The Fantastic Four Cousins : The Unofficial Queen (3)

       " Where are we going? " asked Raju. " To the palace of Maromir. " replied Neil, taking great long strides towards the exit of the forest. The children had to jog to keep up to him. "Aren't you a wizard? Why can't you just magic us out of here, to the palace? " asked Deva, panting.

      " My dear boy," said the wizard. " if I could, I would. But, unfortunately, I can't. My powers have gone weak inside that fiery prison you all freed me from.But not to fear, I will get my powers back when we go to Mount Snowji, the only mountain in the kingdom that can give me back my powers." he said thoughtfully.  

      "Then why are we going to the palace?" asked Aisha, confused. " Too late," muttered Gowri. They were at the palace! A humongous, old-looking palace stood in front of them. The children gasped. It was awesome!

      " To answer your question, girl, we have to get the map of the kingdom and ........... " his voice trailed off." Anyways, what are your names? " asked Neil, for the children had not introduced themselves earlier." Oh, my name's Aisha, " she said. The others too introduced  themselves quickly, for this was done under the scorching sun, and they wanted to get some shade.

      "Let's go inside," said Neil. The children went in, and stood in awe. Unlike the outside, this looked very modern and comfy. The walls were covered with pictures of the royal ancestors, and the rooms were furnished beautifully. Even the door handles were carefully carved from wood, so that every detail could be seen clearly. Plush red carpets were laid out, wall to wall. Let's just say that it was exactly like any other palace on the outside, but the inside was completely different. 

      Neil had no time to lose gaping. He went to a nearby maid and started talking in hushed tones to her. The children paid no attention to them though. They were too busy looking around and gaping again.

       Finally, when Aisha managed to tear her gaze of the place, she looked around to find Neil. She saw him talking to the maid. Obviously whatever they were talking about was very important, by the look on their faces. So Aisha just stood quietly beside Neil, taking in all that he said.

      " They are here. Where is she?" he asked." She is coming. We have no time to lose. Change has already taken place. "said the maid." What are we to do? I have no powers , well not much. We have to go to Mount Snowji, to get my powers back. " he whispered again. " Then go. I will inform her. But I'm warning you, she will not be happy." said the maid.

      Aisha's head was spinning. ' Who was this maid, and who was the "She" they were talking about? I guess I will find out now, here she comes.' she thought. 

      The doors flung open and in stepped an extremely exquisite person, with an elegant outfit. Everyone in the room stopped moving, and dropped to their knees, including the children and Neil,though the children only did because Neil had instructed them to follow his lead.

      The person nodded her head ever so slightly, and they rose to their feet. "Where are they? " she questioned, glancing around. Neil stepped forward." Your Majesty, these are the four children you requested." he said. The children glanced at each other nervously, when the person, who was a part of the ruling family's face broke into a stunning smile.

 

       The children were pushed forward. Raju turned angrily to Neil, but Neil must have read his mind or something, because he simply said," Peace Raju boy, I will be with you and will not let any harm happen to you or your family.". Raju didn't know what to make of this, so he just turned back to the person.

 

       She gestured to the people surrounding her, and they all left, including Neil. Gowri looked on helplessly.'Who is this person, and why is her smile so sinister?' thought Raju, worried, for he was supposed to take care of his cousins.

      When the last person went out of the room and the door shut,her smile grew even more sinister, and she extended her hand. " Welcome, dears." she said, hiding a laugh. She petted Aisha's head. Aisha grew angry. " Don't you dare call me your dear!" she exclaimed.

      The person laughed wickedly, and introduced herself with a smirk. " You might be wondering who I am, aren't you? I'm Queen Bella. Queen." she emphasised on the Queen word. Her voice grew higher." And off to the cells with you!" she exclaimed. "I've always wanted you, and now I finally do!"

      The children gasped and ran out of the door, outside to Neil, who used a tiny bit of his magic which he had been saving for this time, magiced them out of there. The queen yelled, and with that, she shut the curtains in front of the door, to have some privacy.

