Once upon a time, a group of friends went on a picnic.
They went to a forest in Amravati and decided to stay there for one night. That night, I saw some people approaching our group. They looked strange — their eyes were completely white, and they didn't walk normally. After observing them for a while, we realized they looked like zombies.
We got scared and immediately ran away from that place and returned home. After some time, the zombie outbreak spread all over the world. That's when we took a loan and stocked up on all essential supplies like food, water, a car, and other necessities.
When we tried to tell our families about the zombies, they didn't believe us. But some people did believe and went to Mumbai, as it was said that zombies feared water. They also took a loan, bought a boat, stored a lot of water, fishing rods, matchboxes, and lighters.
As the news of the outbreak spread, the government took action. They started providing airplanes for people to leave the country. Many people managed to escape safely, but others weren't so lucky. The virus kept spreading, and a lot of people turned into zombies.
The first group who had stayed in the forest house also got infected. Although not many were living in that area, the virus spread fast. We tried to set up safety barriers to protect ourselves.
A year passed. Scientists still hadn't found a vaccine, and our food supplies had run out. We had no choice but to take the car and go out in search of food. Sadly, we saw that no one was left — everyone had turned into zombies.
But then I saw something unexpected — my crush was still alive! He was hiding in a broken house. We brought him back with us, but one of my friends suspected he might have been bitten by a zombie and would turn soon. Despite this, I believed in him.
We gathered as much food as we could and returned home. Another year passed. Finally, the scientists found a vaccine, and they released it in the form of a fog that spread across the country.
Meanwhile, another group discovered an island and managed to survive there for two years.
Second story
The Bridge Between Two Worlds
Ayaan sat beneath the old oak tree every morning, eyes closed, whispering prayers. Not far away, Zara walked past him daily, earbuds in, listening to science podcasts, wondering what exactly he was praying for.
One day, their paths crossed more than just briefly. A little girl from their town had gone missing. Everyone panicked. Volunteers gathered, maps spread, search teams formed.
Zara joined immediately, organizing routes and alerts. Ayaan showed up too — not with plans, but with calm words and silent prayers. At first, Zara rolled her eyes.
"We need action, not hope," she said sharply.
"And sometimes, we need both," he replied gently.
They ended up searching together — climbing hills, knocking on doors, following leads. Slowly, as the hours passed, they talked. About life. About pain. About the stars. About how Zara lost her mother and found no comfort in faith. About how Ayaan survived a car crash and found only faith to hold on to.
By the end of the second day, they found the girl, scared but safe, near an abandoned cabin. Everyone celebrated.
Later, as they sat under the same oak tree, Zara looked at Ayaan and asked, "Do you think your prayers helped?"
He smiled. "Do you think your maps did?"
She laughed. "Maybe we both helped in our own way."
And for the first time, they didn't argue about belief. They simply understood.