Ravi and Hava had always been closer to one another than most siblings, sharing
a special bond as they were twins. Despite Ravi being a boy and Hava a girl, they
were identical in many ways, both sporting lustrous raven-black hair and golden-brown skin like a summer sunset. Another similarity they shared was their deep adoration
of nature, from cerulean skies to the monsoon breeze, the smell of damp earth
to the beauty of seasonal flowers and the sounds of migratory birds.
a special bond as they were twins. Despite Ravi being a boy and Hava a girl, they
were identical in many ways, both sporting lustrous raven-black hair and golden-brown skin like a summer sunset. Another similarity they shared was their deep adoration
of nature, from cerulean skies to the monsoon breeze, the smell of damp earth
to the beauty of seasonal flowers and the sounds of migratory birds.
Ravi and Hava had always been closer to one another
than most siblings, sharing a special bond as they were
twins. Despite Ravi being a boy and Hava a girl, they
were identical in many ways, both sporting lustrous
raven-black hair and golden-brown skin like a summer
sunset. Another similarity they shared was their deep
adoration of nature, from cerulean skies to the monsoon
breeze, the smell of damp earth to the beauty of seasonal flowers and the sounds of migratory birds.
than most siblings, sharing a special bond as they were
twins. Despite Ravi being a boy and Hava a girl, they
were identical in many ways, both sporting lustrous
raven-black hair and golden-brown skin like a summer
sunset. Another similarity they shared was their deep
adoration of nature, from cerulean skies to the monsoon
breeze, the smell of damp earth to the beauty of seasonal flowers and the sounds of migratory birds.
They lived in a vibrant big city and enjoyed the many lifestyle conveniences that
it offered: good schools, opportunities for sports, music, theatre and malls with their many pleasures. However, even at their young age, they had witnessed the rapid increase in concrete buildings, accompanied by a reduction in green space, more vehicles on the road and deteriorating air quality, as well as frequent climate disasters. Hence, when their father, on their thirteenth birthday, decided they were old enough to travel alone to visit his parents in the village, they were thrilled. Ravi and Hava adored their grandparents' house, bursting as it was with trees, vibrant flowers, birds, animals, water ponds and lush farmland.
it offered: good schools, opportunities for sports, music, theatre and malls with their many pleasures. However, even at their young age, they had witnessed the rapid increase in concrete buildings, accompanied by a reduction in green space, more vehicles on the road and deteriorating air quality, as well as frequent climate disasters. Hence, when their father, on their thirteenth birthday, decided they were old enough to travel alone to visit his parents in the village, they were thrilled. Ravi and Hava adored their grandparents' house, bursting as it was with trees, vibrant flowers, birds, animals, water ponds and lush farmland.
They lived in a vibrant big city and enjoyed the many
lifestyle conveniences that it offered: good schools, opportunities for sports, music, theatre and malls with
their many pleasures. However, even at their young age,
they had witnessed the rapid increase in concrete buildings, accompanied by a reduction in green space, more vehicles
on the road and deteriorating air quality, as well as frequent climate disasters. Hence, when their father, on their thirteenth birthday, decided they were old enough to travel alone to visit his parents in the village, they were thrilled. Ravi and Hava adored their grandparents' house, bursting as it was with trees, vibrant flowers, birds, animals, water ponds and lush farmland.
lifestyle conveniences that it offered: good schools, opportunities for sports, music, theatre and malls with
their many pleasures. However, even at their young age,
they had witnessed the rapid increase in concrete buildings, accompanied by a reduction in green space, more vehicles
on the road and deteriorating air quality, as well as frequent climate disasters. Hence, when their father, on their thirteenth birthday, decided they were old enough to travel alone to visit his parents in the village, they were thrilled. Ravi and Hava adored their grandparents' house, bursting as it was with trees, vibrant flowers, birds, animals, water ponds and lush farmland.
On their train journey, as they passed through the countryside and different terrains, Ravi and Hava observed the many varieties of flora and fauna. Hava marvelled at the power of the wind that was gushing against their faces when they opened the window of the train coach. Ravi was awestruck by the beauty of the sun, in the clear blue sky and how its light and heat was used for so many purposes.
On their train journey, as they passed through
the countryside and different terrains, Ravi and Hava observed the many varieties of flora and fauna. Hava marvelled at the power of the wind that was gushing against their faces when they opened the window
of the train coach. Ravi was awestruck by the beauty
of the sun, in the clear blue sky and how its light and heat was used for so many purposes.
the countryside and different terrains, Ravi and Hava observed the many varieties of flora and fauna. Hava marvelled at the power of the wind that was gushing against their faces when they opened the window
of the train coach. Ravi was awestruck by the beauty
of the sun, in the clear blue sky and how its light and heat was used for so many purposes.
