Adventures of Akash by Aniruddha Banhatti (books for new readers TXT) 📕

to remember yesterday nights sound of the insects and the rustling leaves. And like magic, he heard the same sound that he had heard the night before. Now he was hundred percent sure that he had really solved the mystery! He climbed the tree and even observed the branches actually rub against each other and create the sound. He climbed down. Should he bring Ashok here and explain to him and show him the branches rubbing? But still he may not believe it! Better to stop the ghost’s sound altogether! He thought of a plan. Some material was required, for bringing that, he ran home.

In the night after dinner all of them were sitting on the cots spread out in the courtyard and were chitchatting enjoying the cool breeze. Akash said,
“Bhaukaka, I have chased away that ghost.”
“What are you talking about, Akash? What ghost?”
“The one who keeps on asking you Aalaskaa? , that one!”
“Oh! You mean the ghost on Desai’s peepal tree? And you chased him away?”
“Liar!”, Ashok said.
“What is this about ghosts, Akash? Have you started something here as soon as you came here?”, said Akash’s father.
“Come, we will go there, you will see for yourselves”, Akash said.
“Okay, let’s go. It will be a nice stroll after such heavy dinner.”
Strolling leisurely, they reached the Desai’s tree. They waited for ten-fifteen minutes but the Aalaska? Alaska? Sound was not heard at all. Bhaukaka was a Kankavli resident. For so many years he had heard that sound which was now gone! Everyone was wonderstruck!
“What did you do Akash?”, Bhaukaka asked, “How did you stop that ghostly sound?”
“Nothing, Kaka, “ he said, “I just separated two branches that wererubbing together and tied them up so that they will remain apart with a thick rope.”
“What do you mean?”
Then Akash explained everything. How the sound was Arrakarra in the afternoon, and with the cicadas and rustling leaves how it changed to Alaska? During the night, etcetera!
“Bravo! You are great! Nobody in our village even thought like this! You are really great!”
All the village came to the tree next night and Akash had to give the explanation once again. Every one was very surprised at the bravery and the rationalization of this small kid and Akash became famous as ‘Ghost Buster!’
When the vacation was over there was a big crowd of boys to see him off, all his new friends from the village.
“Akash, come here for the next vacation, too. We will search out and chase away all the ghosts from the entire region!’ a boy said. Everyone laughed. The S.T Bus started. All his new friends waved to him.
“Bye”, “Tata”, “Acchhaa”, “Bye bye!”
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Akash gets a prize
By Aniruddha Banhatti

