The prompt BOX

Writing is an art and there’s no better platform to exercise it than your own beloved GT!
To unleash the writer in you, GT brings you a new topic every time and asks for your views on the same.
Here are some intriguing responses from the students of AIS Gurugram 43 for the prompt…

 We all have little side quests that make life more fun such as journaling, solving puzzles, exploring thrift stores, or simply taking a spontaneous detour. As the main character of your own story, what side quests would you go on just for the joy of it?

My side quests are the little adventures that make my story uniquely mine. When I want to step into another era, I turn to Bharatanatyam. Every mudra, movement, and beat feels like a doorway to ancient India. When curiosity takes over, I reach for a puzzle because solving it brings the feeling of watching pieces fall into place. But when the world gets too loud, I turn to journaling.  Perhaps these side quests are not distractions from my story; they are the little adventures that make it worth remembering.
Samikha Chugh, AIS Gurugram 43, IX A

I would love exploring bookshelves and getting lost in fictional worlds. The experience of a new life in an unknown world filled with mysteries, wonders, and magic, curled up in a cozy corner with music... is simply Nirvana. In the evenings, I’d enjoy taking walks with no destination. I also love solving 500-piece puzzles with my brother. None of these quests earn rewards, but they would make lot more fun.
Nyka P Kishor, AIS Gurugram 43, X C

The one side quest that I would take up would be going through my old photos. I love finding old photos and remembering all the tiny details and nostalgic stories behind them. Sometimes even if the photo is ordinary, the photo brings back the entire moment, the people I was with, the conversations that we had and the memories that we shared. I would compile small photo albums from different phases of my life, not for perfect images but for the memories I’d like to cherish forever. This would be my simple and little way of keeping moments close.
Siyona Gupta, AIS Gur 43, X C

If life were a book, the best stories would be in the margins, where footnotes or mindful imprints are left. Give me an hour, and I’ll likely lose it to a single word. I might look up where a word like ‘Establish’ came from. And I’ll know something about Greek or Latin that no one asked me to know. Other days, I would like to go on a walk where the breeze is cool and trees bow as I pass. Puzzles are my other weakness. I won’t stop until they yield. Coding is similar. It never works the first time, so when it does, it indeed feels like winning a small lottery.
Hulsoor Sudhiksha, AIS Gurugram, 43, IX C

While everyone prefers the main quest, I prefer the longer route. For side quests, I would like to go to the nearby stores and ask the owner how it opened. I would go to libraries to leave notes in the books for a stranger and record voice notes for my future self. Each night, I would pen something silly in my journal; for e.g. ‘Today the sky looked like someone spilt orange juice on a blue shirt’.  And I would try something new - maybe juggling oranges or flipping a pen. Years later, my stories would matter more than fading trends.
Siddhi Gupta, AIS Gurugram 43, X C

One side quest I’d love to take up is kitchen gardening - planting a tiny seed and checking on it every morning. Another would be sitting somewhere comfortable and inventing completely fictional backstories for strangers. I’d also love the mystery-ingredient challenge: buying one ingredient I’ve never tried and figuring out what to cook with it. Maybe I’ll kill the plant, misread someone’s imaginary backstory or create a dish that should legally never be made again. But that’s the point. Not everything needs to be productive. Some things are worth doing simply because they make an ordinary day a little less ordinary.
Priyanka Gupta, AIS Gurugram 43, X D

I believe that life is as dull as Professor Binns’ history lecture without some fun detours. They add colour to our life and make the journey more eventful. Some side quests that I would love to include are  inventing different endings to books I like. One of my favorite pastimes is to take on creative projects like adding clever captions to old, neglected photos to revive their stories, whether it’s funny ones (especially the silly captions I create for my brother’s photos) or even giving the pictures a fresh, new interpretation through some imaginative and original ones. I truly believe that these occasional breaks from routine are the vital parts of life that make the main journey a memorable and truly unforgettable adventure. 
Atiksh Jain, AIS Gurugram 43, IX B

On a random sunday evening, while everyone’s busy with their usual side quests, I’m probably hunting down the ultimate food high. My father and I are comrades-in-arms, raiding the kitchen for anything remotely exciting. And while we are at it, we usually end up opening one of those suspicious chocolate boxes in the fridge that end up unsurprisingly to be frozen peas. Sure, peak entertainment is K-dramas, murder mysteries and songs. But honestly, what’s the fun without a spicy bowl of Maggi or some brownie ice cream?
Aishee Goswami, AIS Gurugram 43, IX B       

I would start by exploring places in my city, especially cafés, bookstores and thrift stores that I have never visited before. I would spend an afternoon journaling, listening to music or solving puzzles. I would focus on having fun and enjoying the moment. Life is short, why not savour every second? To me, the best side quests are the ones where I can try something new I’d want my side quests to be moments that give me a break from my usual routine and leave me with a good memory.
Annanya Gupta
AIS Gurugram 43, IX E

In my opinion, life is a complex puzzle waiting to be decoded by those who grasp its true essence. While my main storyline consists of school and routine, I’d treat the sidelines as my personal campaign, embarking on side quests. Art and literature strike a deep chord in me. Hence, my favourite quests would involve tracking down quiet libraries  or crafting on an art piece. Apart from this, I love hunting for interesting puzzles that turn the gears in my head. These adventures are what make me feel alive, keeping my heart racing in a world of puzzles.
Lalitha Nemmaluri
 AIS Gurugram 43, IX C