Shon Mehta

Adhaka stepped out of the house. He did not bother to lock the door -- he knew that nobody will ever try to steal anything from his hut. After walking some distance, he noticed a small puppy following him. As it came closer, Adhaka kicked the puppy hard. Wailing in pain, the puppy looked at Adhaka, and whimpered away. Adhaka continued his walk. As he reached the lake, one of the kids who were playing in the waters noticed him.  "Adhaka, Adhaka is here!" the kid screamed with terror in his voice. "The monster is here!"  The other kids didn't even bother to look. They jumped out of the water, and sprinted away. Their mothers, who were gleefully washing clothes till just a moment back, immediately stopped, got up, and left quietly. The contempt for Adhaka was visible on their faces. The lake which was bustling a moments back, had now turned completely silent. This did not bother Adhaka. He bathed, put on his work clothes, and continued to...