Each day, when Madhuri returned from school, she found her mother engaged in sewing, embroidering, and crafting colourful dresses for men and women.
Her eyes were focused on fine details sequins, beads and rhinestones, patches of multi-coloured fabrics-from behind her plastic-framed glasses.
Sensing Madhuri's arrival, she would put aside her boutique equipment, kiss her daughter, and go to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
Then, when Madhuri was doing her homework, taking a nap or playing outside with the neighbourhood children, she continued her tailoring work.
This region had a famous store, Coco Crafts. It was not only the most famous craft store in the entire town; it was also special.
Two reasons this store was so popular among children were two of its products. They were specially designed and not available anywhere else.
One was the Coco Crafts Pink Box, and the other was the Coco Crafts Blue Box. Each of them came in a large metal box containing not one, two or three, but several tiny items of stationary, craft, and art supplies. While the Pink Box contained items for younger children, the Blue Box contained items for collegegoers and adolescents.
However, there was a challenge. The boxes were expensive. The Pink Box was priced at ₹10,000, and the Blue Box was priced at ₹25,000. For this reason, only the children from the wealthiest households could afford them.
But, in truth, every child in the town dreamt of having these magic-filled boxes containing all those cute notebooks and stationery supplies that every kid loved.
Madhuri had seen some friends unbox their big Pink Boxes and show her their contents.
Like every other child in the town, she wanted to be able to buy a Coco Crafts Pink Box and have it on her study table too.
This story is from the November Second 2022 edition of Champak.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November Second 2022 edition of Champak.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Bhima's Resolve
It was the year 1901, a time when India was under British rule. In Satara, - Maharashtra, ten-year-old Bhima lived with his elder brother, his nephew and their grandmother. His father worked as a cashier in Koregaon.
King Muddleberry and Cheeku
Cheeku rabbit and Meeku mouse had embarked on a world tour. While roaming, they arrived at the outskirts of town called 'Jumble Tumble'.
The Tale of Ratty's Tail
Ratty mouse lived in Anandvan with his cousin, Chinky chipmunk, who had come from London two months ago. One day, Ratty was sitting in his home, feeling sad.
The Turning Point
\"Very well class, the new word for today is: 'M-A-S-S-A-C-R-E.' Kanchana ma'am wrote down the word, letter by letter on the blackboard.
Eid in Sharjah
Dania was super excited as mother told her that cousin Ezra and Ruhi are visiting them for Eid. Ezra and Ruhi lived in London, United Kingdom. They were flying to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Middle East for the first time.
Penny's CUPCAKES
Early one morning, hearing a knock at the door, Tommy cat went and opened it. On the doorstep was his neighbour, Penny cat. She was holding a large box in her hands from which came the most tempting aroma.
The Easter Celebration
Rahul studied at St. Joseph's School, a school based on Christian beliefs. Rahul was a Hindu by religion. Students of all religions studied in Rahul's class. They enjoyed many festivals and learnt about each other's cultures in this way.
A Colourful World
Tanu loved colours. Every page of her drawing book was colourful; her room was decorated in vibrant shades of pink and green, and she loved to plant bright flowers in colourful pots.
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
Jiggy chipmunk was the new kid on the bus. Their bus service was terrible, especially in the mornings when the kids had to wait a long time for the bus to pick them up. Often, they were late in arriving at school.
Ruhi's Holi
Children eagerly awaited the festival of Holi. \"This time, Papa has promised a special longrange pichkari which has a water tank attached to it so that I can spray water endlessly without having to refill it,\" boasted Vinayak.