 

 

                THE END( FOR NOW)

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The Fantastic Four Cousins : The Exciting World (2)

* Check for word in Glossary

       Packed, dressed and ready for adventure were the four cousins that day - except Raju. " Oh, what a glorious morning! "exclaimed Gowri. And indeed it was. The three of them decided to step outside to bask in the sunshine for awhile. 

        They stared in wonder at the flock of birds who were flying across the sky, and Deva was trying to figure out patterns and figures out of the fluffy clouds (which I am sure is a pastime of many of us, ) while waiting for Raju. Aisha marvelled at at the dew- kissed grass and saw a colony of ants working together to build a nest. Gowri just closed her eyes, sat down , and inhaled deeply, enjoying the cool breeze.

      Meanwhile, Raju was busy stuffing his face with breakfast for he had slept late last night and promptly overslept. The impatient Deva, started poking around in the soil only to be told off by Aisha for 'destroying periyamma's*  garden' apparently. 

      Finally finished, Raju came out and before he could feel the breeze, everyone else pushed him in , eager to start exploring. They rushed to the girls' room and pushed on the wall with all their might. Before you could say ' Delicious chicken briyani * ' ,they were in the magical place already.

      They were pleasantly surprised to find it extremely hot there,  although it had been snowing the day before. They went in further and soon took off all their layers of clothes until they were left with just their shirts and pants only. Beads of sweat trickled down their faces but nobody complained. It was a silent trip, occasionally broken with the cries of " Look, there's a squirrel! " or " Awww....what a cute rabbit! " and soon everyone was talking at once.

      They reached a forest, and everyone grew quiet. You know the feeling when you know that something more superior than you is towering above you, and with a majestic forest in front of them, the children were spellbound.

      After a while, Gowri asked what everyone was thinking." Should we go in? " she asked. Aisha and Raju nodded their heads. " Yes, let's go. " they answered. Gowri agreed. Deva was stammering, " Um....I suppose we could..,if we have to ..should we...eat? " he asked ,trying to change the subject. " No way ! " came the reply of Aisha. " You just had breakfast! " she exclaimed. " Oh do stop bickering ,you two. " Gowri tried to make peace. Upon hearing this, Raju added, " Let's go in! " and went in without waiting for replies. The others stood, unsure of what they'd find. But eventually, everyone- including Deva, found themselves walking in.

      Thick mist covered the forest, and the equally thick silence hung in the air. Deva shuddered. ' What a dark place' he thought. " I feel so dreary and sad. " he said to the others. The others felt the same.  Unlike earlier, there was no animals, no weird plants or anything for a matter of fact. 'What a desolate area' thought Gowri. And indeed it was, but let's not go into the details.Fortunately, they spotted a bright light shining its way through the dark forest. 

      It turned into a sizzling ball of energy -  that could actually be seen. It fizzled and sparkled, causing everyone to take a step back except for Deva, who looked like he wanted to run away. " What is that thing?" asked Aisha,  puzzled. " I'm not sure. But I think that we should just stay close and trust in this land- wherever we are. " suggested Raju. " After all, there must be a reason why it brought us here. " he added. 

   

      " G-g-g-good id-d-dea. " stammered Deva, looking pale. Gowri and Aisha agreed. Raju was the oldest, and he was sensible, unlike somebody. The ball of energy started getting brighter and brighter every second, making them all shield their eyes. When it reached its peak of brightness, it turned into a person with a "poof! ".

      Deva was the first to open his eyes. " Aahhh! " he screamed. " Who are you? " he asked, slowly. " Good day, kind people. " said the person, unalarmed. ( He had gotten used to people having that reaction.) " I am a wizard. An excellent one, if I do say so myself. I am The Great Wizard Neil, but you may call me Neil for short. " he introduced himself, bowing gracefully. " Wow. " said Aisha. " I can't believe this. " she said. " Neither can I , " said Gowri." so, you are a real wizard?" she confirmed. " where are we? " asked Raju.

