Story so far: On a school picnic to a zoo, grumpy Navin realises that he isn’t the only student with magic in his blood.

“ My entire group can do something funny or weird,” Niya said. “Lavanya can communicate with plants, Rahul can talk to books, Vidya can speak with the furniture, and Krish can make pens and pencils follow his commands.”

“No wonder his handwriting is the neatest in class,” Navin grumbled.

After a picnic lunch at the zoo, they climbed into the bus. Navin looked out of the window to see the sky covered with a thick blanket of clouds. A heavy fog surrounded them from all sides and made visibility difficult. The bus driver drove maniacally, as though the fog was buffeting the vehicle from different directions. The passengers clutched their seats, as they were thrown in all directions.

Suddenly, the bus lurched to a stop. “I can’t see the road,” said the driver, leaving his seat and walking towards the others. No one could see anything, as it was dark outside. They all felt alarmed, their eyes widened, their nerves tingled.

“Tough situation requires tough measures.” Mr. Raman opened his window and waved his hand. The fog mysteriously cleared.

“I agree,” Miss Ragini opened her window and did the same. The students stared in alarm, as Mrs. Mehta also waved her hand.

“Why should I be left out?” said Mr. Cravat, staring at the bag filled with food at his feet. One by one, the different food items flew towards the students. Navin grabbed a carton of juice.

“You all are secret Magikers, eh?” smiled the driver, snapping his fingers. The bus started though he was not in his cabin.

“You too?” Miss Radhika grinned.

“My magic works on vehicles,” he replied.

“How do you control your magic?” Mr. Cravat asked.

“It’s difficult,” he made a face.

After some time, the bus ground to a halt. Several men in grey bodysuits entered the bus. Everyone was alarmed. The men took complete charge of the bus. One started driving, the rest walked up and down the aisle keeping a watch.

“You all are Magikers,” one man said. “For some strange reason, today, everyone’s magical abilities have become clearer and it showed up in Greta Stewart’s computer.”

“Who is Greta Stewart?” Mr. Raman asked.

“GS is the leader of the Magikers Society,” the man replied.

Several hours later the bus lurched to a stop. “Get down,” one man ordered. The group climbed down the bus and waited.

“You all now standing outside the golden mansion of GS, the head of the Magikers Society to which you all belong. The Magikers are regular people with extraordinary powers that must be hidden from the rest of the society, else they can be either kidnapped or blackmailed into using their powers for a wrong purpose,” the man said. “Under our leader’s training, your magic will be enhanced.”

They stood in a tightly knitted group, staring nervously at their surroundings.

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Printable version | Jun 18, 2022 10:08:07 am | https://www.thehindu.com/children/navins-eight-hour-deadline-the-power-group/article65502752.ece