Stories that wake us up to the drug menace, one reader at a time.
Read the storiesToofan Stories is an independent public-awareness initiative that uses short fiction to help people understand how drugs enter our homes, schools and campuses, and what each of us can do about it.
It stands in support of Operation Toofan, the Government of Kerala's flagship anti-narcotics mission launched on 2 June 2026. The mission rests on three pillars: Toofan Strikes (enforcement), Toofan Warriors (awareness) and Toofan Care (rehabilitation). These stories are a small contribution to the awareness pillar, in the spirit of making every Keralite a Toofan Warrior.
Mule
A mother waits at the airport for a daughter who never arrives. The story follows how ordinary people, burdened by debt and loneliness, are lured into becoming drug couriers, and asks who the real culprits are.
Kanalvazhikal (Paths of Embers)
A bright student slowly changes, and his family does not see why until it is too late. A story about parents, teachers and the drug trade, and about where responsibility truly lies.
When the Fence Eats the Crop
A beloved professor turns out to be the head of a drug network preying on his own students. A story about misplaced trust and the safeguards our campuses need.
More stories are on the way. This collection will keep growing.
Sreya Vaidyan is an architect, urban manager and public policy enthusiast, a graduate of CEPT University, Ahmedabad. She writes these stories to bring public attention to the human side of the drug trade, because lasting change begins with awareness.
Did a story make you think? Parents, teachers and students are warmly invited to share their thoughts. With your permission, selected responses may be featured here.
Share your feedbackEmail: vaidyakollam@gmail.com
Kollam, Kerala, India