      " Yes, I am. The wand, the pointy hat, really, can't you guess? " replied the wizard, offended. " How old are you? 100? " asked Deva, who taught that this wizard was like the old wizards in the movies. "No, no, I am just 20 years young." Neil chuckled. " I am here to find 4 children, 2 girls, 2 boys, cousins, who will be the Kings and Queens of this majestic land, Maromir. said Neil.

     The others smiled. Aisha was puzzled. ' Is it us? ' she wondered. Gowri smiled at her. Raju rolled his eyes, impatiently looking at Aisha. Deva gave a long sigh. Finally, Aisha understood. " Oh, is it us? " she asked Neil. " Of course! Can you see any other people here?" exclaimed Neil." We need to move, time is running out. Chalo, chalo*, let's go!" he called.

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Glossary for The Fantastic Four Cousins Stories

Glossary

 1. Amma -  Mother

  2. Periyamma - Father or mother's elder sister or

       elder brother's  wife

  3.  Briyani - An Indian dish made with highly seasoned

        rice and meat, fish, or vegetables.

  4. Chalo chalo -  Let's go!

The Fantastic Four Cousins : The Magical Door (1)

* Check for word in Glossary   

  "Found you!" Deva Shanmugam shouted. It was the school holidays, and the Shanmugam children were playing Hide & Seek with their cousins outside in the backyard. Deva Shanmugam had just spotted his cousin Gowri Mohan, poking her head out of her hiding spot- a big bush.He had already found the others, Aisha Shanmugam, his sister and Raju Mohan, his cousin. 

    Although Deva and Raju were a year older than their sisters who were 12, they agreed to play Hide & Seek for it was a boring, blazing hot day. "Lunch time!" Mrs Shanmugam called out. The children grinned and raced inside for they were very hungry after running about in the sun the whole day. "Children, where are your manners?" Mrs Mohan said while shaking her head. "Wash your hands and stop running around and tripping everyone up." she continued, for the children were indeed running about excitedly and making quite a chaos.

     Soon, everyone was at the table eating, Mr and Mrs Shanmugam, Mr and Mrs Mohan and the children. After lunch, the girls walked their parents to the door while the boys carried their bags. "Have a good time children, and don't mess up the house. Remember to get up early and do all the house chores before going out to play." their mother advised them. "Always lock the doors when you go to bed and when you are not at home. Never open the door to strangers. The kitchen is stocked up with your favourite food. If you want something else, there is some money I have given to Aisha to buy something. " added Mrs Mohan.

     "Alright, alright, we get it. We are 13 amma * , we know how to take care of ourselves." Raju said. "Yeah, you even left us a list of all the house chores to be done while you are gone." pointed out Gowri. "A long one that is," muttered Deva while rolling his eyes.

    "Time to go!" Mr Mohan called out cheerily. The children waved goodbye to their parents and looked  at each other as the car disappear down the street.  "So, what should we do now?" asked Aisha. They all kept silent and looked outside.

         "Why don't we....clean up the leftover food and clean up the table? " suggested Gowri, who was a neat freak. "Uhhh...No way..."' groaned Deva. Then he brightened. "How about you two girls do that and we'll play video games?" he said while fist bumping Raju. "What? Come on you two, don't be so lazy, "Aisha said and started toward the kitchen. The boys had no choice but to follow her and help them, for their money was with Aisha , and she wasn't going to give them anything if they were in her bad books.

     While Aisha washed the dishes, Gowri helped her to put it away and the boys were assigned to pack the remaining food. At least, that was what they were supposed to do..They were too busy chasing each other around the dining hall and bumped into the table, causing a glass plate to fall and break. "Crash!" Aisha gasped and rushed to the dining hall with Gowri at her heels.

     "Huh! And you were the one who said that you are 13 and can take care of yourself?! It has not even been a day yet, and you both have already managed to create chaos!" shouted Aisha angrily. Gowri was more sympathetic. "Are you two hurt?" she asked, concerned. The boys nodded their head no. They didn't dare to say anything, Aisha had a hot temper! "Oh, what is amma * going to say?" she moaned. Their punishment , given by Aisha was to stand still facing the wall and think about what they did, until the girls were done cleaning up the mess.