Their grandparents' house was large with many open spaces, but the bedrooms
were small and cosy. They realized that, in the village, bedrooms were used, only
to sleep, not to burrow yourself in a laptop, cutting off the rest of the world and
family. Though outages in electricity supply were common, it did not cause
discomfort as the house was bright and airy and there were solar-powered lights
and fans. It was fun to wander around the village, watching people busy on farms,
rearing chicken, goats, cows and buffaloes, and even running small enterprises,
with amazing local ingenuity, using naturally available resources. Every afternoon
they would pluck fruits from their grandfather’s orchard, then venture into the
nearby mini forest, which was quite safe. The animals they encountered, brought
back memories of Panchatantra stories, which their grandmother had read to them
when they were young children. It was almost as if the Earth was speaking to them.
were small and cosy. They realized that, in the village, bedrooms were used, only
to sleep, not to burrow yourself in a laptop, cutting off the rest of the world and
family. Though outages in electricity supply were common, it did not cause
discomfort as the house was bright and airy and there were solar-powered lights
and fans. It was fun to wander around the village, watching people busy on farms,
rearing chicken, goats, cows and buffaloes, and even running small enterprises,
with amazing local ingenuity, using naturally available resources. Every afternoon
they would pluck fruits from their grandfather’s orchard, then venture into the
nearby mini forest, which was quite safe. The animals they encountered, brought
back memories of Panchatantra stories, which their grandmother had read to them
when they were young children. It was almost as if the Earth was speaking to them.
Their grandparents' house was large with many open spaces,
but the bedrooms were small and cosy. They realized that,
in the village, bedrooms were used, only to sleep, not to burrow yourself in a laptop, cutting off the rest of the world and family. Though outages in electricity supply were common, it did not
cause discomfort as the house was bright and airy and there
were solar-powered lights and fans. It was fun to wander
around the village, watching people busy on farms, rearing
chicken, goats, cows and buffaloes, and even running small enterprises, with amazing local ingenuity, using naturally
available resources. Every afternoon they would pluck fruits
from their grandfather’s orchard, then venture into the nearby
mini forest, which was quite safe. The animals they encountered, brought back memories of Panchatantra stories, which their grandmother had read to them when they were young children.
It was almost as if the Earth was speaking to them.
but the bedrooms were small and cosy. They realized that,
in the village, bedrooms were used, only to sleep, not to burrow yourself in a laptop, cutting off the rest of the world and family. Though outages in electricity supply were common, it did not
cause discomfort as the house was bright and airy and there
were solar-powered lights and fans. It was fun to wander
around the village, watching people busy on farms, rearing
chicken, goats, cows and buffaloes, and even running small enterprises, with amazing local ingenuity, using naturally
available resources. Every afternoon they would pluck fruits
from their grandfather’s orchard, then venture into the nearby
mini forest, which was quite safe. The animals they encountered, brought back memories of Panchatantra stories, which their grandmother had read to them when they were young children.
It was almost as if the Earth was speaking to them.
One afternoon, Ravi and Hava were on their usual excursion into the mini forest,
when a monkey tried to take a banana out of Hava’s hand. Shocked, she snatched
her arm back and started backing away, when the monkey said, “I’m very sorry,
I should have asked.” The children couldn’t believe what they had just heard and
covered their mouths in utter shock. This was straight out of the Panchatantara
stories! Hava slowly processed what had just occurred and handed her banana
to the monkey. The monkey thanked them and the three of them slipped into
an easy banter. The children felt chuffed that they had made an animal friend, who
could actually talk to them! They visited the monkey every afternoon. One day, they
stayed on till past sunset and were treated to the sight of stars shining in the sky.
Ravi observed, “We rarely see stars in the city.” “Have you ever wondered why?”,
said the monkey. “Some of my friends live in cities and they say the skies are clouded
with smoke, which hides the stars from our view.” The twins recalled their school lessons
on pollution and how the usage of fossil fuels for energy production and transportation
led to poor air quality.
when a monkey tried to take a banana out of Hava’s hand. Shocked, she snatched
her arm back and started backing away, when the monkey said, “I’m very sorry,
I should have asked.” The children couldn’t believe what they had just heard and
covered their mouths in utter shock. This was straight out of the Panchatantara
stories! Hava slowly processed what had just occurred and handed her banana
to the monkey. The monkey thanked them and the three of them slipped into
an easy banter. The children felt chuffed that they had made an animal friend, who
could actually talk to them! They visited the monkey every afternoon. One day, they
stayed on till past sunset and were treated to the sight of stars shining in the sky.
Ravi observed, “We rarely see stars in the city.” “Have you ever wondered why?”,
said the monkey. “Some of my friends live in cities and they say the skies are clouded
with smoke, which hides the stars from our view.” The twins recalled their school lessons
on pollution and how the usage of fossil fuels for energy production and transportation
led to poor air quality.
