Bravo Chimpoo by Aniruddha Banhatti (world of reading .TXT) 📕

amassed 185 Rs.! And now with three days to go for the final parade, Nikhil had kept all the money in a wooden box. But now, even after turning his home upside down, he was unable to find the wooden box. The day before to check whether the totals in their diaries tallied with the actual amount in the box, he had brought the box to school. In the recess, they had tallied the total to 185/- No other group had collected this much! And how happy the six of them were! But, luck gives and the circumstances take it all back! Nikhil's school bag had the stitching torn on one side. And everyone deduced that the wooden box must have fallen out somewhere on the way home. Scholar and Mintu could have got the sum from home along with a bit of scolding, but they were not prepared to do that. All the six of them were proud kids.
"Then what to do?"
"Yes, Scholar? Thought of anything?" asked Lily hopefully.
"Yes, I've got a superb idea," said Scholar.
"Good! Come on, let's hear it," said all, in a chorus.
"See, today is Friday. On Monday we have to submit our diaries and money to the scouts-sir. On Saturday after the school is over, that day we have only half day school, we will take Chimpoo out and make him perform some tricks and collect money. Then Sunday, we will get out under the pretext of playing and again collect some money. Chimpoo is intelligent and will learn the tricks within no time.”
“Bravo, Scholar, well done" shouted Mintu joyously.
"Classic!" said Lily. The scheme was accepted by all.
"But hundred and eighty five rupees! Will we be able to collect that much?"
"Surely. Anyway we can but try"
"Okay, okay."
Saturday afternoon, they gathered together and taking Chimpoo along with them went a bit far from their houses; they selected a prime corner, and started the show. Chimpoo played cricket, rode a bicycle, put on clothes, combed his hair, putting on Scholar's spectacles read a book holding it upside down. Scattered around the homework note-books and when Mintu rang the bell, gathered them in the school bag, put the school bag on the back and started going to the school. He performed a lot of other antics too! Walked on his hands, did somersaults and the public liked this monkey show far better than the usual ones. Hence, a large crowd gathered and a lot of money was collected. At last, all of them gathered in Scholar's garden and counted the money. The amount was 95 Rs.! So tomorrow, if they do another show, they might easily collect the required amount.
On Sunday, after breakfast, at 11 O'clock, they took balls, stumps, bats and Mintu's small bicycle and halted at the previous day's corner and began the show. Soon a good crowd gathered and was absorbed in the show. A man in the crowd was very much absorbed in Chimpoo's performance and when Scholar looked at him, he was startled! Today he didn't have the green cloth tied to his head but it was the same man! The same scar below the left eye and the same fierce face! Scholar took Mintu aside and told him,
"I will go to Bhambre uncle’s house and bring him. You keep the show going till then"
"But why? What happened?"
"See that man. He is the same one"
"You mean the one we thought to be on Chimpoo's trail?"
"Yes, look carefully"
"By Golly! You are right!"
"Don't be afraid. I'll come very soon. Bhambre uncle's house is very near from this place."
"Okay"
Scholar detached himself from the circle of the crowd and went to Bhambre uncle's house. The show went on.
"So mister Chimpoo," Nikhil shouted, "Is your homework complete?"
Chimpoo shook his head in 'no' and shouted "Chee chee"
"Then do it 'yed bumboo' don't just say no!" Small kids in the crowd laughed at the word 'Yed bumboo'.
Chimpoo put on his specs with a flourish and started drawing lines in a notebook. Mintu was purposefully avoiding looking at the mystery man, but his eyes would turn to him. But, the fierce faced man was totally absorbed in Chimpoo's performance. He was not aware of anything else. Mintu was praying in his mind,
"Oh, please, let Bhambre uncle, please be at home. Please let Scholar come with him quickly here."
 
SIX : MYSTERY SOLVED!

