---
title: The Stars That Counted, A Bedtime Story | Bachpan Diaries
description: Every night Priya counts the stars from her window. One cloudy evening they're all gone, and her daadi has a quiet answer. Also written in Hindi.
image: https://bachpandiaries.com/hubfs/bachpan-diaries-theme/blog/featured%20images/PNGs/Cloudy%20Night%20Sky%20%E2%80%94%20One%20Warm%20Window%20Below.png
---
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# The Stars That Counted
By Manoj Rajput • May 24, 2026
Now Playing The Stars That Counted
0:00 / —
1×
Every night before she slept, Priya counted the stars.
Not all of them. Just the ones she could see from her window - the bright ones, the ones that stayed still while the others seemed to move. She had names for some of them. The fat one near the mango tree was Moti. The small flickering one was Chotu. The very bright one that appeared first every evening was simply Big One because she hadn't thought of a better name yet.
Her daadi said the stars were always there, even in the daytime.
Priya did not believe this. She had looked during the day many times and seen nothing.
One evening the sky was full of clouds.
No stars anywhere.
Priya pressed her nose against the glass and looked for a long time. Moti was not there. Chotu was not there. Big One was not there.
She went to her daadi. "The stars are gone."
Her daadi put down her knitting. "Come here."
She took Priya to the window and they both looked out at the cloudy sky.
"Are they gone?" daadi asked.
"I can not see them," said Priya.
"Can you see the fan in the kitchen from here?"
Priya looked. The kitchen was around the corner. "No."
"Is it gone?"
Priya thought about this. "No. I just can not see it."
"So," said daadi.
Priya went back to bed.
She could not see the stars but she knew Moti was there. And Chotu. And Big One, very bright, waiting on the other side of the clouds.
She closed her eyes.
Some things do not disappear just because we cannot see them. They are simply waiting for the clouds to pass.
*Goodnight, little one.*
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✦ Kahaani Khatam ✦
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Manoj Rajput
I'm the founder of Bachpan Diaries. I started this project chasing down the small, ordinary memories of growing up in India that never seem to get written down anywhere, madaari shows, school bells, dabbas from home. I still read every story myself before it goes up.
FROM THE ARCHIVE
## Continue the Journey
### [ Ages 0–6 हिं There was a pond, and in that pond lived a turtle. His name was Golu. Read story → Nanhe Sitare · 2 min read The Turtle Who Talked Too Much Wisdom There was a pond, and in that pond lived a turtle. His name was Golu. Manoj Rajput Sep 28](https://bachpandiaries.com/stories/the-turtle-who-talked-too-much)
### [ Ages 0–6 हिं There was once a very big elephant named Motu. Read story → Nanhe Sitare · 1 min read The Elephant and the Ant Friendship There was once a very big elephant named Motu. Manoj Rajput May 22](https://bachpandiaries.com/stories/the-elephant-and-the-ant)
### [ Ages 0–6 हिं One day the Sun and the Wind had an argument. Read story → Nanhe Sitare · 1 min read The Sun and the Wind Wisdom One day the Sun and the Wind had an argument. Manoj Rajput May 20](https://bachpandiaries.com/stories/the-sun-and-the-wind)
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## Comments
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