Madaari
Rays of the sun crept in through a gap in between the curtains to flood my room. I stretched, rubbed my eyes and looked for water. I drank from a bowl and spotted a banana lying next to it. After eating it, I noticed something wasn’t right. I was flabbergasted to find myself in a cage! I grabbed the bars of the cage and shouted for help. A grumpy, hideous looking man walked in from the other room. “Quiet!” He yelled gruffly, obviously irritated by the commotion I was causing. “Who are you?” I asked. “How did I land up in this cage?” “Too many questions, little monkey. Wait, I’ll get you out first.” He brought a rope, cautiously opened the cage door and attached the rope to a collar that was around my neck. Then he allowed me to walk out of the cage, even as he firmly held the other end of the rope. “Come, on the table,” he instructed. I jumped up onto the table that was placed beside a mirror. When I saw myself, I screeched in horror. “How can ...