Suvadip Bhattacharjee Writes

Toyi can’t decide what to buy for her grandmother. This is the Christmas month. The shopping malls are buzzing with twinkling lights, shades of hanging stars and a crowd of colourful tiny tots. The showcases are all full of eye-catching gift items. What’s not there? A variety of soft toys, crying dolls to storybooks, fine dresses, caps, sweaters, trousers and many others. Children can’t wait long to stack them in their shopping carts. But, for Toyi, those aren’t interesting enough, at least not suitable for her grandmother. She lives with her parents in the state of Pennsylvania. The place is far far away from Kolkata where her grandmother lives in a housing surrounded by mango trees. Toyi visits her once in two years, but she keeps a special bonding with the old lady. She tells her friends, “My Amma is my best ever friend. She listens to all my requests, but my parents don’t.” Lisa, the blue-eyed girl, who is in the same class, asks her, “Aren’t you thinking of a nice Christmas gift...

He firmly believes he is a little clever monster. He loves to think he is fearsome. He lives with his parents in a dark green forest where he hardly meets people. So what? He dreams of travelling to a place where he can frighten people, especially children. But the little monster’s parents do not allow him to go far. His father says, “Search for food near the tree where you live. There is plenty of food balls here. If you go elsewhere, you may lose the track of this tree.” But the little monster doesn’t want to listen to him. He thinks he is smart enough to do anything he wants. One fine morning he pops his head out of his home. It’s a bright sunny day. He decides, “Papa and Mumma aren’t here. It’s time to scare a child I meet on the way.” He hops on the ground and runs through forest path as fast as he can. He stops in front of a large cemented wall. He has never been here before. “What’s there on the other side?” he asks himself. He will find that out. He has magical power. The...