Raju’s Ring: A Circus of Surprises

In the cozy village of Rampur where sunlight sparkled on the rolling hills draped in lush greenery, there lived a cheerful young boy called Raju. With a twinkle in his eyes meant mischief and his smile was catching, Raju expressed joy in the sleepy town. From sunrise until sunset, he strolled upon the cobbled streets and fertile fields, his chuckle ringing within the idyllic surroundings like a song of happiness.

Amidst the calmness of the surroundings, stood Raju’s humble home—a rustic cottage decorated with colourful flowers and fragrant herbs. This was the place where Raju spent his days, spinning tales of bravery and monkeyshines accompanied by his band of loyal best friends – a gang of playful stray dogs, who always tagged along whenever he ventured out, their tails wagging enthusiastically at the prospect of the next adventure.

He had no clue that his naughty stunts would take him on a roller coaster ride of fortune and bring about the commencement of the events that would shape the rest of his life.

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One day very early in the morning Raju began his daily excursions around the zigzag streets of Rampur. With pleasant steps in his stride and contented tune on his lips, he stumbled upon a fascinating view―a gleaming ring between the wildflowers, its detailing catching the rays of the sun in gold.

After pocketing the stolen ring, Raju went on his merry way while ignorant of the havoc that awaited him. On this cloudless afternoon, the beam of the sun gilded the leafy forest around Rampur which fanned out shadows of varying length and pattern over the Earth below. In the shadow of a gigantic banyan tree, Raju rested upon a strip of soft grass, his senses filled with the rhythm of the music which was nature.

Peering haphazardly at the wondrous landscape of vivid flowers that spread beneath his feet, a glint snagged his attention — a glint of silver in the multitude of colours. With a quizzical nod of his head, Raju bent forward to examine, his fingers just touching the icy metal that encased a ring bedded among the flowers.

For Raju, that moment seemed suspended as he looked with wonder at the beauty of the glittering treasure, which was lying there. Its intricate design blinged in the sunshine throwing prismatic reflections among the verdant foliage that encompassed its resting place

A malicious smirk on his face spread to the corners of his lips, Raju’s fingers grabbed the ring, its mass a solid proof of the surprise hidden in the palm of his hand. In his mind’s eye, he saw the expression of surprise that would undoubtedly be on its owner’s face if they discovered that their prized possession had been found. And then he thought, no I will keep it and get lot of money to have a good life. 

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As he slipped the ring inside the pocket of his frayed trousers, Raju’s heart raced with exaltation. What he didn’t realize was that this spontaneous decision would be the first step in a chain of events that would shake his convictions, demand courage, and eventually reveal to him the true meaning of himself through the magical scenery of Rampur.

Stepping through the bustling marketplace of Rampur, Raju walked down the cobbled streets towards his home. The bustle and rush around Raju did not deter a feeling of eeriness that kept gnawing on his insides, as if invisible eyes pried on him. With each step, he could not escape the feeling of being trailed, a queer sensation that raised the hair down his spine. The pictures of sinister spiders searching for the shadows to hide themselves were buzzing in his head, the semblances of the bodies with eight legs haunting him.

As he walked through the busy marketplace of cobblestoned streets towards his home, the busy and hustled activity around Raju did not subside the premonition of unease that devoured him, an effect of the feeling that some invisible eyes spied on him.

With each step, he could not avoid the feeling of being followed, a strange sensation that made hair bristle on his skin. Dark shots of spiders looking for darkness to hide themselves hummed in his head, images of bodies with eight legs overwhelming him.

Raju thought of  disposing of the stolen ring  as he felt that this ring is the cause of the unreasonable fears torturing him. He found himself totally grabbed by these huge spiders. Behind them , there was a sinister looking man, who was laughing aloud. Raju was numbed as he saw the whole scenario. As he was about to pass off, he felt some rains washing over his face. He opened his eyes. And his whole family along with neighbours were there. he got up and hugged by his parents. But his eyes were looking for that sinister fellow and king sized spiders. They were not to be seen. He started crying and told the whole experience, which actually was a dream. 

He checked his pocket and found the ring. He gave it to his mom. Mom told him that the fearful dream was actually his inner fears because of the stolen  ring. She told, that we will handover the ring to it’s genuine owner. The thought of handing over the ring to its owner gave Raju immense peace.  And he went happily back home. He had learnt his lesson that honesty is the best policy.

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Finally Raju Says goodbyes to his own fears and the mysterious stranger, Raju understood that  it was not only about overcoming the fears, but getting to know the dynamicity of life.

I am not sure, how this story is, but I am trying to imagine a story weaving the promopts given by Authorpod. I am a nonfiction writer and trying to expand my imagination through such challenges. I would like to hear some true reactions on these writings.

Thanks for reading!

Neerja Bhatnagar

Prompts are by Authorpod – A stolen ring, fears of spiders and a sinister stranger.

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