By Savitri Narayanan
“Mummyji, I’m going,” Divyanshu called out as he picked up the ball and opened the front door.
“Is it five?” asked his mother from the backyard where she was cleaning the wheat.
“Yes, mummyji, promise to be home before it gets dark!” said Divyanshu as he ran out.
Ayush and Seema were waiting at the front gate. Seema had a skipping rope and Ayush had brought along his ball too. Together they walked to the playground.
“You’re late, friends!” said Karan who joined them at the turning near the barber shop, “Divyanshu, you got a new ball?”
“Ashu mama came home last evening and gave it to me,” said Divyanshu holding up the ball, “It bounces so well that it went up on the roof!”
“And you got a scolding from your mom,” laughed Seema.
Karan laughed aloud, “She must have said, ‘You’ll break the roof of this house, when you grow up earn money and get it repaired! Who cares!’“
They stayed in the same area, walked together up and down to their school and in the evenings played together in the ground behind the temple. Good old friends so felt free to tease each other.
“Auntiji shouts at us but she’s so good at heart,” Ayush came to the rescue. “It was last weekend when we had gone to Delhi to meet my nanaji, she made sooji ka halwa for some pooja and distributed it to many. Believe it, auntiji saved some for me! On Monday morning she called me in and said, ’have some betey, this is your share!’”
“Let’s play throw-ball today, take your positions,” said Divyanshu glowing with pride at the new ball.
“You and your throwball,” said Seema and went to join the few children who were skipping a little away, near the medical shop.
Throwball was so much fun! They took their positions at equal distance like a triangle and threw the ball to each other. The game asked for much concentration and swift action or else the ball would fall down. A missed catch would mean a minus point! They got so engrossed in throwing, catching and running after the ball that they didn’t notice the stray dog that had appeared from nowhere!
Divyanshu threw the ball to Karan who missed his catch and it hit the stray dog. The dog got scared, yelped and ran away. It ran towards a boy who stood nearby. He got scared, picked up a stone and threw it at the dog. The dog yelped and ran when another boy threw a stone. The game changed quickly. Two boys standing nearby too threw stones at the dog which ran around yelping. Divyanshu and his friends soon realised that instead of a stone, the ball too could make the dog run around.
Nobody noticed Kamla aunty passing by. She was Ayush’s neighbour, headed to Pandey uncle’s bungalow where she helped with cooking and cleaning. The dog rushed to her probably to escape the stones. Kamla aunty on her part was scared and tried to run away. The dog, equally scared, followed her hanging on to her pyjama.
Kamla aunty screamed and collapsed.
“The dog bit her,” said one boy.
“It may be a mad dog, now she’ll also go mad!”
“The doctor will give her many injections!”
“They’ll take her to the doctor!”
“And may be take us to the police station!”
“Run home, quickly! Run!”
“Poor Kamla aunty!” murmured Divyanshu as they too rushed home. Even the dog had run away, leaving Kamla aunty alone, there sprawled on the ground!
Mummyji and papaji were in the front yard, relaxing in their favourite chairs.
“How come you’re home so early today? Had a fight?” asked mummyji.
Puffing and panting, Divyanshu ignored the question, rushed inside and sat in the backyard.
Is Kamla aunty still there? What if it grows dark and nobody finds her? What’ll happen to her? Will she die? Who’ll take her to the doctor?
“What’s the matter, betey? What happened?”
“If a stray dog bites, will someone go mad?”
“Where’s the stray dog? Who is bitten?”
Even before Divyanshu finished explaining, mummyji called out, “Let’s go Kamla needs help!”
Within seconds they were out, running towards the playground.
***
At night, Divyanshu had a disturbed sleep where the dog roamed around, barking, yelping, staring, stalking. Next morning, surprisingly there was no mention of the stray dog or Kamla aunty! Papaji and mummyji were concerned about some mamaji who was admitted in some hospital!
“Oh! God! Help Kamla aunty, don’t let her go mad!” Divyanshu kept praying in his mind. Soon he picked up his bag and was on his way to school.
He was in for a surprise in the morning assembly! After the prayers, pledge, and the ‘news of the day’, the Headmaster came forward.
“Now I have news to share and that’s about a student in our Class VII C,” he said. “Divyanshu Bhandari, come over please!”
Divyanshu stepped out of his line, walked over and stood beside the HM, facing the school. His heartbeats quickened, his legs grew weak and he thought he would faint.
‘Why only me? Seema, Ayush and Karan also troubled the stray dog,’ he thought as he stood there, waiting for the scolding and punishment.
“You’ll be pleased to know that last evening, Divyanshu Bhandari acted in a responsible manner and saved a life,” said the Headmaster who continued to narrate the incident.
“There were several children who harassed the dog but Divyanshu was the one who informed his parents who in turn, rushed the wounded woman to the hospital. The immediate medical attention not only protected her but probably saved her from rabies too! Grow up into responsible citizens who rise to the occasion, a big clap for Divyanshu!”
As loud applause followed, Divyanshu looked up slightly embarrassed but pleased to think how happy papaji and mummyji would be to hear about this in the evening when he was back home from school.
(Savitri Narayanan is a retired educationist at present in Goa. A mother and grandmother, loves readig, writing and travelling.)
