She was a stranger in a very strange land. Her name was Childhood. She had gone to sleep and when she woke up, all that she called home, all that she called family, all that seemed like her own had gone. This was not her land. This was not what she had  thought the reality would be like. With the sun setting, her heart sank too. But all of a sudden, she saw an old friend, Reha. But she looked strange, too. In Childhood’s land, Reha used to catch butterflies, get wet in the rain, chase dogs, make paper planes, smile at anyone and everyone and just be, as happy as one could be. But in this land, she didn’t even notice the butterflies, let alone catch them. Reha seemed to be in a rush. Childhood ran after her. When she finally met her, Reha hugged her tight.
“Where are you going, Reha?”, Childhood asked.
“Out of this place, Childhood. I’m so excited.”, Reha replied
“Take me with you, no?”, Childhood pleaded.
“You can’t come with me, Childhood. They won’t accept you in the other world”, Reha replied curtly and moved on.
Poor Childhood was left behind. She couldn’t believe that her friend was abandoning her. She kept waiting for Reha but Reha was moving forward, all set to step into the land of Adulthood, without her. Reha didn’t even look back. When Reha finally stepped in, she missed her old friend. Reha ran back to the boundary, in search of Childhood but this time, Childhood had left. Perhaps forever.

The Storytellers.