The Invisible Blanket | Story by Ayaan, 14, Thane
When a young boy accidentally finds a blanket that makes him invisible, he turns into a new person. But is that for good or bad? Read this story by 14-year-old Ayaan from Thane to find out!
A long time ago, there lived a whimsical scientist. He liked to experiment with chemicals by mixing them with each other haphazardly. Once, after mixing many chemicals, he sought one which after pouring on a substance would make a person invisible when he is in contact with that substance. He decided to pour it on a thick woollen blanket. He used the blanket for a year and hid it deep into the woods before he died.
After a few decades, a village evolved a few kilometers away from where the scientist hid the blanket in the woods. Dev, an 11-year-old boy, lived in that village with his parents. He was thin and a quick boy, mischievous and cheeky. Once, while chasing a raccoon in the woods, he lost himself for a while but discovered a rugged blanket. Though the blanket looked old, it was glowing in the sunlight. He was attracted to the ruby-like, unusual blanket. He decided to show it to his buddy, Abhinav.
At Abhinav’s house, Dev requested his friend to keep that unusual blanket or else his parents would discard it.
“No!” shouted Abhinav furiously and threw the blanket at Dev with massive strength. During the chaos, Abhinav thought that Dev had left the room in anger, but he could hear his feeble voice. He intently checked the whole room and couldn’t find Dev.
“Dev, where are you?” asked Abhinav, mumbling in fear.
“I am over here, you stupid!” answered Dev in irritation. Abhinav froze right where he stood and turned white.
Trembling in fear, Abhinav stammered, “Don’t do this to me, I can’t see you. Stop hiding.”
“I am right beside you, you fool! Can’t you see me?” Saying this, Dev pulled off the blanket abruptly and suddenly was visible to Abhinav.
A few moments later of grave silence, Dev murmured in a wobbly voice, “Abhinav! THIS – IS – AN- – INVISIBLE- BLANKET.”
Dev decided not to reveal anything about this miraculous blanket to his parents and outsiders. Abhinav remained a close confidant. Dev thought that the blanket was a gift from nature and made up his mind to take his trickery to the next level.
Dev started by taking a few pet chickens and sheep of other villagers to the forest and left them there in the dark. He also carried some of the dirtiest pigs from a villager’s pen and left them running in the villagers’ houses and even in his Guru’s house. During the afternoon, when almost everyone would be asleep, he hurled rotten tomatoes and eggs at people through the open window and loved watching their startling reactions when they could see no one. During boring lectures, he sneaked out of the class and took a seat in his favourite classroom. At midnight, when the villagers were in deep slumber, Dev thumped on their doors loudly and stayed there to watch their amusing reactions.
After doing these mischievous acts for a week, Dev found out that the villagers were upset and their daily activities were hampered. He was delighted to notice them in frustration and decided to intensify his pranks.
Once, he planned to trick the milkman and waste all of his milk. The next day, when he spotted the milkman bicycling on the steepest slope of the village, Dev gave him a rough push. It made the milkman lose his balance and he fell off the slope rolling. His arms, face and neck were bleeding profusely. The milkman was hospitalized by the villagers and his family was disturbed. He couldn’t deliver milk for a month and suffered heavy losses.
Dev, after seeing the whole incident was moved and completely blamed himself for the milkman’s accident and losses. Dev reflected that because of the blanket, his mischief had turned into roguery and he had turned into an unlikeable person. He destroyed the blanket in the forest by burning it.
“Great decision, mate!” remarked Abhinav while patting Dev’s back.
