Our Picture, Your Stories

Look closely at the image above: a glass of hot tea resting quietly on a window sill, while a heavy monsoon rain blankets the world outside. What does this scene evoke for you? A forgotten journey? A quiet moment of harmony with nature? A memory from a mist-covered plantation where wildlife and tea bushes share the same soil? Share your story with us.

The Twist: The 2,000-Word Clock is Ticking!

• They say a picture speaks a thousand words… and we want to hear yours!
• We are setting the limit to 2000 words this time.
• We aren’t capping the number of entries. We are capping the total words printed, and not individual entries.
• Each individual entry should not exceed 500 words. (It’s cool if your story is fewer than 500 words.)
• Only one entry allowed per contestant.
• To match our prize pool for this pilot round, the entire contest shuts down automatically the exact second our collective submission bank hits 2,000 words total!
• Write swiftly, polish quickly, and get your story in before the gates close.
• Last date for submission: 3rd August 2026

Prizes

Our wonderful friends at Teas for Wildlife are gifting premium, ethically sourced tea hampers to the top two narratives that best capture the soulful, wild, or nostalgic essence of the image.

There’s More

• Two winning entries get published in WWeaV’s August 2026 edition themed ‘Colours of Festivities’.
• All the interesting entries get published on our Blog section, and will stay there for you to share further. Anytime!

Last but not the Least

• The contest is open to contestants residing in India.
• The contest is open to contestants above 12 years of age as on 30th June 2026.
• Follow our Instagram and/or LinkedIn page before you submit your entries.
• Have questions? DM us on Instagram 

Need Inspiration? Here is an Example.

A visit to Darjeeling feels incomplete without wandering through its tea gardens. The endless undulating slopes, dressed in every imaginable shade of green, have a way of slowing you down. There is something quietly inspiring about watching rows upon rows of tea bushes disappear into the mist, punctuated by the rhythmic movements of women carefully plucking the tender leaves. We’d visited tea estates before, but this one felt different. It wasn’t just a plantation, it was attached to a historic British-era tea factory, allowing us to follow the journey from leaf to cup.

Inside the factory, amidst the aroma of freshly processed tea, our guide shared a delightful piece of planter folklore. While the official grades carry intimidating names like FTGFOP and TGFOP, the old British planters had their own tongue-in-cheek way of remembering them. The finest leaves became “Far Too Good For Ordinary People,” followed by “Too Good For Ordinary People,” “Good For Ordinary People,” and finally, “For Ordinary People.” Whether fact or folklore hardly mattered; it was the sort of story that somehow made the tea taste even better.

The lesson continued in the teacup. We learnt that the coveted First Flush, with its pale golden liquor and delicate floral notes, should be steeped for barely a minute and enjoyed exactly as it is. No milk, no sugar, and no masking its subtle character. Later flushes, kissed by stronger sunshine and richer in body, grow darker and bolder, happily welcoming a dash of milk and a spoonful of sugar. That’s the chai we love, to hold, to sip, as we lazily sit by the window watching the rain.

Our visit ended where every memorable tea journey perhaps should; with a quiet café overlooking the gardens, a steaming cup of First Flush Darjeeling in hand, and the hills disappearing into drifting clouds. Someone pointing out the majestic Kanchenjunga range getting blanketed by these very clouds. Before leaving, we packed our bags with more than tins of tea. We carried home stories, aromas, and little reminders of Darjeeling that continue to return with every cup we brew, especially on rainy afternoons by the window.

Please do not use the same story. This is just an example.

Submission Form