Exactly two months before I was getting ready to leave for Germany to start my masters, my elder brother told me, “Everything changes once you leave home. It is like breaking out of the cocoon hoping to enjoy the colourful world. But only when you fly will you understand that home was a lot better. Mark my words brother. Beauty isn’t about the colour or elements around you but the self-discipline and inner peace within you.” As I listened very keenly, he continued, “I might not have travelled around the world but I have been in a hostel for many years now. Always remember no matter how bad things get around you, never give up and always try learning the best from everything.” Cover Photo by R. S. Chintalapati In the process of getting ready, I bought jeans for the first time in my life. Twenty-one years in India and I never needed the thick bottoms that would take away so much of my pleasure. Hugging my parents as they embraced me back, I left with my sister who was pursuing her PhD in Germany. Everything was new, right from the cold climate to the new language. Never in my life did I wear so many clothes to just stop shivering in the cold winds. In India, we presume summers are the worst; maybe because most of us haven’t felt anything close to winters in Germany.

18th November 2015 The grim corridor of the dreaded jail stretched endlessly before Detective Govind and Ankitha as the prisoners on either side howled and jeered as he walked past their cells, cheering their new guests. Inspector John, a man in his thirties, explained, “The victim was a loner who was kept separate from the rest. He was not one to initiate fights, nor was he one to back down.” Observing the inmates trying to be as intimidating as they could, Govind wondered aloud, “Then, why was he killed today?” Cover Photo by Kevin Braun Before the Inspector answered, they arrived at the cell, and the body was being taken on a stretcher. Govind halted the bearers and pulled back the veil to look at the victim’s face. It appeared as pleasant as a man asleep. After a moment, he signalled for them to proceed. Next, they entered the room where the victim had been seated to write his exam, taking the preliminary report from the medical staff. The table was pristine, like a blank slate, illuminated by the harsh glow of incandescent bulbs. The second chair sat directly across from him. Bloodstains marred the floor. The Jailer seethed with anger, and the Inspector, though equally furious, concealed it. “He seems thinner since I last saw him, probably due to the jail’s meagre rations,” Govind remarked, smirking at the fuming Jailer. The Jailer remained unimpressed, prompting Govind to deduce, “Apparently, there are no visible injuries on the rest of his body except that his hands look pale yet unharmed.” Confused, the Inspector remarked, “Was he killed by a single blow?”

When I was born, they were happy, They distributed sweets and threw a party. They were told that their joy Was as if they had a boy. As I grew up, I was taught A little of what to do, and a lot of what not. I wasn’t allowed to laugh out loud,

Background King Orkin, the seventh descendant of the Rian kingdom divided his kingdom into two kingdoms three decades ago on the request of his daughter Gloria to give her husband a share. Dividing the Rian into two provinces formed the northern kingdom called the Glorian and the southern kingdom called the Lorian. Illustrated by Sravani Dhulipala While Queen Gloria ruled along with her husband the Glorian Kingdom, Prince Lorian who is the only son of King Orkin took his father’s crown to rule the Lorian Kingdom. Though Lorian did not agree to the partitioning of the Rian Kingdom, his words weren’t taken into account. So when Prince Lorian became a king, he vowed to unite the kingdoms and restore the Rian Kingdom to its glory. So for decades, both the kingdoms fought and the Northern kingdom always won because in between the Northern and the Southern kingdoms, there were mountains called Crossover which had the Northern military bases. So when the Southerners attacked, the Northern soldiers killed half of them with arrows before even facing them in person. This play begins with the death of King Lorian in the Lorian Province. Characters Anthony: King of Lorian Kingdom ​Patrick: King of Glorian Kingdom Kingston: General of Lorian Kingdom Lancelot: General of Glorian Kingdom Rose: Princess of Glorian Kingdom Arian: Poet Prim: Messenger of Lorian Kingdom Lily: Maid to Princess Rose. Scene I This scene takes place in the private chambers of Prince Anthony at Lorian’s Province. ~ Enter Kingston ~ Kingston: How are you, my prince? It has been a dreadful day for everyone in the Lorian kingdom as we lost our beloved King whom we all adored. His highness’s judgment was unparalleled and his wisdom was unquestionable... However, even great men must someday bow to the two ultimate masters’ namely time and fate. Your father, my prince, has shown this world what a good king could ever be and hadn’t he been so strong mentally, chaos would have taken. If not for him, your grandfather’s mistakes would have cost a lot more than land. I must regretfully mention that your grandfather as you know wasn’t as honourable as our king was. Anthony: My father was wise and strong. Even though I share the same opinion, what was he doing when my grandfather divided the Rian Kingdom into two? For decades, he fought against his sister and lost thousands of men but never stood up as a victor. To date, General Kingston, Rian Kingdom is still divided. Believe me, I have never thought of uniting the Rian Kingdom until my father in his last moments whispered on his dying bed that he wishes me to win over the Glorians and unite everything forever.

