ARYA AND THE THIEVES

As the children backed away silently, Arya did not notice the stone behind him, tripping on it he fell down with a loud “OOOF!”

The four men were startled out of their conversation, and ran in the direction of the sound.

“RUN Tikiri!” Arya shouted as she pulled him back up on to his feet.

The children ran as fast as they could, with the three burly men dashing after them.

“This way!” shouted Tikiri as she pointed to the tiny pathway they had followed. “Stop those children or all our plans would be wasted!” the men shouted.

Without looking back, Arya and Tikiri ran as fast as they could through the grass and trees, trying to keep the path in sight.

When they finally got out from the thicket they bumped right into a man and woman gathering firewood by the roadway.

“HELP!” shouted Arya pointing behind them. The three burly men burst through after them, but on seeing the man and woman they stopped and turned back and fled the other way.

Tikiri sat on the grass panting loudly. Arya tried to get a word in with all the panting he was doing too.

“What’s all this?” asked the man with concern.

The children explained as best they could, while the woman ran to get word to the Police station.

It took a while, but the police did finally come. The OIC was with them.

When Arya explained once more what had happened, the Police rushed through the forest in search of Heenbanda and the three men.

“There have been a string of burglaries in this village and the next, we never imagined that the Mudalali’s house had anything to do with them. It was so different. But I suppose we can imagine that with Heenbanda’s help it might have made it easier for them,” the OIC said. “But next time children, make sure you don’t go rushing into danger without telling some adults first.”

The children were driven back home in the Police jeep much to their delight. Arya’s mother had an earful for him and so did Tikiri’s father for her when they did reach their homes. But for the rest of their friends and most of their schoolmates, they were almost heroes.

Heenbanda and the three thieves were discovered two days later, hiding deeper in the forest. Heenbanda confessed everything to the police. He said he had fallen in on hard times after gambling away most of his savings and had met the three men at a gambling den. They had given him the idea to steal from the Mahamudalali’s house to pay off this debt, with some of the spoils for them as well.

“It’s obvious that Heenbanda didn’t think his plan through,” said Tikiri one week later.

“To think that he was the most trusted person in the Mudalali’s house,” Arya mused.

“Most people’s true colours show when they are in hot water,” Tikiri said.

Arya nodded in quiet agreement, wondering what kind of adventure they would be having next.