One afternoon, Ravi and Hava were on their usual excursion
into the mini forest, when a monkey tried to take a banana
out of Hava’s hand. Shocked, she snatched her arm back
and started backing away, when the monkey said, “I’m very
sorry, I should have asked.” The children couldn’t believe what
they had just heard and covered their mouths in utter shock.
This was straight out of the Panchatantara stories! Hava
slowly processed what had just occurred and handed her
banana to the monkey. The monkey thanked them and the
three of them slipped into an easy banter. The children felt
chuffed that they had made an animal friend, who could
actually talk to them! They visited the monkey every afternoon.
One day, they stayed on till past sunset and were treated
to the sight of stars shining in the sky. Ravi observed,
“We rarely see stars in the city.” “Have you ever wondered
why?”, said the monkey. “Some of my friends live in cities and
they say the skies are clouded with smoke, which hides the
stars from our view.” The twins recalled their school lessons
on pollution and how the usage of fossil fuels for energy
production and transportation led to poor air quality.
into the mini forest, when a monkey tried to take a banana
out of Hava’s hand. Shocked, she snatched her arm back
and started backing away, when the monkey said, “I’m very
sorry, I should have asked.” The children couldn’t believe what
they had just heard and covered their mouths in utter shock.
This was straight out of the Panchatantara stories! Hava
slowly processed what had just occurred and handed her
banana to the monkey. The monkey thanked them and the
three of them slipped into an easy banter. The children felt
chuffed that they had made an animal friend, who could
actually talk to them! They visited the monkey every afternoon.
One day, they stayed on till past sunset and were treated
to the sight of stars shining in the sky. Ravi observed,
“We rarely see stars in the city.” “Have you ever wondered
why?”, said the monkey. “Some of my friends live in cities and
they say the skies are clouded with smoke, which hides the
stars from our view.” The twins recalled their school lessons
on pollution and how the usage of fossil fuels for energy
production and transportation led to poor air quality.
The monkey often gave them a tour of the village. He pointed out the women
washing clothes and drying them in sunlight and wind. They also saw a woman
working a solar dryer next to her home, which she ran as a business. The village
had a defunct old windmill. “It was earlier used to pump water but has not been
replaced by solar powered pumps”, explained the monkey. “That’s because sun
energy is superior to wind energy!”, exclaimed Ravi who was named after the Sun.
Naturally, Hava, who was named after the wind, got angry and a lengthy argument
ensued, till the monkey reminded Ravi and Hava of the Panchatantra story
“The Sun and the Wind”.
washing clothes and drying them in sunlight and wind. They also saw a woman
working a solar dryer next to her home, which she ran as a business. The village
had a defunct old windmill. “It was earlier used to pump water but has not been
replaced by solar powered pumps”, explained the monkey. “That’s because sun
energy is superior to wind energy!”, exclaimed Ravi who was named after the Sun.
Naturally, Hava, who was named after the wind, got angry and a lengthy argument
ensued, till the monkey reminded Ravi and Hava of the Panchatantra story
“The Sun and the Wind”.
In the story, the Sun God and Wind God argued over who was more powerful.
To settle the argument, the Sun proposed a test. He pointed to a man wearing
a coat and declared that whoever managed to make the man take off his coat
would be deemed the stronger. The Wind thought this was easy and blew hard
at the man, but the chill of the strong breeze made the man gather his coat
tightly around himself. When it was Sun’s turn, he shone bright and hot, forcing
the man to take off his coat. The Wind admitted defeat, to which the Sun gracefully responded, “I chose this test because this was my area of my strength, but in some
other circumstances you would be stronger”. Thus, it was brought home to Ravi and
Hava that Sun energy and Wind energy were both equally important and that their
separate benefits could be derived from different situations.
To settle the argument, the Sun proposed a test. He pointed to a man wearing
a coat and declared that whoever managed to make the man take off his coat
would be deemed the stronger. The Wind thought this was easy and blew hard
at the man, but the chill of the strong breeze made the man gather his coat
tightly around himself. When it was Sun’s turn, he shone bright and hot, forcing
the man to take off his coat. The Wind admitted defeat, to which the Sun gracefully responded, “I chose this test because this was my area of my strength, but in some
other circumstances you would be stronger”. Thus, it was brought home to Ravi and
Hava that Sun energy and Wind energy were both equally important and that their
separate benefits could be derived from different situations.
