodle dresses and pizza hats. Their shoes were studded with the colourful ‘Gems’ that made me gape at them in wonder and amazement, not to mention the desire to gobble them down. The Scrumptious Land folks truly looked scrumptious! There was a band that belted out soulful tunes and stirred me from within. I couldn’t resist swaying to the lilting music and soon found myself dancing ecstatically till my legs ached. The king of Scrumptious Land arrived in a chocolate carriage and invited me to join him. The castle door was made up of large chocolate slabs and welcome drinks, refreshing juice squeezed out of lime, were served in tall glasses. The garden of the unique land had a one-of-a-kind fountain from which there was an outpouring of coke. There were vibrantly coloured lollipops in place of flowers and the marshmallows served as stools. The king invited me to a finger-licking feast and I ate to my heart’s content. Bursting at the seams, I lay on my bed all ready to drift into a serene slumber. As I lay on my bed I found a chocolate medal around my neck. It was the most breathtaking medal I had ever seen and I couldn’t resist the temptation of biting into it and going ‘Ummmmmmmmm….’

Last year on Christmas Eve, as I lay in bed waiting to slip into a deep slumber, I heard a sound that startled me. I was not only shocked but also scared. As I wondered who it could be, my mother walked in looking all pretty. My mother comforted me and sang me a lullaby, “Night, night, sleep tight. Don’t let Jack Frost bite!” crooned Mum. As I looked all bewildered, trying to figure out who Jack Frost is, I heard another sound. My mother shut the door behind her and walked out. There was an unmistakable whisper that said distinctly, “Left, right, hold on tight. We’re off to the land of dreams tonight!” It was my magical bed and it took me to the land of dreams. As soon as I reached the land of dreams, I noticed a jotter. This was a special jotter and had all the addresses of children. Suddenly a man walked up to me along with two of his assistants. He then introduced himself by saying, “Hi my little friend! I am Jack Frost and I make beautiful patterns on the windowpanes. I also nip everyone’s noses during cold winter nights. Meet my helpers, without whom my jobs would never reach completion.” I shook hands with all three gentlemen and they informed me that they needed my help to paint the windowpanes of all the children whose names and addresses were in the jotter. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and readily helped them paint all the panes with frost. Soon it was time to return home and my bed landed with a thump in my bedroom. As I stirred, I realised that I was in my bed. I leapt out of my bed to see a beautiful pattern on my windowpane. So we had really painted the windowpanes last night I said to myself and got ready to flaunt my windowpane to my family and friends.   

We left our hotel early in the morning and set out to watch the magnificent City Palace. We were spellbound to see the king’s and queens’ bedrooms and sitting rooms. The guides gave us a lot of information about the royal family. We returned to our hotel in the evening – just in time to catch sight of the magnificent sunset. The beautiful sight warmed the cockles of my heart! It was a tiring but thrilling day!

I woke up in the morning and helped my mother tidy the house. Then after freshening up and having a bite, I sat down with my books. My dad put in a timely appearance and informed me that we must not touch our books and pens on Padiwa. I jumped with joy at the prospect of having a book and pen free day. I indulged in all the fun-filled activities. Finally when it was time for the orb of day to begin its journey westwards, my cousins and aunt joined us for a delectable dinner. The speciality of the day was ‘Annekoot’ – a dish of 15-20 vegetables prepared by my ingenious mother. We all ate to our hearts’ content and felt satiated. 

We had been to the annual Diwali fair today and were absolutely mesmerized. We were utterly dazzled by the lightings and paintings that were put on display. When we returned home, we had truckloads of extraordinary things with us. What a wonderful day it was!

Today was a pleasant day as we all went shopping for my sister who was to leave for her school trip. We had fun shopping to our hearts’ content. However, I began to feel a pang of sadness as she was about to leave. We returned home feeling exhausted and yet gave her a hand at packing her bags. Soon it was time for us to leave for the airport. We all drove down to the airport to drop my sister. She was overjoyed to embark on this journey. However, I bid her adieu with a heavy heart.

