THE TREASURE HUNT 🪙

This is a small story woven around the the three words suggested by Christy’s substack.

A three word exercise for the weekend

Ravaging- violent force, destructive

Resilient- strong through woes

Whisper- Something you think you hear? Do you really?

You have to use these three words . It doesn’t matter if it’s poetry or fiction. Or three separate pieces.

Recently I got this newsletter from Christy ‘s substack.

I liked the post as it was more or less like a prompt.

These 3 words were given to write something.

It could be a poem or a small paragraph. This was like a weekend exercise with words . I found it interesting. Here I go writing down my thoughts using those 3 words

Here goes my small story:

It was lull before the storm. Monu was anxious like everyone else about the approaching storm. They were anticipating a ruthless Violent Storm / Severe Storm of high-intensity, dangerous weather.

Monu was worried a little bit more than everyone else as he was a rag picker. He didn’t have a proper shelter to stay. He was staying in a shack like arrangement. Orphaned as an infant he didn’t have anybody other than his fellow rag pickers as his family and friends. A cold biting wind was howling across the deserted empty streets. The sky had turned a strange menacing grey. The bitter chill made it impossible to sleep for Monu. He and his friends managed to wrap a single blanket they all had to keep themselves warm. The rains had also brought a worry for Monu- not just of the storm, but of losing his daily sustenance, as scavenging seemed impossible the next day.

With a mind heavy with worry, he finally succumbed to sleep. Fast asleep , Monu could hear a WHISPER in his dream . While caught in a deep slumber, a whispered voice echoed in Monu’s ears. Initially, Monu couldn’t grasp the meaning, but then the whisper became clear. ‘Monu, search the garbage patiently tomorrow, for you will find a treasure.’” Monu woke up for a second to only see that there was no one in that darkness around him. All his friends were sleeping. It was raining heavily outside . With a mind full of brimming thoughts of hope, confusion he fell asleep again.

It was morning. It was a “ Lull after the storm” Monu couldn’t get out of his shanty till late afternoon. "Restless and driven by a dream, Monu believed the voice he heard. He was confident in the truth it promised."

Late afternoon slowly Monu and his friends went for their daily scavenging the rags. The violent storm had RAVAGED and left everything in ruins. It was an ardent task to choose a place to scavenge as the storm had left mountains of debris everywhere.

Undeterred, Monu continued his daily, gritty search through the wreckage.He started digging through the debris with quiet RESILIENCE. After digging for a while nonstop , he sat for a break. There was this WHISPER which was hovering around in his ears constantly. Too weary to work, he confessed the haunting whispers of his golden dreams to his busy friend, who simply brushed them aside as mere imaginings lost in a pile of rubble.

But Monu was stubborn and he believed in the WHISPER he heard in his dream. After a break , he again started digging the heap of garbage. It became evening. The clouds became grey as a sign of rains to pour soon. Monu’s friends were ready to leave for their shanties.

Monu wasn’t ready to go. He wanted to dig for some more time. His friends went away. Left alone he regained the digging vigorously as it was about to start raining. There was this whisper saying “ Dig a little more”. His hands were muddy and soaked in wet and sweat. He felt very much let down. Was it his foolishness or stupidity?

In an anger he pushed a pile of newspapers. Beneath the newspapers he heard a different sound. The sound was metallic. He dug further to see it was a small box. A jewellery box.He opened it with great difficult to see A shining yellow coin inside. Even in the dim evening light, it glowed. Not like ordinary metal. It had a rich, warm shine the kind he had only seen in shop windows from far away. Monu stared at it, eyes wide, unable to blink.

The WHISPER …….

It was true.

He held the coin gently between his fingers, almost afraid it would disappear. A slow smile spread across his face not just of joy, but of victory.

A victory because of his RESILIENCE and BELIEF

Thanks Christy for this weekend exercise. As I could write a small blog based on the three words suggested by you.

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