The Jewel Thief

After an arduous trail, the visitors reached their destination.

The quaint cottage on the hill looked welcoming.

Photo - Lisa Fox

A beautiful lady answered the door.

Her face matched their intelligence-reports.

They were sure they would finally get what they were looking for.

"Where are the diamonds?" they asked. 

Copycats And Plagiarism - Real Life Examples

I have experienced people copying my words, thoughts and ideas many times.

I can never comprehend why some people pass off what doesn't belong to them as their own.

I feel the original thinkers/idea-proponents must get their due credit.

In school, I remember two of my classmates surreptitiously copying my Hindi essay. As there was no scope to photocopy the pages in school, they were doing a quick word-for-word copy. Their strategy was- write it, learn it by rote, and reproduce it in the exam. After all, marks matter.

Then, in Class-X, some classmates wanted my Sanskrit to English translations as our Sanskrit teacher praised my answers in class. Ditto for my History answers. Thus, my note-copies became the reference point for model answers with the teachers' recommendations!

Teachers generally praise you in your absence. You can get to learn of their kind words and benevolence when you find your classmates making a beeline to your note-copies! 

You are expected to be responsible to share and contribute positively to uplift the class standards and average score! 

After all, the all-important career-deciding Board Exams are at stake!

Busy Night

The first time he saw her, he desired to whisk her away.

Her exquisite beauty cast a spell.

He could not wait to lay his hands on her.

He had been working diligently to make a secret passage to her room.

He was excited that all his sleepless nights would finally make his dream come true.

"Gonna be a busy night", he thought as he bridged the final barrier.

                                                             ----o----

He was the focus of her attention.

I C U

In this smart technology age, who does not want a Smart Home? 

Can we have a home where we know what exactly is going on inside or outside or else what had happened a couple of hours or days earlier?

Smart Camera can help in this regard. 
With smart camera, one can say "I C U" i.e. "I See You" and one may avoid getting admitted in the ICU i.e. Intensive Care Unit.

Let me illustrate with the examples of the following three real cases:

Case-1- The Case of the Missing Gas-Cylinder
We had an extra gas-cylinder that was kept in the ground-floor of our home.
One fine day, we realized that it had disappeared.
This was a clear case of theft.
Who had stolen it? 
There was not even one eye-witness who could share any whodunit detail...

Case-2- The Case of the Missing Mobile Phone
An employee of the office next door arrived about half an hour before the office reopened.
He kept his brand new mobile phone on his desk and went to wash his face.
When he returned, his mobile was no longer there.
This was a clear case of theft.
Who had stolen it? 
There was not even one eye-witness who could share any whodunit detail...

Case-3- The Case of the Gold Chain Snatching
I was watering the plants on the patch I have adopted outside our home.
I felt a hand near my neck.
I turned back to find a stranger already had my gold chain in his hand.
He had a sharp weapon with which he attacked me and slashed my arm.
The cut was from top till my wrist. (The marks still remain).

He then ran to a bike nearby, in which his accomplice was waiting, and they sped off.
This was a clear case of theft.
Who had stolen it? 
Except me, there was not even one eye-witness who could share any whodunit detail...

Her Fairy Tale

“The barista shook his head. That hedge couldn’t have moved closer overnight. Could it?”

Photo-Prompt: Mondays Finish The Story

Everyone felt that the hedge was definitely closer to the writer's home.

They noticed that the tall golden statue of a gentleman near the hedge was missing, which some suspected was an expert thief's handiwork.

My Mermaid

There was a sparkle in his eyes.

I sensed my creation’s cries.