HORRORS OF THE ANCIENT DIARY… - Varsha Rajesh - Std 8-12

On a windy morning, fourteen year old Meera is cycling to school. She is in a hurry at the moment. She is running late for school. She tries to cycle as fast as possible with a butter toast squished in her mouth and a heavy bag on her back. Meera is a pretty girl, who is kind and funny with an amazing personality, she cares for everyone no matter what. She really loves to learn new things and play video games. Matter of fact, she is an all rounder. She finally makes it to the class. “Sorry teacher, I’m late”, apologizes Meera “Come on in, take a seat”, responds Ms.Willow, “Don't be late again” Meera takes a seat next to her best friend, Macy as Ms. Willow explains how a speed/time graph works to the class. Soon enough, the bell rings. Meera and Macy make their way down the corridor, gossiping about what happened in the game last night. “I seriously can't believe them”, says Macy “For real”, replies Meera, “What a jelly-loner, I really-” Meera stops talking. She spots a black notebook in the corner of the corridor. “What happened, Meera?” questions Macy. Meera rushes over to the big black note and picks it up. Macy on the other hand, is currently chasing after her best friend Meera. “Wha- What’s this?” questions Macy, trying to catch her breath at the same time. “It’s a diary”, replies Meera, “An ancient diary” “Wh- Who does it be- belong to?” asks Macy, still trying to catch her breath. Meera opens the first page, just to find out that the diary belongs to no one. She looks further into the book. The pages look ancient and the writing looks egyptian… “It belongs to no one”, mentions Meera “We should probably hand it to the lost and found-”, suggests Macy as she gets interrupted by the school Bell's irritating ring. Meera squeezes the diary inside her bag and she and Macy make their way to math class. Soon, school ended and Meera cycled back home. She freshens up and finishes her homework really fast. She then heads out to hang out with her friends then returns back home for dinner. She heads back upstairs to her room for some extra studying. She goes through her bag to search for her french book until she realises… …THAT SHE HASN’T GIVEN THE DIARY TO THE LOST AND FOUND!!! “OH MY LORD”, she yells in astonishment. How could she forget? She and Macy were literally talking about the diary in school throughout lunch break. She takes out the diary and stares at it for a moment. She decides to read it. I mean, it wouldn't hurt as she doesn't know who the diary belongs to…right? Wrong, She was about to commit her hundredth sin of this year and it was only February mid.

Besides being a lovely angel mostly everybody loves, she was a chaotic troublemaker who apparently cannot live without a day of chaos. The days she was never starting any chaos was the 3 weeks before Christmas. She opens the diary either way. But what she forgot is that the wordings were written in some sort of code. Meera realizes that this wasn't worth it so she slams the diary close, picks it up and heads to her bag when a piece of paper fell from the big black diary. Meera bends down and picks up the old looking paper. She realises that it's how to understand the codes. Meera sprints to her desk, sits down, turns on her late night study lamp with the ‘I’ve-figured-it-out!’ face and begins solving the code. She reads the whole book, and it is midnight as she just finished reading it with the cold air and the moonlight coming right at her face. The book had all tips from how to have thick luscious hair to how to own a hundred million dollars by not even raising a finger. The next day, she is unusually late for school. This time she is choking on a toast in her mouth then trips over a stone while cycling and goes flying with her cycle and bag. Meera is covered in bruises. She runs over to fetch her bag then cycles back to school again. She makes her way over to the classroom. “DETENTION”, yells Mr. Wood Meera is having a bad day, she starts seeing random dark, shady f igures. She trips and falls flat on her face. The black diary flies out of her bag, out the window and lands in a nearby fire, causing the book to burn to ashes as her bruises and pain disappear.

Later at break, she talks to Macy about this problem. They assume the ancient diary is dangerous and has some bad omen. They keep walking in the corridor until Meera finds another diary in the same spot. Meera, frightened from the recent experience, runs the opposite direction of the diary, causing Macy to chase after her again. Meera and Macy never pick up random objects lying in plain sight ever again…

About the Author:

Meet Varsha Rajesh

Varsha is a spirited 13-year-old from Lords' International School, currently in Grade 8, with a flair for creativity that leaps off the stage and onto the page. Whether she’s gliding gracefully in a classical dance, rocking a western rhythm, or bringing colour to life through arts and crafts, Varsha brings her full heart to everything she does. With several dance trophies already to her name, she dreams of one day becoming a fashion designer — blending her love for movement, colour, and bold self-expression.

An avid reader of Harry Potter and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Varsha’s imagination knows no limits. She writes with curiosity and joy, weaving her observations into stories that are playful yet meaningful.

This story was shared as a peek into her imaginative world — where a spark of wonder is never too far from a twist of fun.

About the Story:

This story was submitted by the author as an entry for the BhashaLab Ultimate Story Writing Competition, 2025. We appreciate their creativity, thoughtful expression, and the courage to share their voice with a wider audience. Thank you!

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