Safdar, Ajay and I dashed out of the classroom
as the bell rang. It was the lunch break, and we
had a whole hour to play. Safdar was the tallest,
also the strongest amongst us. He was our leader.
Ajay and I followed him meekly, like lambs!
We frisked about cheerfully over a path that
led to a guava orchard. There was a mud wall
round it. Safdar who was in high spirits leaped
over it and bragged, "Look at the guavas! Come
on, kids. Let's have a feast."
Ajay also leaped over the wall, saying, "What
fun. How lovely!"
I smacked my Hps at the sight of the luscious
green guavas in the orchard. I was however,
afraid that we might be caught by the watchman.
But Safdar's presence emboldened me.
I too jumped over the wall. There were trees
and trees—all bursting with ripe and unripe
guavas. We roamed freely. Safdar was greedily
eating ripe guavas, while Ajay and I leaped like
monkeys and devoured the unripe ones. I preferred
raw guavas and I could never have enough.
I stuffed my pockets. I wanted to carry them as
a souvenir of our daring expedition to the orchard.
Wouldn't my classmates gape at them, eyes
bulging!
Suddenly, I heard Safdar's cry, "Ajay! Lokesh!
Run, run! The watchman is coming." Perched on
top of a branch, I saw the tall, sinister-looking
figure of the watchman approaching. He was
waving a staff in his hand. Safdar and Ajay were
already on the ground, and had started running.
The watchman waved his staff and ran after them,
shouting, "Thieves! Thieves! See they don't
escape." I lost no time; I jumped down from the
tree and took to my heels. Safdar and Ajay were
far ahead and I ran faster. As I leapt over ditches
and boulders in the orchard, the guavas began
to fall out of my pockets.
The watchman chased us furiously. After what
seemed ages, the mud wall came into view. Safdar,
who was the first to reach it took a flying
leap over it. Ajay, close behind, managed to roll
over.
Safdar kept shouting, "Run, Lokesh, run! The
fellow is closing in!"
I put in every ounce of energy I had and ran
like mad. The watchman came charging like a
bull, bellowing curses. A host of street urchins
had by then appeared from nowhere and joined
the chase.
"Now jump," cried Safdar.
I took a mighty leap and landed on top of the
wall. The last guava in my pocket rolled out.
I felt miserably cheated. I didn't want to lose
it at any cost. I jumped back into the orchard and
stooped to pick it up. It was rather dark, but I
managed to find the lost guava. Triumphantly I
held it in my hand and leapt over the wall. Beyond
it lay the school compound and my friends.
I slipped and fell.
The looming figure of the watchman drew
closer.
Safdar and Ajay were screaming and urging me
not to waste time. As I scrambled up, the watchman's
steely fingers gripped me. I struggled to
shake him off, but the burly man picked me up,
flung me over his shoulder and walked briskly
back into the orchard.
Soon afterwards, he deposited me before a man
seated on a cot.
"Malik",* he addressed him, wiping perspiration
off his forehead, "this fellow is the leader of
a gang of school children. He regularly brings a
number of them to steal our guavas. They destroy
more than they eat.''
The 'malik' looked calm but formidable. I felt
he would thrash me. I was scared, also ashamed
that I had been caught red-handed.
He stared hard at me. I stood rooted to the
"Master.
ground, expecting a tight slap.
He got up from the cot and stood before me.
He looked tall as a palm tree!
"What's your name?" he asked me. "Where do
you live?"
"I'm Lokesh. I study in the school over there.
I'm the Principal's son.
"You like guavas?"
I nodded. <
"Did you come alone?"
I pointed to Safdar and Ajay, who were still
peeping over the mud wall.
The 'malik' asked the watchman to get a basket
of guavas.
"He's not a thief," he told him. "He is a decent
kid." He waved to my friends and signalled them
to come in.
Safdar and Ajay wouldn't budge an inch. They
stayed where they were.
"Come on Lokesh, ask them to come in," he
urged me.
I was rather dazed and undecided. The man
smiled.
"Call them in, child. Don't be frightened."
I was not afraid any more.
"Come over, Safdar. Come over, Ajay," I shouted.
They soon joined me, looking sheepish and
guilty.
We could hardly believe our eyes when the
watchman came back with a ^basket of guavas.
"Go ahead and eat as many as you want," said
the malik.
We just stood looking at him. We had expected
him to treat us like thieves.
"You're like my children," his gentle voice was
soothing. This is your garden. You don't have to
enter it like thieves. You go to the watchman. He'll
help you."
Gratefully, we accepted the guavas he offered.
Thanking him profusely we took leave of him.
There was a smile on his face as he bade us
good-bye. "Remember children, do not do anything
that makes you feel guilty. You must always
be proud of what you do."
We left the orchard. I was limping a bit but
my pockets were bulging with guavas.