     For the rest of the day, the boys behaved themselves and eventually, Aisha calmed down. While completing a jigsaw puzzle in the evening, they got bored and decided to "explore" the house.

     While "exploring" the girls' bedroom, They noticed a part of the wall which had a different pattern from the rest of the walls. As Deva was leaning against it, there was a sound, and the next minute, he was gone! Everyone was alarmed and searched for him. As they were there leaning against the wall ,discussing the problem, the wall moved and a new secret room was in sight. The girls were shocked and Raju began to call for Deva. 

      Deva came up to them and told them the least expected news. "We're in a secret room!" he said excitedly. There was a long silence. Then Gowri got one of her extraordinary ideas. "Let's go further inside and see more!" she suggested. It was very dark, and nobody could make out a thing. Fortunately, Raju had a torch and the light made everyone feel better. 

     They ventured forward, and found a door handle with a key inserted into the keyhole too! Aisha opened the door with trembling hands. It opened with a creak, showing that it had not been opened in a long time. The children found themselves buried under a pile of clothes and were squashed in wardrobe which they assumed was a room!

     "Ahh!" screamed Deva." An alien is attacking me!" "Oh shut up Deva, stop being such a baby." scolded Aisha still angry at him." They're just clothes for goodness' sake!" she continued. Where's Raju and Gowri?" she asked. "Raju, Gowri ! Where are you both?" she called with Deva echoing her.

     "Guys... you should see this." said Raju appearing in front of them. Just as Deva and his sister was about to ask what it was, their mouths dropped open. Gowri was nearby, standing on SNOW!

     It was freezing, and they decided to rummage in the wardrobe to find some warmer clothes. They came out dressed covered from head to toe!  They were wearing boots, mittens, beanies and coats. Even the boys who claimed it was clothes for "girly girls" and it was not cold at all, wore them too!

     They started forward with 'Aisha the Adventurous' at the front and Raju bringing up the rear. Deva kept looking around, frightened, and stumbled along. Aisha rolled her eyes, 'Honestly, people would think that he was 5 not 13, the way he behaved!' she thought. Gowri, who was walking behind him, kept bumping into Deva when he stumbled or stopped. Finally exasperated, she started shoving and pushing him to move and eventually got tired of it, switched places with him. Even patient Gowri could not stand Deva!

     The sun was setting, and everyone began to get hungry. They decided to go home, pack food and continue their journey the next morning. They finally got something to "explore" after all! 

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Scenery Outside My Bedroom Window

 Cool breeze,

The night sky filled with twinkling stars,

A dense jungle, with many trees,

With so many animals like wild boars and monkeys,

I look out every night,

To see the warmth of my neighbour's house lights,

That shines so bright,

In my dark room,

I wake up to my vibrating watch,

I hear the birds chirping,

And my mother praying,

I lay back in bed,

To enjoy the sounds of the morning,

I open my eyes to find,

My parents "waking" me up,

I make all the lovely,

I'm-getting-up noises,so they won't get angry,

To start my day,

TODAY.

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Nature Poem

 Beautiful sky,

Birds flying up high,

We look around and calm ourselves,

Taking in this unique sight,

A perfect place with no flaws,

Hold hidden secrets,

Evil disguises and large jaws,

Waiting for the right time to pounce,

Hunting down prey,

Tired, and they go to bed,

The leader keeps awake,alert for danger,

For not everything comes on a silver platter,

Or a gold tray.

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Swimming Poem

 Her body dives in,

Full of elegance and grace,

Straight as a pin,

Everyone awaits her fate,

Her hand weaves through the waves,

Gentle, but firm,

Like rain that patter,

This exercise in water,

Is what she loves- Swimming,

Her heart races,

As she focuses on winning,

She reaches the end, and,

Sees her sister smiling through her braces,

She has won, a gold medalist,

She proudly strides across the stage,

As they announce winners from a list,

Gotten her medal,

Her achievement reached,

She now teaches swimming,

To others who are potential swimmers.

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