Today was my birthday, a day I was eagerly looking forward to. We had a Barbie theme party at home. All the girls came dressed in Barbie attires and the boys arrived in Ken clothes. Our home was adorned with Barbie cutouts and Barbie fashion accessories. We had organized some thrilling Barbie games. My favourite game was ‘Dress Up Barbie’. We ate the scrumptious snacks prepared by my mother to our hearts’ content. We had rented the DVD of ‘Barbie Princess Charm School’. All of us became couch potatoes and enjoyed this film. The party was over and so was the fun!

My dad had planned a surprise trip to Dubai and soon we were at the Dubai airport. In no time we were on our way to Snow World. We enjoyed a lot on all the slides. There was a Penguin Show which cast a spell on me. The bewitching show struck a chord and I was left utterly speechless.

Today we traversed the huge malls of Dubai and the majestic Gold Skull. We shopped and shopped till we were ready to drop. Late in the evening, we visited the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa. When we reached the 168^th floor, shivers ran down our spines.  

Today was the day for the much-awaited and well-known Sentosa Island. We were all agog to indulge in celebrations galore and create some indelible memories. The magic of Christmas coupled with the enchantment of an eagerly anticipated New Year made my heart burst with delight. It was a breathtaking experience witnessing the ‘Song of the Sea’ show.

I woke up at the crack of dawn and got ready to leave for Delhi by train. As the train left the station, it was time for sunrise. The splendid sight of the rising sun made my eyes sparkle with delight. We reached Delhi the next day after a long journey by train and checked in at a luxurious hotel called Hyatt. After freshening up, my parents took my sister and me to some famous markets in Delhi for shopping. We purchased many gifts for all our family and friends back in Mumbai. My parents bought some beautiful materials for my sister, Vamika, and me too. I was very tired and was eager to go our plush hotel room and hit the hay.  

Today was the second day of Diwali, ‘Laxmi Poojan’. My mother made a special meal of Pooris and Mango Shrikhand. She also prepared Shankerpali just for me. In the evening, Dad worshipped his gold coins and money and prayed to Goddess Laxmi to stay with us forever. I thoroughly enjoyed lighting the firecrackers after the pooja. 

I got up at the crack of dawn and had our customary oil bath. Then I put on the traditional clothes that my parents had purchased for me. On this day, we celebrated the victory of good over the evil. We performed the Diwali pooja and ate all the delicious sweets. In the evening, we packed our bags for a fun-filled holiday to Nainital. I was all geared up for a rejuvenating five-day trip to this peaceful hill station.    

My aunt took my cousins and me to KidZania today. We had a pleasurable time choosing from more than sixty establishments to role-play. I chose Air KidZania and slipped into the shoes of a flight attendant as well as a pilot. We went to many other establishments too and role-played as customers, inventory managers and cashiers. Even though I expended all my energy at KidZania, I still had some energy left to play with my cousins and friends once we got back home. I spent a few days with my aunt and cousins at their home. The time spent with them was indeed memorable!

I woke up feeling excited this morning as Diwali was finally here! My mother gave me the traditional oil bath in the morning. Then we watched Iron Man 3 on our surround sound home theatre. My mother prepared a lip smacking lunch for all of us. Even though our bellies were ready to burst, we couldn’t resist eating the scrumptious sweets all through the day. I wore my new dress and got ready to soak in the spirit of this festival of lights.

I met all my cousins today. Since it was Diwali, we decided to have a get together and celebrate this fun-filled festival of lights. I wore my spanking new clothes and shoes. We all headed to Khar Gymkhana for a musical evening. There were live songs at the get together by all famous singers. The food was utterly scrumptious and I had an enjoyable time eating and playing to my heart’s content. 

It was just another night when I was enveloped in my warm cozy blanket. As I turned to one side of the bed, I saw a canopy of the inky blue sky studded with twinkling stars. I wondered what was happening and sat up on my bed only to have the shocking realization dawn upon me that my bed was flying. I was shocked, even though not terrified. I heard a gruff voice emanating from under my bed and it struck me that it was my bed speaking with me. It said, “Sia, have you understood that I have magical powers?”I smiled and nodded while my bed went on to say, “I am taking you to a magical planet to meet my family and friends.” It was indeed an amazing experience. Soon we were at the aptly named planet, ‘Magico’ as everything about this planet was magical. There were innumerable tall black hats, crystal balls, sparkling magical wands, pink-earred bunnies, white doves and really long handkerchiefs. My bed took me to his mum who was a huge tree. The tree confided in me that just one branch of her body that fell to the ground was enough to fashion the bed – my magical bed!