His words are still fresh in my mind.
as the bell rang. It was the lunch break, and we
had a whole hour to play. Safdar was the tallest,
also the strongest amongst us. He was our leader.
Ajay and I followed him meekly, like lambs!
We frisked about cheerfully over a path that
led to a guava orchard. There was a mud wall
round it. Safdar who was in high spirits leaped
over it and bragged, "Look at the guavas! Come
on, kids. Let's have a feast."
Ajay also leaped over the wall, saying, "What
fun. How lovely!"
I smacked my Hps at the sight of the luscious
green guavas in the orchard. I was however,
afraid that we might be caught by the watchman.
But Safdar's presence emboldened me.
I too jumped over the wall. There were trees
and trees—all bursting with ripe and unripe
guavas. We roamed freely. Safdar was greedily
eating ripe guavas, while Ajay and I leaped like
monkeys and devoured the unripe ones. I preferred
raw guavas and I could never have enough.
I stuffed my pockets. I wanted to carry them as
a souvenir of our daring expedition to the orchard.
Wouldn't my classmates gape at them, eyes
bulging!
Suddenly, I heard Safdar's cry, "Ajay! Lokesh!
Run, run! The watchman is coming." Perched on
top of a branch, I saw the tall, sinister-looking
figure of the watchman approaching. He was
waving a staff in his hand. Safdar and Ajay were
already on the ground, and had started running.
The watchman waved his staff and ran after them,
shouting, "Thieves! Thieves! See they don't
escape." I lost no time; I jumped down from the
tree and took to my heels. Safdar and Ajay were
far ahead and I ran faster. As I leapt over ditches
and boulders in the orchard, the guavas began
to fall out of my pockets.
The watchman chased us furiously. After what
seemed ages, the mud wall came into view. Safdar,
who was the first to reach it took a flying
leap over it. Ajay, close behind, managed to roll
over.
Safdar kept shouting, "Run, Lokesh, run! The
fellow is closing in!"
I put in every ounce of energy I had and ran
like mad. The watchman came charging like a
bull, bellowing curses. A host of street urchins
had by then appeared from nowhere and joined
the chase.
"Now jump," cried Safdar.
I took a mighty leap and landed on top of the
wall. The last guava in my pocket rolled out.
I felt miserably cheated. I didn't want to lose
it at any cost. I jumped back into the orchard and
stooped to pick it up. It was rather dark, but I
managed to find the lost guava. Triumphantly I
held it in my hand and leapt over the wall. Beyond
it lay the school compound and my friends.
I slipped and fell.
The looming figure of the watchman drew
closer.
Safdar and Ajay were screaming and urging me
not to waste time. As I scrambled up, the watchman's
steely fingers gripped me. I struggled to
shake him off, but the burly man picked me up,
flung me over his shoulder and walked briskly
back into the orchard.
Soon afterwards, he deposited me before a man
seated on a cot.
"Malik",* he addressed him, wiping perspiration
off his forehead, "this fellow is the leader of
a gang of school children. He regularly brings a
number of them to steal our guavas. They destroy
more than they eat.''
The 'malik' looked calm but formidable. I felt
he would thrash me. I was scared, also ashamed
that I had been caught red-handed.
He stared hard at me. I stood rooted to the
"Master.
ground, expecting a tight slap.
He got up from the cot and stood before me.
He looked tall as a palm tree!
"What's your name?" he asked me. "Where do
you live?"
"I'm Lokesh. I study in the school over there.
I'm the Principal's son.
"You like guavas?"
I nodded. <
"Did you come alone?"
I pointed to Safdar and Ajay, who were still
peeping over the mud wall.
The 'malik' asked the watchman to get a basket
of guavas.
"He's not a thief," he told him. "He is a decent
kid." He waved to my friends and signalled them
to come in.
Safdar and Ajay wouldn't budge an inch. They
stayed where they were.
"Come on Lokesh, ask them to come in," he
urged me.
I was rather dazed and undecided. The man
smiled.
"Call them in, child. Don't be frightened."
I was not afraid any more.
"Come over, Safdar. Come over, Ajay," I shouted.
They soon joined me, looking sheepish and
guilty.
We could hardly believe our eyes when the
watchman came back with a ^basket of guavas.
"Go ahead and eat as many as you want," said
the malik.
We just stood looking at him. We had expected
him to treat us like thieves.
"You're like my children," his gentle voice was
soothing. This is your garden. You don't have to
enter it like thieves. You go to the watchman. He'll
help you."
Gratefully, we accepted the guavas he offered.
Thanking him profusely we took leave of him.
There was a smile on his face as he bade us
good-bye. "Remember children, do not do anything
that makes you feel guilty. You must always
be proud of what you do."
We left the orchard. I was limping a bit but
my pockets were bulging with guavas.
His words are still fresh in my mind.
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