The Fire and the Rain - By Jahnvi Gupta

Written By: Jahnvi Gupta

Category: narrative prose

Competition: Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the tapestry of creative expression, Jahnvi Gupta weaves a compelling narrative through her piece, "The Fire and the Rain." As a participant in the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, Jahnvi offers readers a poignant exploration of emotions through narrative prose. Her work delves into the intricate interplay of pain, friendship, and healing, capturing the essence of youthful introspection.

About the Work

"The Fire and the Rain" unfolds a narrative rich in introspection and emotional depth. Jahnvi Gupta crafts a vivid portrayal of inner turmoil, the cyclical nature of routine, and the solace found in friendship. The narrative's mood oscillates between despair and hope, painting a picture of resilience amidst adversity. Through evocative imagery and a candid tone, Jahnvi invites readers into a world where healing emerges from the ashes of past struggles.

The Fire and the Rain

Original Submission by Jahnvi Gupta

Please save her. Pain. Hatred. Agony. Fear. Anxiety. Jealousy. Felt it all at once. Felt like a fire burning inside, eating me mercilessly. It made me hurt. I was tired of the same routine every day, it’s like a never-ending cycle. The one thing that made me actually feel happy was gone. I woke up late, not able to speak, not able to move. Just lying there, trying to gain back lost control. I heard voices screaming. I wanted to get up and see what was going on, but I just couldn’t and blacked out. By the time I got up, everything was silent. I went to the balcony, looked down at the children playing and thought about the last time I did that. I went to take a bath. Looked in the mirror and felt strange, it was like a shadow looking back at me. I was hungry but I didn’t want to eat whatever was made. I made myself a sandwich and started studying. It was time for me to go to my tuition classes, I fixed my hair, grabbed my bag, and went out in the scorching heat on my cycle. Normally, It’s quiet but today was quieter. Today silence followed me throughout the way. The silence felt suffocating. I wanted to jump off of my cycle and run. Run to the point where the silence couldn’t reach me anymore.

My eyes lit up as I saw the place I had missed, the place that actually felt like home. I went to a small room in a corner of the building and collapsed on a chair. Took a sip of water and saw the people I considered to be my “best friends”. They came in laughing, looking happier than ever. I wondered if they thought of me as much as I thought of them. I was on the verge of tears, seeing them completely fine without me. While my entire world was upside down without them. By then my tuition teacher had arrived, It felt like time was running away again. I noticed the problem that I had been stuck on for a while now. My tuition teacher said, “ It’s a test. Hurry up or fail.” and proceeded to hit me on the head with a book lightly. She’s a strict but kind person.

I finished the test right on time and waited for it to be graded. I talked to some of my friends and laughed. I hadn’t laughed in a long time. Those 4 faces, that I loved. All there. I went out with my friends, Shiv, Dhriti, Manikarnika, and Jahnvi. We talked a lot, about the most random things but, it felt like the fire inside me was extinguished, I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. I had to reach home early. It was getting dark. When I reached home my mother screamed at me for being late but do I regret coming back late? The answer is simply no, I would be willing to get screamed at a million times for that euphoric feeling. My sister had gone abroad for studying this week. The house feels empty without her.

Letting go of broken glass

I used to see the good in things. The good in people. The good in life. I still do, but the evil eats it up.

For you to be able to understand me, you need to know my past. How simple life was. In school I used to have fun, I went home with my friends, sometimes even ate ice-cream. Spent time with my “dada- dadi”. Watched television, went to tuition and then played for hours. Those hours were the best parts of my day, They are a huge part of who I am today. It was all taken away one day. When we shifted away and the thing that absolutely enrages me is the fact they kept it hidden from me for a long time. Before going, I couldn’t even say goodbye to my people.

I went to the park in the building today. Decided to socialize a bit, I hopped on my cycle, hoping somebody would just join me. I saw an empty swing, parked my cycle in a corner. Swinging, I thought of everything that had happened in the matter of a few weeks and decided that I couldn’t be all lonely. I saw a group of children playing something, I joined them.

I went on the team with fewer members. It was my turn. Hesitantly, I went to the other side. A girl tried to stop me by jumping on me, I fell to the ground and hit my head hard. She started crying. My head was absolutely throbbing. I found it hard to breathe like a wire tied around my neck. I ran to a bench on the side. The others comforted the other girl. I felt a wave of sadness; if my friends were to be there they would have immediately come to me and comforted me. The group had the audacity to scream at me for hurting her. I defended myself, and that made them shut up. I am sad not pathetic. I felt the fire getting bigger and went home. Whenever I felt the need to cry, I always went to the balcony. My mother said whenever I used to cry as a toddler, she used to take me to the balcony and I would look at the lights and stop. I sat on a chair at the balcony, The weather was cold, like it was about to rain. I like this weather.

“All the best”

Exam season is here. So, being locked in my room is normal now. My parents have these superficial expectations, my sister scored the highest and I have to be better ( Its nearly impossible). It’s all too weird, It’s hard to do anything in silence. I hate silence. I like to play some music while studying. My first exam is tomorrow and I just had a panic attack. I have to wake up at three tomorrow, to revise.

I wished my friends well for the exam and went into the exam hall, where I knew no one except one person. I have known him for like forever, he’s a nice person. I don’t know him that well but he feels familiar. He said “ all the best” and sat down two desks behind me. The exam was fairly easy. While going home I bought some ice cream for myself, although I am not supposed to be eating because I fall ill easily. I went home, drank some water, and took a nap. Woke up four hours later and went cycling, put on headphones and forgot about the entire world. While cycling, I felt healing, happiness, and childish- That’s what I love about cycling. I don’t need to care.

All of my exams went smoothly, I even scored the highest. I felt proud, in a weird way. Anyway, at least the holidays are here. I want to learn stuff like playing the guitar and I really want to sleep. On a normal school day I am one of the most sleep-deprived people. So, I am gonna account for all those missed hours of sleep.

Sinking…

I really love playing table tennis as much as I love cycling, but I loved the people that used to play with me even more. We used to play early in the morning, evening, even at night. Us three always used to fight over who would play. We used to spend most of our time fighting but to be honest. I loved fighting with them, that was the best part of playing table tennis.

I don’t feel like eating these days. I don’t feel like doing anything. In fact, I want to lie and scroll through old photos, and watch random people criticizing other random people. I miss him, although I “pushed him away.”. He was a huge part of my childhood. To be honest, I was scared, and hurting. I don’t know if I actually miss him. I feel like I just miss love. He hurt me, but I didn’t wanna let go. We love each other but we are not made for each other. I put on my headphones and started cleaning the house, but those terrible memories kept on creeping. I gave up-those memories won. I cried my heart out and slept. Yet, I still looked at myself in the mirror and smiled.

About the Competition

The Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a celebration of literary artistry, inviting participants worldwide to share their unique voices. This platform provides a creative space for emerging and established writers to express their narratives, fostering a community of literary exploration and innovation.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Jahnvi Gupta for sharing "The Fire and the Rain" with us. Her narrative prose is a testament to the power of storytelling in exploring the depths of human emotion. We appreciate her contribution to the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 and look forward to seeing more of her insightful work in the future.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.