9. Ganapati festival

CHAPTER 9

Ganapati festival

Ram was cleaning the ground near the Masjid with his friends. Some boys had brought wooden poles. Banner was also ready.

Maulvi approached them. “What are you doing?

Ram told the boys “Show him the banner.”

Maulvi looked at the banner ‘Ram and friends. Jai Ganapati Maurya’. Maulvi was shocked. “Who gave you the permission?”

Ram said, “Whose permission do we need to put Ganapati here? Yours? This place does not belong to the Masjid.”

Maulvi looked at him from top to bottom. “Why are you talking like this?”

Suddenly some men came out of the Masjid.

Razul held Ram’s shirt. “I will make kaima of you if you talk any more.”

Ram held Razul’s shirt. “First I will make kaima of you.”

Some elders who were passing by separate the boys.

One elder asked, “What Razulbhai? Why are you fighting?”

Maula said, “These boys are putting Ganapati next to the Masjid. It will create a lot of disturbance. So I was asking them if they had permission.”

The elder said to Ram, “My boy, I am happy that you are putting Ganapati. But not near the Masjid. You need police permission, you know.”

Razul was talking on the phone with a police.

Ram said, “We will apply for permission from the police. We don’t need permission of these people. We will put Ganapati here itself.”

Razul looked at Ram seriously. “Be careful about what you say. If I hit you, you will land in your house. The police will be here soon. You take permission. Let us see.”

The police jeep arrived. Inspector got down. Inspector looked around and understood the situation. He looked at the Maulvi. “I will explain everything to them. They are just small boys. They don’t know the rules.”

He looked at Ram. “What is your name, my boy?”

“Ram.”

“Do you know that you need permission to place Ganapati here?”

Ram said politely, “Sir, we will came and take permission.”

Inspector explained, “See, my boy, we do not give permission to place Ganapati near Masjid. You look for another place.”

Ram was not ready to give up. “But we are not placing the Ganapati inside the Masjid area.”

Razul was angry. “See how he is talking? If we cut his hands or legs, he will understand. Because of such boys only all the commotions started.”

Suddenly the corporate arrived. Inspector saluted to him. After understanding the situation, he looked at the inspector. “If you deal with them so softly, it will be very difficult. I will have to phone to the commissioner.”

Inspector shook his head. “No sir. I will get them to shift soon.”

He looked at the boys sternly. “If you don’t empty this place in 10 mins I will put you all in my jeep.”

The boys stared at him.

Inspector ordered, “Come empty the place.”

Ram looked at the inspector with rounded eyes but refused to do anything.

Razul looked at Maulvi. “Look at him staring at the inspector. There is fire in his eyes.”

Inspector showed his stick to the boys. The boys immediately started emptying the place. Ram kept staring at the inspector.

Inspector thought, “If there is just one boy of that type in every village, we can wash out terrorism from India. I can see the fire in his eyes.”

Maulvi folded his hands to the inspector. “Thank you sir.”

Inspector said, “I came as soon as I got your phone call.”

Ram listened to the conversation in a shock.