I was in the fifth standard at the government school. One day, I went to school with four rupees in my pocket to pay the school fees. When I got there I found that the teacher who collected the fees, Master Ghulam Mohammed, was on leave and so the fees would be collected the next day. All through the day the coins simply sat in my pocket, but once school got over and I was on my way, they began to speak.
All right. Coins don’t talk. They jingle or go khanak-khanak (sound of jingling of coins). But that day they actually spoke! One coin said, “What are you thinking about those fresh, hot jalebis? Jalebis are meant to be eaten and only those with money in their pocket can eat them.”
What will be your answer to these coins?
“Look here, you four rupees,” I said to them. “I am a good boy. Don’t misguide me or it won’t be good for you. Besides, you are my fees money. If I spend you today, then how shall I show my face to Master Ghulam Mohammed in school tomorrow?”
The coins disliked what I’d said. All of them began to speak at the same time. There was such a clamour (loud unpleasant noise) that passersby in the bazaar stared at me and my pocket. I grabbed (caught tightly) all four of them and held them tight in my fist (મુઠ્ઠી) and then they were silent. But after taking a few steps, I loosened (released) my grip. Immediately, the oldest coin said, “Tell me honestly now, don’t you feel like eating those hot, hot jalebis? And then, if you spend us for today, won’t you get the scholarship money tomorrow? Sweets with the fees money, fees with the scholarship money!”
“What you’re saying isn’t right,” I replied, “but it isn’t that wrong either. Listen, I am not a common sort (type) of boy.” The coins argued, “But then, those jalebis are no common sort of jalebis either. They’re crisp, fresh and full of sweet syrup.”
The coins were so keen on being spent that day, they kept up their attempts. Finally I rushed to the shop. Terrified I was, but quickly I told the halwai to weigh a whole rupee worth of jalebis. The halwai opened up a whole newspaper and heaped a pile of jalebis on it.
Do you feel happy about this boy’s decision to eat jalebis? Why?
I clutched the jalebis to my chest and ran into a gali. When I reached a safe corner, I began to devour (eat greedily, consume) the jalebis. I ate so many… so many jalebis that if anyone pressed my stomach a little, jalebis would have popped out of (came off) my ears and nostrils.
Very quickly, boys from the entire neighbourhood assembled (gathered) in the gali. By that time I was so pleased with my stomach full of jalebis that I got into the mood for some fun. I started handing out jalebis to the children around. I dashed (rushed) to the halwai and bought one more rupee worth of jalebis, came back and stood on the chabutara of one of the houses, liberally distributing jalebis to the children. By now there was a huge mob (crowd) of children around me. The beggars too launched an assault (attacked)! I bought jalebis for the remaining two rupees as well and distributed them. Then I washed my hands and mouth at the public tap and returned home, putting on such an innocent face, as if I hadn’t even seen the hint of a jalebi all my life. Digesting jalebis became another matter. At night I had to eat my dinner as well.
The result was that all night I lay, coiled up like a jalebi, suffering a stomach ache. Thank God I didn’t have to eat all four rupees worth of jalebis by myself. In the morning, just like any other day, I went to school. I knew I would get the previous month’s scholarship that day and once I’d paid the fees with that amount, the jalebis would be completely digested. But when I got to school, I found out that the scholarship was going to be paid the following month. My head started to spin.
What would be your advice to this boy, now?
Master Ghulam Mohammed announced that the fees would be taken during the recess. When the recess bell rang, I left the school and walked on and on. Finally, I reached the railway station. I started praying to Allah miyan. “Just this once save me. Order a farishta to pass by and drop just four rupees in my pocket. I promise I will use them only to pay my fees and not to eat jalebis.”
There was a shade-giving tree beside the railway tracks. Earlier the entire matter seemed so simple: jalebis with the fees money and the fees with the scholarship money. I had known that I would get the scholarship the next month, I would have postponed (delayed) my jalebi eating programme to the next month as well. Now for the crime of eating a few jalebis, for the first time in my life I was absent from school. Sitting there under the tree, at first I felt like crying. Then I felt like laughing when it struck (suddenly became clear) me that the tears I was shedding were not tears but drops of jalebi syrup.
I got up from there and walked to the bazaar and waited for the school bell to ring, so that when the children came out, I too would walk home with them as if I had come straight from school.
The next day I did the same thing. I got dressed and left home, went up to the school gate and then turned off to the railway station. Under the same tree I sat and began to say the same prayers. I repeatedly pleaded (begged) “Allah miyan! At least give it to me today. Today is the second day.” Then I said, “All right come, let’s play a game. I will go from here to that signal. You secretly place four rupees under this big stone. I will touch the signal and come back.”
I went up to the signal and returned, smiling.
Finally after saying Bismillah, when I lifted up the rock, a big hairy worm got up. I screamed and ran away.
