CHAPTER 10 : ARYAMAN AND HIS LITTLE FRIENDS

The teacher was kind enough to start teaching Suraj his lessons for the day, which had to be repeated when the others came along. Aryaman decided to leave and then return by the time the child’s studies got over in an hour.

“Alright, Suraj! I will be back to take you to your waiting father! Study well!” He bid adieu to both and flew away in the sky.

“See how he files, guruji! Why has God not given us this gift?” Suraj enquired with his teacher curiously.

“Because God knows that not everyone among us would use this gift the way Aryaman does for the benefit of others!” Vedananth replied tersely.

As Aryaman flew, he could see some children standing below a guava tree and looking at it thoughtfully. He smiled and landed behind them.

“Thinking about something?” He asked which startled the children. As they turned behind, Aryaman could see that one among them was Aditi whom he had saved from falling in the well the previous day!

“Aryaman!” the little girl exclaimed and ran towards him. She hugged him tightly and Aryaman took her in his arms. “How are you, Aditi?”

“Fine! Oh! I am so glad to see you! These friends of mine are just not able to believe the adventure I had yesterday! Now I am sure that they will!” she declared as her friends just stood staring at him.

“You call that an adventure!” Aryaman said playfully stoking the girl’s head.

“You tell them that you saved my life and brought out my pot by flying in the well!” Aditi insisted.

“Alright, my dear friend! I will oblige!” Aryaman looked at her friends and acknowledged all that she had said.

“Tell me! What were you all thinking so hard looking at this tree?”

“You see those guavas up above the tree! We were thinking as to who among us would climb up and get those fruits!” Aditi disclosed.

Aryaman grinned and bent down slowly releasing her from his arms. “Wait a minute!” he raised his palm and at once flew to the spot where the fruits were hanging out from the branches of the tree. He plucked them and threw them down which the children merrily collected shouting in ecstasy. When he landed, the children gathered around him and noisily thanked him for his efforts. Aditi asked him to bend down and landed a kiss on his cheeks!

“You have made my day!” Aryaman exclaimed and watched with satisfaction to see the happiness around him.  

The children sat in a circle and evenly distributed the fruits among themselves. They then asked Aryaman if he would like to join them to which he politely declined. He silently watched as the children merrily relished their meal. Later, he asked them, “Do you girls’ study?”

“Study!” Aditi stated in surprise. “Our parents tell us that studies are meant only for boys. It would be sufficient if we stay indoors and learn the household work.”