"Arre Tara, zara chai bana de!" called her mom from the kitchen.

Tara rolled her eyes, stretched on the sofa, and muttered, “Why am I the default chai wali in this house?” She was just about to grab her phone to scroll reels when she heard a loud squawk outside the window.

“AIYEEE! Help me, human!”

She froze. Her chai-duty-mood instantly flipped to detective mode. She rushed to the balcony and spotted a parrot perched on the railing. But this wasn’t your average mitthu. This parrot was tapping its claws impatiently, like it had somewhere urgent to be.

Tara blinked. "Did you just… talk?"

The parrot rolled its eyes (yes, it actually did). “Yes, yes. No time for shock. Big mission. Big treasure. Are you coming or what?”

“Treasure?” Tara’s interest piqued. She leaned closer. “What treasure?”

“You come, I explain,” said the parrot dramatically. “Quickly! Time is precious!”

Tara, being the adventurous 16-year-old who thrived on chaos, didn’t need more convincing. Grabbing a backpack, a packet of Parle-G biscuits, and her phone, she shouted, “Maaa, I’m going out!”

Before her mom could protest, she was out the door following the chattering bird.

As they walked (or rather, Tara walked while the parrot flew and gave running commentary), she got the backstory.

“Name’s Chikki,” the parrot began. “I belong to an ancient parrot clan. We guard the treasures of the forest. But one naughty monkey stole our map and hid it. For years, no one found it. But I got the map now.”

Tara tilted her head. “Wait, wait. How did a parrot get a map back from a monkey?”

Chikki puffed his chest. “I outsmarted him. It’s all brainwork, kid.”

She smirked, amused by the overconfident bird. “Okay, genius. Show me this map.”

The parrot paused and dramatically pulled a tiny, crumpled paper from its feathers. Tara took it and unfolded the parchment, which looked like a child’s drawing. A random squiggle marked as ‘River,’ an ‘X’ at the center, and something labeled ‘Scary Cave.’

“Bro, this looks like a doodle!” Tara laughed.

“Do not doubt the map!” Chikki squawked indignantly. “Follow it, and you’ll see!”

After trekking through the forest (and Tara swatting a dozen mosquitoes), they reached the first checkpoint: the river.

It was serene, sparkling under the sun, with a gentle breeze carrying the sound of chirping birds. As Tara admired the view, Chikki interrupted. “Cross it. Go straight.”

“How?”

“There’s a log bridge. Over there.”

Tara spotted the old, wobbly log. She hesitated. “Uh, this bridge looks like it’s older than my nani.”

“Have faith, human!” Chikki squawked from the safety of the other side.

Muttering a prayer, she crossed, balancing like a tightrope walker. Halfway through, a squirrel dashed across the log, startling her. “AHHH! CHIKKI, HELP!”

Chikki just laughed. “Relax! It’s just a squirrel, not a tiger!”

She somehow managed to cross without plunging into the water and gave the parrot a death glare. “You owe me one for this!”

Their next stop was a clearing marked by a big banyan tree. According to the map, they had to dig here.

“Dig? With what?” Tara asked.

Chikki casually pointed his claw towards some sharp sticks nearby. “DIY tools!”

“Wah, so considerate,” Tara muttered sarcastically, picking up a stick. She started digging while Chikki supervised.

After about ten minutes of sweaty labor, she hit something hard. “Got it!” she exclaimed.

She pulled out an old wooden box. Heart racing, she opened it to find…

“...A bag of mango candies?”

Chikki peeked in and chirped excitedly. “YAY! My favorite!”

Tara’s jaw dropped. “THAT’S the treasure?! Mango candies?!”

“No, silly!” Chikki said, crunching on a candy. “This is just a snack stop. Main treasure’s ahead. Let’s go!”

The final destination was the ominously named ‘Scary Cave.’

By the time they reached it, the sun was setting, casting long shadows that made the forest look straight out of a horror movie.

“You sure about this?” Tara asked, gripping her backpack nervously.

“Very sure. C’mon!” Chikki chirped, fluttering into the cave.

Inside, the air was cool and damp, with faint sounds of water dripping. They wandered deeper until they found a large stone slab with carvings.

“This is it!” Chikki exclaimed. “The treasure is behind this stone.”

Tara pushed with all her might, and the slab slowly moved, revealing a small chamber filled with sparkling jewels and gold coins.

Her jaw dropped. “Whoa! This is actually real!”

As she reached out to touch the treasure, a loud growl echoed through the cave.

Tara froze. “Chikki… what was that?”

The parrot gulped. “Uh… guard dog?”

Out of the shadows emerged a massive leopard, its golden eyes fixed on Tara.

“RUN!” Chikki screeched.

Tara and Chikki bolted out of the cave, the leopard chasing them for a few terrifying seconds before stopping at the entrance. Apparently, it didn’t like leaving its lair.

Panting, Tara collapsed near the banyan tree. “Dude, you almost got me killed!”

“But we got the treasure!” Chikki pointed out.

Tara looked at him incredulously. “You mean YOU got it. I can’t take any of that!”

Chikki looked thoughtful. “True. Okay, tell you what—I’ll share some candies from my stash.”

“Candies? Really?” Tara groaned.

“Fine, you get a story to tell. Win-win?” Chikki grinned.

She shook her head, laughing. “You’re the weirdest parrot ever.”

“And you’re the coolest human I’ve met. Partners?”

Tara smiled. “Partners.”

As they walked back home under the twilight sky, Tara realized she didn’t need the treasure. The adventure—and a talking parrot for a friend—was priceless enough.

The End