Go For It Bablu!

Laiba Hassan

Class 7 Section B

It happened on the day school started after a heavenly two months of summer holidays. Shankar refused to wake up at 6 am. He wanted to dream more about his visit to his grandparents' home. They lived in Mysore. He actually wanted to remember his trips to the Bandipur National Park. It was a magical forest in the shade of the Nilgiri. Shankar had been lucky to see the Asian elephant, the Mugger crocodile, the four-horned antelope, and the leopard. “Next time,” Shankar told himself happy at the thought.

He wanted “next time” to be now! However, his mother’s and father’s voice forced him to get up though it seemed terrible but the Shankar felt happy to be back from his dreams once he saw his friends in his school bus.
When Shankar returned home he was surprised to see his mother in front of the gate as she didn’t go to the office. When his mother saw him she said “Shankar, I wanted to tell you that your father has met with an accident. But the good news is that he will be discharged in two weeks. He will be absolutely fine. But I think it is high time to get a driver. You and I shall find a fine young man to drive Appa carefully to office.”
Amma’s words calmed Shankar. In the next few days after many interview they selected a young man as a driver. His name was Raj. Finally Appa arrived back home and a lot of exciting things happened on Sunday. Raj’s family used to come and stay with them in the small flat in the small flat nearby. That’s how Shankar met Bablu, Raja’s son.
An eight year old boy with a monkey face, bright eye and spiky hair. From the day he met Shankar, he became his fan. He always used to follow Shankar. To eight year old Bablu, Shankar being of eleven year seemed a big boy. Whenever Shankar looked up to find his book, he used to see Bablu staring at him through the window. While brushing his teeth he would often get confused when he saw another face staring at him in the mirror! And when coming back from school he used to find two shadows– one was his own and the other shadow was Bablu walking a few paces behind!

Bablu did not go to school. Shankar felt sorry for him. One day, when Shankar went to the garage to take out his bicycle to go to his friend’s house, that when he saw Bablu sitting under a tree holding a book in his hands.When Shankar came closer he discovered that Bablu was holding one of his books and that too upside down. Since he could not read it, it did not matter whichever way he held it, Shankar took the book and turned it the right side up and told “This is how you are supposed to read,” affectionately. Two big tear droped rolled down Bablu’s cheeks. Bablu told Shankar, “I want to be like you but I can’t do anything.”
The bicycle went back into the garage. Shankar went inside the house and told  his parents they had to help Bablu get into a school. Though it was too hard to admit Bablu to a school as admissions were over.But somehow he got admitted. Wearing a new shirt, shorts and a tie,he was going to school proudly.
But when he returned he was sad."They all teased me; they all said I am much older than them. I don’t want to go to school."

Shankar said, “Don’t cry Bablu. I will teach you to read and write. Very soon you will be better than your classmates.” From the shelf he took out all the books -Hindi and in English, Shankar's favourites were Chandamana, Twinkle and Target. There were several fairy tale books also. Shankar read out to him, drew pictures in boards, and gave him a workbook.
Bablu would be rewarded by Shankar if he worked hard.
Two months later, Bablu returned from school with a beaming face. “Bhaiya, the principal praised me, everyone clapped for me”.
Shankar embraced Bablu with a tight hug.
Now Bablu has another wish. He wants to work on the computer like Shankar. He wants to visit websites for kids, and he wants to play the online treasure hunt games.
“Go for it, Bablu!”,that all Shankar can say.