I felt sorry for my bed that he had to stay away from his mother. But he allayed my regretful feelings by declaring aloud that he loved to be my bed.

Suddenly I felt something familiar ringing loudly in my ears and was quick to comprehend that it was my morning alarm. As I stretched out my arm to grasp it, I found myself holding a magical wand. It wasn’t a dream after all – it was a secret adventure with my bed!

I am a thick book with a bluish cover bearing the title and the name of the author in bold letters - James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. The author of my book is renowned and penned my story in the same room where he penned another popular book called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

After my creator penned the story and gave it the finishing touches, he sent the manuscript to the publishing house and that is where I saw the light of day. Soon I was sent to a book store where I was launched with great fanfare. There were many books on the neighbouring shelves and I befriended a book named The Wind in the Willows. My new friend left no stone unturned to entertain me and I really began to enjoy her company. But soon we had to part ways as a boy came, flipped through my pages and instantly bought me. I was heartbroken as I had to say goodbye to my friend. The boy and I made friends, however, and I began to enjoy the gentle feel of his fingers. He read five chapters on the very first day and carefully put me on a shelf after marking the page with a bookmark. I was so proud of him for having used a bookmark and not making dog ears. The next day he carried me in his school bag and read through my pages during the free period. He took very good care of me.

It was my summer vacation, a period of time when I have the luxury of slipping into a deep slumber whilst playing with my cuddlesome teddy bear and ravishing Barbie doll. As I heard, ‘Good night, Sweetie’ with my eyes closed, I realized my mother had tiptoed into my room to wish me a rejuvenating sleep and also to turn off the lights. Just when her words faded out, I heard ‘Let’s go!’ I was aroused from my deep slumber and instinctively asked, ‘Where?’ without even knowing the source of the sound. Later I realized that it was my bed that had spoken. I was flabbergasted that my bed could speak and soon found out that it had acquired magical powers as it turned into a magical carpet and flew out of my bedroom window declaring that we are off to Party Land. I couldn’t contain my excitement and screamed, ‘Yipee!’ In the twinkling of an eye, we reached Party Land, a wondrous place that was decorated with balloons and streamers. It was truly a splendid place to be in! I set eyes on a chocolate cake that had gooey chocolate dripping along its sides. I took a slice of the succulent cake and savoured it as it melted in my mouth. Just as I enjoyed the taste of the cake lingering in my mouth, I spotted a clown with a painted face and a pompom on his nose. He beckoned me to play games with him and I ran in his direction without a second thought. He took me around Party Land and showed me the singing room and the dancing room before finally leading me to the playroom. I jumped for joy as we reached the playroom and we played to our hearts’ content. Soon I heard my bed whispering to me that it was time to get home. I jumped onto my bed-turned-carpet and in the blink of an eye landed with a bump in my bedroom. As I woke up in the morning, realization dawned upon me that my trip to Party Land was indeed a delightful dream that had come to an end.

I received my pocket money today and was keen on spending it for some good work. Later I realized that it was the first day of Moharrum. So I decided to donate my pocket money for ‘sabils’. Sabils are pots containing drinking water which are put up everywhere in the month of Moharrum. I asked my parents for permission and they were overjoyed to know about my decision.

As soon as we woke up, my brother and I rushed to give our donations. Soon the ‘sabil’ was built and ready. I felt elated after doing a good deed. After our contribution to the good work, we went to our aunt’s house for dinner. The exhausting day came to an end soon and I thanked God for showering His abundance upon me.

Today was the 8th day of Moharrum. We prayed in the morning and then distributed cold rose flavoured milk to the little children. The day was spent in drinking and distributing the refreshingly cold milk. Later, we went to my grandmother’s house to have dinner. After a hearty meal, my brother and I accompanied my dad to the masjid to offer our heartfelt prayers. We all offered ‘Namaz’ and were given sweets to eat. I was terribly tired.

Today was the 10^th and last day of Moharrum. It is called ‘Ashura’. This was the day when Imam Hussain, Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, sacrificed himself for Islam. We mourned for him and prayed to God. I was brimming over with curiosity to know what had exactly happened in 600 AD. But Mum said that I am too young to understand. I will be patient, my dear friend.