By Savitri Narayanan
The schools were closed for winter vacations. Usually, they would have gone to Udaipur to be with Dadiji but she was not keeping well. ‘Come when she’s better,’ Tauji had said so they stayed put in Chittorgarh.
It was pretty cold, but the sun was warm during the day. Only in the evenings and early mornings they needed woolens.
“What a lovely day!” said Ayush, “Manoj, let’s go cycling!”
Ayush and Manoj were neighbours as well as schoolmates. Manoj was in a higher class but that didn’t come in the way of their friendship. The village school in Shalibaug was about two kilometres away from their home. Near the provision store, Gopal and Ibrahim joined them. They enjoyed the daily walk up and down.
Golu also lived close to Gopal’s house but didn’t walk with them. Golu was not a friend; he often teased them and sometimes threw stones at them, too. Golu was in Class XII, was quite boastful about his boxing classes and was known to tell lies.
‘One day he told Maji that I stole his pen,’ Gopal had told them a month or so ago, ‘and how much beating I got!’
“Manoj, you’re lost in thought! Are you coming for a ride or not?” Ayush got impatient, “Gopal will surely come along!”
“I’m coming too!” said Manoj and took out his bicycle.
“Auntyji, where’s Gopal?” they called out.
“No clue, boys! His cycle isn’t here too, must be out cycling!” she said as she dried clothes on the clothesline.
“How come he went alone!” There was slight concern in her voice.
“We’ll catch up with him Auntyji, don’t worry,” they said as they pedaled faster.
They met Gopal soon enough. He stood there under the mango tree near the vegetable shop, looking rather forlorn.
“Why are you standing here? Where’s your bicycle?”
“It’s Golu,” Gopal’s voice choked as he said, “The bicycle wasn’t there when I woke up; Ibrahim said he saw Golu riding away…”
“You mean Golu took your bicycle! Come with us, we’ll find him,” said Ayush.
They pedaled slowly, their eyes scanning the roadside.
“Bhaiyya, please stop,” a voice called out to them.
They got off the road and approached the boy who sat in the shade of the peepul tree. To their utter surprise, the boy said, “You must be looking for the bicycle, aren’t you?”
“There it is,” said the boy pointing at the bushes. “That naughty boy came riding it, dumped it in the bushes and ran away!”
It was like a dream! They headed for the bushes and retrieved Gopal’s bicycle!
“No words are enough to thank you, friend!” They put their bicycles aside and sat beside the boy.
“Why should you thank me? I didn’t do anything to help you!” said the boy. “I was just sitting here keeping an eye on my goats!”
The boy kept quiet for a while and then continued, “Glad to meet you! You’re kind, unlike that boy who throws stones at me and my goats!”
“Golu throws stones at me too,” said Gopal.
“He also snatches away your cycle!” said the boy.
“Does he?” Ayush and Manoj turned to Gopal, “You never told us but this boy here knows!”
“I’m surprised, too, how do you know that Golu snatches my bicycle?”
“I see it with my own eyes!”, said the boy and then continued to explain, “Most of my day is spent under this tree while the goats graze; I see you daily; earlier you used to walk, now you’ve all have bicycles except that boy…”
Imagine, a strange boy observing them so closely over the years!
“That naughty boy snatches your bicycle and rides away while you walk home, right?” the boy’s eyes were on Gopal.
“Is it true? You never told us, Gopal!”
“Some days when the school is over, Golu grabs my bicycle, rides it and leaves it near that shop near the temple. I walk all the way and take it home…”
“Why didn’t you tell us? Does your mom know?”
“I’m scared! Golu is so strong, knows boxing and also threatens that he will complain to my teacher…”
“Let’s go home!” They thanked the boy again and got up.
Many neighbours were assembled in the courtyard. There was a sigh of relief when the three were back home.
“You’ve been gone for so long! Where were you?”
Ayush looked around. Golu’s parents and grandmother were there but not Golu.
“I will tell you the truth, where’s Golu?” said Ayush.
“Golu beta, come out!”, shouted his grandmother, “Your friends are back safe!”
But Golu didn’t come out. His father sensed something. The air turned grave, as he called out, “Golu, come out this instant!”
Golu came out, his head bent, unable to meet anybody’s eyes.
There was pin-drop silence as they listened to the three boys’ narrative.
Golu’s father looked at Golu thoughtfully and said, “You’re a disgrace on our family, never thought I’ll see this day!”
Nobody could think of a response. As the silence grew heavier the father told Golu, “Tomorrow morning I’ll come with you to school and inform the headmaster, he’ll know how to handle this!”
“Please don’t, Papaji, he may throw me out of the school; my Class XII exams are coming up!”
“You may be sent to jail too!” his father grew angrier.
“I own up my mistakes,” said Golu trying to look at his friends and the villagers, “I promise, I’ll mend my ways!”
“Give him a chance,” the voice came from many. “We all make mistakes sometimes, the important thing is to learn your lesson and move on!”
“Gopal, I’ve been especially mean to you, will you please forgive me?” asked Golu.
“Yes!” said Gopal.
“Just this time!” smiled Golu’s father. “Next time I hope to hear praises about you!”
“Be honest like these boys and focus on your studies,” said the grandmother. “Now go and play, it’s the holidays!”
(Savitri Narayanan is a retired educationist at present in Bangaluru. A mother and grandmother, loves readig, writing and
travelling.)
