The last laugh

Suvigya Mathur, XII E & Ruqayya Rahman, X B, AIS Mayur Vihar

Between the congested lanes of Babarnagar, Tanya, Arjun, and Kabir hunted for a hotel with decent Wi-Fi. Kabir forgot to recharge data; others refused to share. “Do we really need a hotel that looks nice and has Wi-Fi?” Arjun groaned. “Of course,” Tanya shot back.
After a while, they stumbled upon Madhapur Haveli. Inside, a small woman named Kamla Bai greeted them in a screeching voice. “We’d like a room,” Kabir said nervously. She only gestured for them to follow and led them to a grand chamber. Handing over the keys, she warned in a chilling tone, “Do not laugh after midnight. The shadows don’t like competition.”
Naturally, they laughed harder. That evening was spent playing games, and filling the haveli with unruly laughter. But all noise died as midnight struck. Remembering Kamla Bai’s words, they burst out laughing at the absurdity, only to be joined by a deep, distorted echo. Shadows stretched across the room, stealing Arjun’s crisps and whispering to Tanya, “Entertain us.” Kabir, ever the joker, cracked more jokes to entertain them. The eerie shadows cackled loudly, draining their youth with every laugh. Arjun’s face sagged with sudden age, Tanya’s hair turned white, and Kabir’s voice echoed hollowly.
The shadows demanded more. Panicked, Tanya blurted, “Fine, but you’ll need Wi-Fi for better ones.” Greedy for humour, the shadows agreed and followed them towards the router room. On the way, they saw Kamla Bai. “Help us!” Kabir begged. But she kept dusting.
Inside the router room, the Wi-Fi name flickered, shifting into: LAUGHING_SHADOWS_CONNECTED. By morning, Arjun’s hand flickered like static, Tanya’s reflection froze in the mirror, and Kabir’s laugh echoed endlessly. They had become the Wi-Fi itself. Kamla Bai unlocked her phone and smiled at the new network: 3_COMEDIANS. “They should have listened to me,” she whispered, resuming her chores. Now, anyone connecting to Madhapur Haveli’s Wi-Fi hears faint voices whisper: “Knock, knock… Your soul.” And before long, they too become the next punchline.

After a while, they stumbled upon Madhapur Haveli. Inside, a small woman named Kamla Bai greeted them in a screeching voice.

So, what did you learn today?

A new word: Cackled
Meaning: To laugh loudly

It's me

KNOW ME
 My name: Maulik Sharma
 My Class: II C
 My school: AIS Vasundhara 6
 My birthday: January 1

MY FAVOURITES
Teacher: Garima ma’am, Mayurika ma’am, and Vipula ma’am
Subject: Maths
Friend:  Arjun and Rasika
Game: Riding my skate-scooter
Cartoon: Sheriff labrador
 Food: Roti Bhindi
 Mall: Mahagun Metro
Book: Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

MY DREAMS AND GOALS
Hobby: Colouring
I like: Playing with my friends
I dislike: Getting up early in the morning
My role model: My daddy
I want to become: An IFS officer
I want to feature in GT because: I want to show it to my grandparents.

Bread dahi vada

Chinmay Sharma, AIS VYC Lko, II A

Ingredients

Bread slices  6
Curd  2 cups
Sugar  1 tbsp
Salt  as per taste
Roasted cumin powder  1/2 tbsp
Red chilli powder  a pinch
Sweet chutney  2 tsp
Chaat masala  a pinch
Fresh coriander leaves  for garnish
 
Procedure

• With the help of an adult, cut the edges off from the bread of your choice.
  
• Dip each slice briefly in water and gently press out the excess water.
  
• Roll the softened bread into small balls and place them on a plate.
  
• In a bowl, whisk the curd with sugar and salt until it becomes smooth.
  
• Pour the curd mixture over the bread balls.
  
• Sprinkle roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder, and chaat masala on top.
  
• Drizzle over sweet chutney and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
  
• Chill for a bit and serve.
  
• Enjoy your delicious bread dahi vadas with your family and friends!