Short Story: World of Fantasies  

By Priyanshu Dagar

I visited my maternal uncle’s house. It was stretched upon a large space filled with crushed yellow grass of the season. Generations of my family have lived there.

The lush grass was yellow, but just with a tinge of green to its tips. My friends and I were busy assessing the beauty of nature. And lo! We ended up sleeping on the ground, indulging in our land of wonders and fancies. Bustling bees sang lullabies to us like our mothers.

In the dream, the surrounding area was blossoming with green grass and beautiful flowers. There were bells in front of the temple that rang with vigour and priests sang ragas resounding from village to village. It developed an echo in each of our hearts.

The pond next to the lush green garden looked like a space voyage. High waves reflected a sweet yellowish cream causing a delicious unconsciousness. Another garden following along the way to the temple cast a chase of shadow on it.

The scene evoked the days when I was younger. I often befriended everyone with happiness. But now, my mind was weighed with responsibilities pertinent to my age. I had to overcome an indispensable societal competition.

Amidst these thoughts and away from the real world, I witnessed the sky turning pale, as if it showed some kind of melancholy. I woke up to reality and realised that I must work hard to achieve my goals.