Who is Messing with Mr. Chills?

Veer and his friends had been counting down the days to their winter trip.

- Navya Raju

They were going to Nainital, and couldn't wait to play in the snow and huddle by the fireplace after. When they finally arrived at Nainital, the hill town was even more enchanting than they had imagined. Snow blanketed the ground, the lake sparkled with a thin crust of ice, and the air smelled like fresh pine. It was a scene from a snow globe that had come to life.

"Let's make the biggest snowman in Nainital!" Veer announced, his breath visible in the frosty air. His friends Ria, Aman, and Tara cheered as they started gathering snow, rolling out huge balls for the base, body, and head. They worked tirelessly, each adding their own touches: Aman found a branch for a nose, Ria made buttons out of pebbles, and Tara placed an old woollen cap on the top of the snowman's head.

By late afternoon, their snowman stood tall in their garden-a chubby, grinning fellow with twiggy arms and a lopsided smile.

"I think he needs a name," said Tara, stepping back to admire their creation.

"Let's call him Mr. Chills!" Veer suggested. The others laughed and nodded in agreement.

The sun dipped behind the hills and the air grew colder. The children huddled around a street stall to warm themselves up. Tara insisted on buying syrupy, hot jalebis from a vendor. "Winter isn't complete without jalebis!" she declared, handing one to each of her friends.

That night, the children went to bed excited for the next day, thinking of all the games they'd play with Mr. Chills. But when they rushed outside the following morning, there was an unpleasant surprise waiting for them.

"Where did his arms go?" Aman asked, pointing to where Mr. Chills' twiggy arms had been placed. Both of them were missing. Ria frowned, "Maybe the wind blew them off?"