I’m a lone sailor in the waters You have been the wind To raise my sails up And then rip me apart

Even though Nihal and Neha have been in a happy relationship for three years, Neha was nervous to tell her parents about Nihal. It was because Nihal neither earned nor even tried to earn. With each passing day, her family, who was unaware, intensified their pursuit of finding her a suitable match and Neha did nothing, but worry. Though the problem was a serious one, Nihal kept neglecting her warnings and did not care much about their future. One fine day, Neha’s parents presented her with two marriage proposals and Neha, sticking to Nihal, refused both of them. She gave her parents surprisingly odd reasons which in fact made them suspect the true reason behind the refusal. Cover Photo by R. S. Chintalapati Unable to give her parents a proper answer, Neha decided to warn Nihal one last time. Meeting him in a cafe, she informed, “Nihal, my parents are pestering me to accept one of the two proposals they have chosen.”

When did we forget our dreams? When did we give up hope of becoming spies and adventure seekers, of becoming bike racers and storm chasers? When did we grow up? When did life become a ladder to climb rather than a forest to explore? When did reality sneak upon us?

I woke up to see the doll my Supriya used to play with and her very thought rushed tears into my eyes. My wife was still asleep. Picking up my phone, I called Arvind to ask, “Can you give me the address of that charlatan? I would like to visit him.” As I heard, “This is a bad idea, Sharma. Your daughter is with the Gods themselves.” I shouted, “We don’t know that! I should talk to her.” and my tone woke my wife. ​ Observing her, I knew she realised I was running behind my friend for contacts. Without a second thought, she closed her eyes not intending to have another argument like the previous night.

The whole world is witness to the luxury they are surrounded with. Those high comfort villas, extravagant life, and peaceful sleep. Who are they? When we are busy complaining about hot summer and snowy winter they are the ones who work under the heat of the sun and get wet while ploughing the field. They continue to work from morning to night. For them, rain, cold or heat do not matter much.

The kingdom of Shantam was perhaps the only kingdom in the world ruled by twins. Unable to decide who should be given the right to rule, King Utham, instructed his sons Chitram and Vichitram to rule together rather than dividing the kingdom. Of the brothers, Vichitram was ambitious and wanted to conquer the entire known world. However, even he knew that it wouldn’t be possible to do so in a single lifetime. So he sought a few of his preferred scholars to find a solution. From them, he got to know that there is an island named Amrutham at the edge of the world where there is a lake filled with the elixir for immortality. One drop from this lake of milk which tasted like honey could make anyone immortal by giving them a chain. As long as they wore the chain, these mortals were meant to be immortal and invincible. Illustrated by Nisha Yadav Finding the map to reach the island with the help of the same scholars, Vichitram gave his brother the complete authority to rule Shantam and prepared to set sail along with one hundred men. Even after Chitram, the former king and queen, priests, councillors and a lot of commoners pleaded with Vichitram not to travel since such a pursuit which was against the laws of nature wouldn’t be fruitful; Vichitram neglected them. His brother even pointed out the fact that two kings from the past who set sail to this island never returned. However, the more people opposed his voyage, the more Vichitram rushed towards it thinking he was getting near to his dream.

A spirit is kindled within my body, Long in waiting with an earnest hope. Both deep and superficial at once, It shakes me from my slumber of reality. I become the tiny speck of dust, Dancing in the beam of sunlight. I become the wave of the ocean that, Pounds its forceful fist on the shore.

I: The Truth Just like every morning, my alarm rang and I wanted to wake up to switch it off but I couldn’t. Fortunately, a few seconds later, it stopped on its own. At 7:15, I woke up after a long sleep but was still laying on my bed. Meanwhile, my mom entered my room to say, “Wake up kiddo! You are going to be late for college.” Forcing myself, I got out of my bed and freshened up before walking into my living room to find my breakfast already served. Around 8 am, I reached my bus stop and found a few friends waiting for the bus. A few minutes later, I got into the bus following them and sat in my spot. All my friends were enjoying themselves as usual without me. By 9 am, I reached my college and sat in my place beside Rohan, my best friend. From the moment I sat until the classes got completed, Rohan who just sat beside me didn’t even greet, talk or even respond.