Lost and Found!!
It was mid-April and summer vacations had just
begun. The start of summer break and about two months of relaxation, fun
activities, outings and interesting little adventures has been a much sought
after vacation for school children.
Somewhere in the heart of a bustling city, with nearby
elementary and high schools, great restaurants, shopping malls and accessible
bus stops was a gated community with ample parking space, well maintained
garden and walkway. It was early evening. A cool breeze swept over the play
area. Children were playing their favorite sport while people indulged in chit-chat
while encouraging children play.
Five friends were riding on bicycle around the
play area when one among them Neha inquired, “Anu hasn’t accompanied us since
two days, is she unwell?” ”Let’s find out”, reiterated the rest of them.
Halfway down the path Arun screamed “Look there she is”. Farther they could see
Anu sitting on a platform. Aditya, the eldest among them asked,
“Hi Anu, What happened?”
“Nothing “, Anu replied and looked down worried
and lost in thought.
There seems to be something that’s occupied your
mind, you don’t look yourself, asked Neha.
Katrina thought to herself,”Something was really
wrong”.
Come on Anu tell us what’s worrying you, we can
help, pleaded Naina.
After a deep sigh Anu responded,” Neemo is in
danger and she needs help “.
“Who’s Neemo, where does she live and why is she
in danger”, everyone gasped and cried in unison.
“She lives in the big park few meters away from
our colony”, replied Anu.
Arun and Aditya responded, “Please listen and don’t
panic, we will go to the park and find out what’s happening. We will then
decide the plan ahead to help Neemo”.
Next day morning around 7am, Arun and Aditya
reached the Garden Park riding their bicycle eager to find Neemo. The signboard
above the entrance read, “Welcome to The Garden Park” with flower symbols. The
park was huge with taller trees on either side of the path. They could see many
flowering bushes in and around the kids playing zone. There was fresh green
grass covering three fourth of the entire park. They could see people walking,
jogging and strolling around in the park. Somewhere laughing noises could be
heard. Laughing therapy sessions were in progress thought Aditya.
They thought, Neemo could be an orphan girl
taking shelter somewhere in and around the park and could help her. As far as
they knew Anu never had a pet dog either. Yet after long stroll and search
around the park, they could find any unusual activity around. The sun was
getting hotter. Arun suggested bringing along Anu with everyone would be better
to identify Neemo.
In the evening Arun and Aditya described their
search at “The Garden Park” and explained their plan to others. Everyone except
Anu pondered over the plan with many ideas and decided to go ahead with the
plan tomorrow. Anu, the youngest in her group was hesitant and felt low
thinking, was she right in her thoughts? Would her friends believe her? Did
they have enough time to save Neemo? Was it real that she saw few days back in
the park? Was it true about the swimming pool in the park? Would the president
and his assistant visit the park tomorrow?
At around 9am the next day as per plan Arun and
Aditya assembled at the play area with their detective kits ready and waited
for others to come. After few minutes all of them gathered and started travelling
towards the park. Once they reached the park everyone in the group looked upon
Anu to guide them where she has seen Neemo but carefully. She took graceful
little steps into the pathway that led into the central park area. The park was
very large area with vast greenery all around. It was a very old park housing
many huge trees towering high up to the sky. Aditya wondered how Anu knew the
way around exactly at such a young age and how stupid they were to miss few
points around the central area of the park.
Few steps ahead Anu with innocent eyes pointed
out to something that caught their friends’ eye. All of them stood there
bewildered at the sight of the huge sacred peepal tree that has its branches
spread widely across covering the area in cool shadows. There were few benches
located nearby .The thickness of the bark and its much lengthy roots along with
new golden green leaves revealed it was one of the oldest trees in that area.
Anu watched her friends still astonished and hesitantly muttered, “Look this is
Neemo!!”
Anu’s friends laughed at her innocence. Meanwhile
Katrina took Anu near and hugged her asking her to narrate the whole incident.
Anu admitted that her mother used to bring her to the park regularly since she
had learnt to walk and had been much attached to the environment since then.
Her mother had explained about the sacred peepal tree and its presence had been
there since her mother was a child back then.
One day on their daily visit to the park, when
she and her mother were seated on the benches nearby, Anu had overheard the
president and his staff discussing about uprooting the peepal tree and planning
a big water fountain in its place. There were measurements being made and
serious discussions happening since then. That day I felt I had lost Neemo for
no mistakes done. Neemo had all the years been providing shade and cool
environment to everyone without expecting anything in return. Was this an act
of good for people around by uprooting a massive age old tree?
Anu had
been much worried since then and couldn’t understand how to save Neemo. Anyone
she thought would help her may laugh at her innocence. Even my mother had
assured me that I a bad dream and nothing of such kind would happen without
proper evaluation and approvals.
On hearing her story Anu’s friends were much
moved and concerned and decided to teach the president and his staff a life lesson
but in a different way. From next day Aditya and Arun kept a close watch on the
president’s visits to the park and also the happenings in and around the park.
Arun followed the president’s car all along the way reaching his home in the
neighbourhood. On peeping through the gates he managed to see the president’s
home housed a well maintained garden with different flowering plants and
fruitful trees.
One day when the security wasn’t at the gates,
Arun managed to get hold of few rose plants and hid them. Early in the morning
when the president reached home from his daily walk, he found his little
daughter with watery eyes. Upon insistence his daughter replied her little rose
plants’ were missing and she wouldn’t adjust with any other plants as well. The
president in a fit of rage summoned the gardener and warned him of his
negligence. However he promised his daughter that her most loved rose plants
would be found and brought to her as soon as possible.
Arun and Adithya thought their idea had got wings
and they decided to play the same game with few people around in the
neighborhood who were regular visitors to “The Garden Park”. Anu, Katrina and Neha
helped their friends in making signboards and collecting needed information.
Two weeks had passed and the day had arrived. Anu
had little hopes that Neemo would be saved from the axe. Anu’s friends had put
in their efforts had everything in place. It was around 9:30 AM and Anu’s
friends had arrived much earlier to save Neemo. Fifteen minutes later the
president and his assistant arrived at the park’s central area. They had
earlier made announcement for the people’s approval in the neighborhood so
that the proposal would be submitted and further works would proceed. Not many
had positive thoughts and yet were feared to fight back. Much to the astonishment
of the president and his assistant, Anu’s parents and all the people around
gathered there, there stood many sign boards sporting “Sorry and Thanks a lot
for saving Neemo” together written in big legible colors. Adding to their
surprise where the little rose plants and other saplings that went missing from
many households in the neighborhood arranged around the huge sacred peepal
tree.
There stood five children hand in hand hugging
the giant bark of the peepal tree. Anu was afraid to speak but gathered courage
and expressed her love for her tree friend Neemo. Few people who had difference
of opinions before too decided that a water fountain wasn’t a preferable
thought in place of the aged peepal tree. Now everyone including the president
understood they had learnt a life lesson that day.
The
president expressed loudly that “Life is
an exam where the syllabus is unknown and question papers are not set.”We
all have learnt how each and every part of Mother Nature is pure, ever giving
and precious too through these little children’s’ innocent yet fitting lesson.
We must all make it a point to plant a sapling and spread as much greenery
around as possible.
Finally Neemo was saved; Anu was the happiest
person that moment. Not to forget the president had kept his promise. His
little daughter was much happier and loved her father for being her best
friend.
SAVE ENVIRONMENT.SAVE MOTHER NATURE
Written By
Shalini Bhaskaran