Seeing Scholar arrive with two men, Mintu was relieved. Scholar entered the crowd from the rear side and the two men mixed with the crowd and finally stood flanking the mystery man on both sides. The show was about to be finished. The show was over. People threw coins, and a few notes. Small kids loitered for a while and the crowd vanished.
But, even after the entire crowd had dispersed, the mystery man was standing there. And surprisingly tears were streaming down his cheeks. The two plain clothes policeman caught hold of his arms. He wiped his tears and looked about in surprise. Scholar came forward and asked,
"Who are you? Was it you speaking to Chimpoo in our garden that night? Why are you keeping a watch on Chimpoo?"
"Yes, tell us everything. Or else we take you to the chowkee" said one of the policemen.
"I will gladly tell everything, Sir. I am not a criminal." said the man,
"My name is Hariba. At that moment Chimpoo cried ‘Chee Chee’ and jumped to the mystery man and clung to him. The man patted Chimpoo and said,
"This is my Bholenath."
Chimpoo once again screamed ‘Chee Chee’ with joy. Hariba continued,
"I have no one else. I used to live on whatever I earned through my Bholenath's antics on the street. But, for three days in a line I could not get any money. Recently there was a spate of robberies. I was turned away from all the housing societies which were my sure fire business places. I wasn't allowed inside the compound. Everybody looked at me with suspicion. We have no saved money for emergencies, people like us! The dada of the slum where I lived threw me out with my baggage. We were without money for three days. Bholenath, mad with hunger, broke my wrist with his teeth. I was so angry I beat him with my cane. He became angry and simply vanished. I did manual tasks, washed cars and somehow had two meals a day with two rupees saved each night as the fees to the goonda for the privilege of sleeping on the Dadar footpath. Then one day, I saw my Bholenath, playing with these kids on the playground. I felt happy. Bholenath lived at a good place, had good things to eat and I felt happy and relieved. My worry was over. But, that night I could not resist coming to see Bholenath and speaking my mind. I will manage anyhow, but let Bholenath live with these kids. That's all I ask of you."
Tears started again from Hariba's eyes. Chimpoo started wiping the tears. Then a car and jeep came and stopped there. Scholar's Daddy and inspector Bhambre alighted. "Have you arrested that man?"
Bhambre asked the two policemen in plain clothes, who saluted him.
"Sir, this is Hariba, and it turned out to be quite another story!"
And then one of them explained the entire situation.
Chimpoo was sitting on Hariba's shoulder and was scratching his head.
"Hariba", Daddy said,
"Can you do some gardening work?"
"Yes."
"Then let Chimpoo live with us. Our gardener left the job last month. Behind the bungalow, his quarters are vacant at present. Those are good and you can live there. I will pay you salary, and you can live with your Bholenath. And Scholar can live with his Chimpoo!"
"Hurraah!" all the kids cried together.
"And one more thing Scholar,”
He said in a hard voice,
“I hear that you are doing monkey-shows on the streets now -a-days!"
"Sorry Dad," Scholar started mumbling, "It was like this, we---we--"
"----Lost our scout-money!" Daddy completed his sentence,
"I came to know everything from Bhambre uncle. And sorry for what? In fact, I am proud of you. Why be ashamed to do even the smallest job? Have you then collected enough money?"
"Have you counted the money, Nikhil?"
Scholar asked Nikhil, Who was counting the money in a corner.
“I've just started. Wait a bit,"
Everyone looked at Nikhil. He finished counting and said.
"We have five rupees more!"
"Hey!” all the kids shouted.
"That means we have bagged the scouts-prize!" said Gauri happily.
"Okay. Enough tamasha on the road now, come, get in the car, everybody!"
"Okay then, we take your leave," said inspector Bhambre and turned towards the jeep. The jeep sped away. The six kids, Hariba, Daddy all crowded inside the car.
"So, Scholar, what are you going to do with the extra five rupees?"
"We will get Chimpoo a bunch of bananas!" Scholar said.
"Good idea. But where is Chimpoo?”
"He is sitting on the car-top, uncle." said Julie.
"Oho! So you have literally lifted him over your heads and shoulders!" Daddy said.
And this time, even Hariba joined in the kids' hearty laughter!
Imprint

Publication Date: 05-27-2010

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Dedication:
Dedicated to Radhika