Hey Little Voices.
Last Sunday (Feb 4, 2024), I was adjudged and awarded the 'All India Winner for Tell Ur Tale under the 12-15 year category' in the competition held by WizkidsCarnival at Pune. I received a memento and a cash prize of Rs 5,000/- I was probably the youngest in the category and thus the victory even more sweet.
After 3 rounds of hard work and tales that I had submitted, I got selected for finals. I had to travel to Pune to participate and give a shot at one of the prestigious and competitive events in India. This round was a different round from the ones that I had participated until then. It was a kind of a mixed round - somewhat a prepared one (topic announced beforehand) and an impromptu one (where surprise elements would be announced just before the start of the competition).
They had given us two topics to choose from about a week before the competition. I chose the topic "You and your friends are on an adventure trip and everything that could go wrong, went wrong". I had mentally prepared a story and also developed a structure. But I was nervous about incorporating the surprise element and sticking to the word limit. The two surprise elements that was announced were - 'a cousin joins you in the trip' and 'a riddle had to be included'. Did I see stars when it was announced? Yes. I soon recovered. Thanks to my Estrella, I restructured the draft to include my cousin and not only created a riddle but also managed to pen a poem.
Here is the copy of the 'tale':
In the year of 3030 AD, a disturbing change occurs. The tribals steal the Essential Stone. The stone that ensures plant life plays its role on Earth. This was their revenge for all the deforestation that was done to their home centuries ago. They have hidden it in what they call the “Primadorial Essence Holder”. The government had sent a group of people to retrieve it but that team had failed miserably.
In this era of profound change, a group of young daring adventurers emerged. They were Jovial Jake, Tactful Tyler, Mystical Maya and Delightful Dhamathi. Unaware of the dangers lurking in the shadows, we embarked on the adventure. Armed with supplies and with an unwavering spirit we set off. Ready for not only wall climbing but also trekking the highest mountain of the continent. Our original plan of travelling by plane had to be altered due to unforeseen circumstances. The other plane, carrying the remnants of a previous expedition crashed into the sea. We had such less time; we couldn’t wait till all rescues were done. It’s time for plan B: ROAD TRIP!!! Tyler being the expert took the wheel.
We hop into our car and go forward a few miles before Jake realized he had bought flip-flops instead of his hiking boots. The group didn’t consider it a huge setback and we just laughed it off. We delve 2-3 miles into the forest when suddenly our car splutters and comes to a halt. We get down to check the engine when we hear rustling in the bushes behind us. We slowly turn around while grabbing any object possible from our back-packs while the rustling gets louder. And out of the bushes comes… my cousin Kind Kiran. We were all shocked but relieved at the same time. We questioned him how he got here and he revealed that he also was on adventure trip when he got lost.
The five of us then push the car through the thick mud. We are all vigorously sweating. Kiran states “Who needs a gym membership when you have Murphy’s Law as your personal trainer. We stop the car at a turn. Just then rain starts pouring down on us. It’s been a long time since Jake’s flip-flops were torn into pieces. He decided to walk barefoot which became amusement to the rest of us. Just when we thought things couldn’t get worse, we realized we’ve somewhere taken a wrong turn along the route and are heading in the wrong direction. We decided to stay the night and continue our adventure the next morning. We pitch up our tents when we hear a sound which is like a combination of a lion’s growl and a snake’s slither. Maya and I cuddle up a little closer as we’re both scared of the noise. Jake said, “Don’t worry. It’s just the Osaniwa tribes.”
“The what tribes?” Maya and I ask in unison. “Tyler, the Osaniwa tribes, you know the whole story, don’t you? Why don’t you explain it to them in short?” suggested Jake. Tyler starts explaining “The Osaniwa tribes are the tribals of the year 2020. The Essential Stone, the stone that ensures plant life plays its role on Earth which recently went missing actually belongs to them. It’s been handed down generation-to-generation by their ancestors. The government wanting control of the gem stole it from them. Ever since the tribe has been trying to get it back.”
“It’s powerful enough to create a boundary or a shield around you and those who you want to be safe. You just need to think of them”. By the time Tyler was done explaining this to us, we had already fallen asleep. We wake the next morning and when we realized we completely lost with no clue of where to go arguments broke out in the group. The blame was cast in all five directions.
No one really listened to each other’s instructions or advices. We walk a bit deeper into the forest when we come across a platform nestled among the trees. Tyler intrigued by its geographical location, wanted to figure out why it was placed here. Was there any foul play hidden in it? Jake became impatient and ignoring all of Tyler’s warnings stepped on the platform. The platform steadily rose and then caused a sudden jerk. Tyler quickly spotted the platform’s mechanism and warned Jake again but alas his warning came too late. The platform had already taken control of Jake’s body. The others could only watch as Jake unwillingly danced to Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”. Kiran couldn’t stop laughing while Maya struggled to stifle her laughter behind her hand. Despite the silliness of the situation, Tyler and I focused on finding a way to stop the platform before it caused any more harm. We moved a few rocks and found a lever. When we pulled it together, the platform stopped moving and Jake was in control of his body again.
A split second later, the platform split in two revealing the Primadorial Essence Holder having the Essential Stone right in the center. It sang out to us:
“If you want the stone in my heart,
You have to prove that you’re brave and smart.
There’s nothing to worry so don’t fiddle,
All you have to do is answer the riddle.”
“This animal looks like a squirrel, lives in the same habitat as a penguin and is one of the very fewest animal species’ whose name starts with “O”.
We all knew the answer and said it out loud in unison – “A Sea Otter.” The Essential Stone was thrown into our hands and just as I grabbed the stone, fishnaurs appear (Fishnaurs – a hybrid of fish and dinosaurs who went extinct centuries ago). Tyler signaled and spoke in some king of fish language which they seemed to understand. He then signaled us to ride them back home. Now we not only have the Essential stone in hand but also have day full of memories that will stay with us forever.
The “adventure” was successful only because a series of things went wrong. That’s the irony.
I received my award from Saurabh Gokhale - a celebrated Marathi film and theatre actor, Saurabh Gokhale is known for his memorable contributions to both television and cinema. His noteworthy body of work spans several Marathi and Hindi TV series, web series, movies and plays. He has wowed audiences in series like Shrimant Pehswa Bajirao Mastani and Radha Hee Bawri. He has also played key roles in the Marathi films Yoddha and Partu, as well as the Ranveer Singh starrer Simmba and Cirkus. Saurabh plays a key role in the upcoming Hindi OTT series Veer Sawarkar and his ongoing Marathi plays include You Must Die, which has received critical acclaim. A true artist at heart, Saurabh Gokhale, hailing from Pune, over the last 15 years, he has successfully crafted his passion into his profession!