The monkey often gave them a tour of the village. He pointed
out the women washing clothes and drying them in sunlight
and wind. They also saw a woman working a solar dryer next
to her home, which she ran as a business. The village had
a defunct old windmill. “It was earlier used to pump water
but has not been replaced by solar powered pumps”,
explained the monkey. “That’s because sun energy
is superiorto wind energy!”, exclaimed Ravi who was
named after the Sun. Naturally, Hava, who was named
after the wind, got angry and a lengthy argument ensued,
till the monkey reminded Ravi and Hava of the Panchatantra
story “The Sun and the Wind”.
out the women washing clothes and drying them in sunlight
and wind. They also saw a woman working a solar dryer next
to her home, which she ran as a business. The village had
a defunct old windmill. “It was earlier used to pump water
but has not been replaced by solar powered pumps”,
explained the monkey. “That’s because sun energy
is superiorto wind energy!”, exclaimed Ravi who was
named after the Sun. Naturally, Hava, who was named
after the wind, got angry and a lengthy argument ensued,
till the monkey reminded Ravi and Hava of the Panchatantra
story “The Sun and the Wind”.
In the story, the Sun God and Wind God argued over who
was more powerful. To settle the argument, the Sun proposed
a test. He pointed to a man wearing a coat and declared
that whoever managed to make the man take off his coat
would be deemed the stronger. The Wind thought this was
easy and blew hard at the man, but the chill of the strong
breeze made the man gather his coat tightly around himself.
When it was Sun’s turn, he shone bright and hot, forcing
the man to take off his coat. The Wind admitted defeat,
to which the Sun gracefully responded, “I chose this test
because this was my area of my strength, but in some other circumstances you would be stronger”. Thus, it was brought
home to Ravi and Hava that Sun energy and Wind energy
were both equally important and that their separate benefits
could be derived from different situations.
was more powerful. To settle the argument, the Sun proposed
a test. He pointed to a man wearing a coat and declared
that whoever managed to make the man take off his coat
would be deemed the stronger. The Wind thought this was
easy and blew hard at the man, but the chill of the strong
breeze made the man gather his coat tightly around himself.
When it was Sun’s turn, he shone bright and hot, forcing
the man to take off his coat. The Wind admitted defeat,
to which the Sun gracefully responded, “I chose this test
because this was my area of my strength, but in some other circumstances you would be stronger”. Thus, it was brought
home to Ravi and Hava that Sun energy and Wind energy
were both equally important and that their separate benefits
could be derived from different situations.
Soon the twins had to bid adieu to their grandparents and their monkey friend and
board the train back home. After their eye-opening experiences, they enjoyed the
ride even more, appreciating the sun lighting up their cabin, and the wind cooling
them from the summer heat. When they reached home, they talked their parents
into installing solar panels, a small wind turbine and a rainwater harvesting set up
at their home. They also posted digital flyers on the colony group mail as well as
on social media, to create awareness about the environmental (and long-term
financial advantages) of using renewable energy as well as energy-efficient devices.
Ravi and Hava longed for a night when they could see stars in their city and are
determined to make the small changes that can contribute to it!
board the train back home. After their eye-opening experiences, they enjoyed the
ride even more, appreciating the sun lighting up their cabin, and the wind cooling
them from the summer heat. When they reached home, they talked their parents
into installing solar panels, a small wind turbine and a rainwater harvesting set up
at their home. They also posted digital flyers on the colony group mail as well as
on social media, to create awareness about the environmental (and long-term
financial advantages) of using renewable energy as well as energy-efficient devices.
Ravi and Hava longed for a night when they could see stars in their city and are
determined to make the small changes that can contribute to it!
Illustrator: Anastasia Efisko
Writer: Sahana Singh, grade 11 student
at Shiv Nadar School,
Guragaon, India
Writer: Sahana Singh, grade 11 student
at Shiv Nadar School,
Guragaon, India
Soon the twins had to bid adieu to their grandparents and
their monkey friend and board the train back home. After
their eye-opening experiences, they enjoyed the ride even
more, appreciating the sun lighting up their cabin, and the
wind cooling them from the summer heat. When they reached
home, they talked their parents into installing solar panels,
a small wind turbine and a rainwater harvesting set up
at their home. They also posted digital flyers on the colony
group mail as well as on social media, to create awareness
about the environmental (and long-term financial advantages)
of using renewable energy as well as energy-efficient devices.
Ravi and Hava longed for a night when they could see stars
in their city and are determined to make the small changes
that can contribute to it!
their monkey friend and board the train back home. After
their eye-opening experiences, they enjoyed the ride even
more, appreciating the sun lighting up their cabin, and the
wind cooling them from the summer heat. When they reached
home, they talked their parents into installing solar panels,
a small wind turbine and a rainwater harvesting set up
at their home. They also posted digital flyers on the colony
group mail as well as on social media, to create awareness
about the environmental (and long-term financial advantages)
of using renewable energy as well as energy-efficient devices.
Ravi and Hava longed for a night when they could see stars
in their city and are determined to make the small changes
that can contribute to it!
Illustrator: Anastasia Efisko
Writer: Sahana Singh, grade 11 student
at Shiv Nadar School,
Guragaon, India
Writer: Sahana Singh, grade 11 student
at Shiv Nadar School,
Guragaon, India
