The Magic Letter
Ijas lives in Haryana and Vikram lives in Andhra Pradesh. Even though they live so far away from each other, they are best friends.
Not long ago, Ijas and Vikram had been neighbours.
The two boys had loved playing cricket, solving riddles, and eating biryani. They had celebrated everything together, from birthdays to festivals.
Ijas had been sad when his best friend moved away, but Vikram’s letters always cheered him up.
He LOVED solving the puzzles that Vikram sent.

On the day of Eid, an envelope from Vikram arrives. Ijas opens it and pulls out a card.
Eid Mubarak, Ijas! A surprise awaits you. Read the letter.
As Ijas opens the letter, he wonders what Vikram has sent him. The last time, it had been a number puzzle.
BUT WAIT. The paper is BLANK! Is this a mistake?
Is he supposed to turn the piece of paper into something?
Ijas tries to fold it. Nothing happens.
Ijas holds the paper to the light.
He rolls it and looks through it.

He runs his fingers over the surface of the paper. Nothing happens.
Ijas looks at the card again. That’s when he notices the orange and yellow flame on the card.
Had Vikram coloured it? But wait, Vikram does not like to colour!
Ijas rushes to the kitchen. "Ammi, I need something hot!" Ammi wipes her hand on a towel. "The biryani isn’t ready, Ijas. You’ll have to wait." "I don’t want to eat biryani!" Ijas explains that he wants to heat the letter.
Ammi helps him light a candle with the flame from the stove. Ijas takes the paper close to the candle. "If you hold the paper too close to the flame, it will burn," Ammi warns.
He holds the paper a safe distance from the candle and taps his foot impatiently. What will happen?
A few moments later, brown lines appear on the paper, as if by magic. "WOW! Look at these words, Ammi!" shouts Ijas.
Ammi reads the words out loud along with Ijas. "Where we play with marbles."
Ammi is confused by the message, but Ijas jumps with excitement.
"I know where to go," yells Ijas. He runs down two flights of stairs, past a parking area and stops in front of a bench.
But there is nothing there.
Ijas is sad. He was sure that there would be another clue waiting for him.
He turns around and gasps. "VIKRAM! What are you doing here?"
Ijas can’t believe his eyes. This is the best surprise ever!
"Can’t you guess?" says Vikram, beaming. "I came because I was missing your Ammi’s biryani." Ijas laughs and hugs him.
At that exact moment, Ammi calls out to Ijas. "BIRYANI IS READY!"
Top Secret
To create your own secret letter, you will need the following:
Lemon Water A bowl A blank paper A paintbrush
Method: 1. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a bowl. 2. Add a few drops of water. Stir well. 3. Dip the paintbrush into the lemon juice mix and write your message on the sheet of paper. 4. Allow the invisible ink to dry. 5. Share your secret message with a friend! The message will be revealed only when the paper is heated with a candle or a warm light bulb. Have fun!