From the tinkling sound of cutlery from inside, Akash guessed that there were guests as he stood at the door coming back from school. Akash pressed the bell and his father, Mr. Shejwalkar, opened the door. His guess proved to be correct. The guests were taking tea.
“This is our Akash,” Mr.Shejwalkar said taking the tea-cup ,
“Akash, this is Mane uncle and Mane aunty.”
“Namaste”, Akash said.
“Your son seems to be quite a gunda!”,
Akash had a bad opinion about Mane aunty as he heard this remark while going in the kitchen.
“Mom, what have you prepared?”
“Wait, you will have it, but first keep your sack and wash your hand and feet.”
“Oh, bother!”Akash grumbled, “For one day, can’t I give it a miss?”
But anyway he obeyed her and while eating onion pakodas and shira, he said,
“Mom, Mane aunty called me a gunda!”
“Oh! They are from Nagpur and in their local slang, in Marathi, gunda means an active lively child.”
Akash understood.
“Yes,” he remembered, “Putra vhava aisa gunda, jyacha tinhee lokee zenda!”
“Exactly!” said his mom. He finished his snacks and tea and ran out for playing.
At seven in the evening when Akash came home, his father said,
“Akash, there is some work for you.”
Must be reserving the return tickets, thought Akash.
“Isn’t the son of Pargaonkar jewelers in your class?”
“Who? Viju Pargaonkar?”
“Yes. You change the clothes and go with Mane uncle and aunty to Pargaonkar’s shop. They came to Pune for buying jewellery of latest fashion. I told them that if you want the best and the latest, better go to Pargaonkar’s. Viju’s father knows you well, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, indeed he does. I will get ready in five minutes.”
“Good boy. How quickly he agreed. We will go by rickshaw and come back by rickshaw. And whatever ice-cream you want, you will get on the way back as the fee for your help!” Mane aunty said and whatever bad opinion he had initially formed of her was wiped off. He decided upon cassata ice-cream in his mind. When Akash came back after getting ready, Mane uncle and aunty were also ready to go.
“At this time, mostly Viju himself will be in the shop.”
“Then it will be even better!” said Mane uncle.
Mane aunty was much impressed seeing the very modern and glittering shop of Pargaonkar’s. Viju was in the shop. It was nearing seven thirty, and Viju had to sit at the counter everyday for one hour between seven and eight in the evening according to his father’s orders. Many a times, Viju had made Akash and other friends laugh by the tales of how women took hours to purchase even the smallest item, and by mimicking their talking in female voice. Seeing Akash, Viju said,
“Akash? You, and in a jewel shop?”
“Yes. This is mane uncle and this is Mane aunty. They want to make some purchases; hence I have brought them here.”
“Good. Then you better take them to Appa and introduce them.”
“Okay.”
Viju came out from behind the counter and they went to the main counter where Viju’s father Appa was sitting.
“Oh,Akash, what do you want? An engagement ring or a locket?” Appa asked Akash in fun.
“Appa, this is Mane uncle and Mane aunty. They are from Nagpur. They came here for lot of purchases for their daughter’s wedding. Show them gold jewellery of latest fashion. And give them large discount.”
Mane uncle and Appa laughed. Viju said to Appa,
“Appa, give me three rupees, I have to purchase a new notebook.”
Appa gave him a ten rupee note.
“Come with me Akash, till your guests do their shopping, we will go buy the notebook and come back.”
“Okay, Mane uncle, I will go with Viju and come back.”
“Okay”
When they returned after buying the notebook and were near Viju’s shop, Akash suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“Viju, stop,” he said.
“Why?”
“Stop and look at the shop through the glass. The shop seems almost empty, isn’t it strange? Look, all the crowd is gathered in one corner, and your father Appa seems to be at the head of the crowd. Something is wrong.”
Viju looked through the glass. Definitely something was wrong. He gave the notebook to Akash and said,
“Akash, you stand here and keep an eye on the shop. I’ll go to the nearby police station and bring Inspector Moghe here.”
He hailed a rickshaw and was gone. After a few minutes the door of the shop opened and two men came out with two big briefcases. A blue car was idling by the shop. The men walked to it, and jumped in it as the door opened and even before the door of the car closed again, it sped off. But Akash had opened the notebook and with his pen, written in it- blue maruti car, MAF 6453. As soon as the car was gone the doors of the shop opened and Appa came out running like a bullet from a gun! Seeing Akash, he said,
“Oh, akash, Phone, quickly, they have disabled the burglar alarm and the phones inside the shop. We must call the police from some nearby phone.”
“Appa, calm down,” Akash said, “Viju has gone in a rickshaw to bring Inspector Moghe. He will come back any time now.”
And lo, the police siren was heard and Inspector Moghe came in his wireless jeep with Viju. As soon as the jeep stopped, Akash jumped by the side of Moghe, and told him,
“The thieves ran away. This is their car number. Let’s follow them. I know the direction where they went.”
And so the chase began.
“Blue maruti, MAF 6453, Blue maruti, 6453.”
Inspector Moghe was giving the description to all possible police stations by the wireless. Within next five minutes, he received back the message,


“Blue maruti MAF 6453, caught, three persons arrested and lots of ornaments and cash recovered. This is wireless station no. L5. Over.”
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“No,no, Akash, you have to take it. I will convince your father that you earned it. Don’t worry. This is a gift to remind you of today’s incident.” Appa said, giving him a small gold ring.
“Okay,”Akash said, feeling a little embarrassed, and slid the ring on his finger and looked at it proudly. Appa was very happy as all his stolen goods were restored within an hour, thanks to Akash.
“But Appa, “ Viju said, “I have also played an important role in the recovery, no prize for me?”
“Of course there is,” Appa said, “You were pestering me for the last week for a bicycle, weren’t you? So tomorrow, go to the shop and buy the costliest bicycle.”
And while going back home Mane aunty was so happy as she had spent so much less money compared with the prices at Nagpur, that in addition of giving Akash the promised ice-cream on the way, she bought another family pack of cassata ice cream for desserts after the dinner at home. As soon as he got down from the rickshaw, he was so impatient to tell all this and to show the prize to his parents that he shot like a bullet from a gun in to his house!
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