Mango Thieves

Saahil kicked the dust on the ground as he walked. It was a wet, sultry evening and the heat brought out many animals out of their holes. Just yesterday he encountered a green garden snake in the bushes and told everyone it was a rattlesnake. His friends laughed because rattlesnakes were found only in the Americas, but he spent a vain twenty minutes trying to convince them it was that very snake. Making friends weren’t easy for him with his father in a transferable job. He had barely enough time to make a friend or two when they had to leave the state altogether. He had firm friends in his native though; boys who hadn’t gone beyond a local bus trip. They would believe anything he said.

When he reached, Ronit, Arshad and Nikhil were already gathered.

‘What do you suggest we do today?’ Ronit asked.

Saahil suggested skating but knew the process well – that it wouldn’t be considered, and that if somebody else made the same suggestion it might merit consideration.

‘I vote for football.’ Arshad said.

‘No not football on that squelchy ground. It rained yesterday and mummy scolded me for dirtying my shorts.’ Nikhil complained. ‘Why don’t we visit the lighthouse?’

‘No,’ Ronit frowned. ‘We just went the day before.’

‘This time we’ll ask the watchman to show us how to work the huge lamp.’ Nikhil persisted.

‘The watchman is never there. I still feel we ought to play football.’

‘I know what we’ll do,’ said Ronit. ‘We’ll pluck mangoes from the Admiral’s garden.’

All three looked at him disbelievingly. They had tried it many times but weren’t successful. The watchman was always on the lookout for mango thieves after the Admiral complained that mangoes were disappearing every day. He threatened that he would complain to their parents if he caught them again. And they always ended empty handed.

‘I have a new plan.’ Ronit said. ‘We won’t jump the compound wall or climb a tree but this time we’ll climb the water tank outside the gate and enter. After plucking the mangoes we’ll return the same way and nobody will even get a whiff of us.’

He looked brightly at them with his hands in his pockets.

‘I think it could work.’ Arshad said thoughtfully.

Nikhil smiled. ‘I can already taste the kachha mango in my mouth.’

‘So shall we do it?’ Ronit said excitedly, uncrossing his fingers in the pocket.

Both Nikhil and Arshad gave him the thumbs up.

They turned towards Saahil who looked sceptical but mildly surprised because they waited for his opinion.

‘I don’t know,’ he said shaking his head. ‘I am scared we might get into trouble.’

They ignored him anyway. Saahil shrugged his shoulders and followed them.

‘Has he gone?’ whispered Nikhil loudly from behind the banyan tree where Arshad, Saahil and he were hiding.

‘Ssh!’ retorted Ronit angrily from behind the compound wall.

Maninder Singh was talking animatedly with the gardener for the past twenty minutes and showed no signs of relenting.

Ronit was just about to give up when the gardener got ready to leave. Maninder Singh seemed to be requesting him to stay for tea in his hut but the gardener shook his head and giving a wave he mounted his cycle and peddled away.

Ronit sighed and signalled the others.

Once they were with him behind the wall Ronit whispered, ‘now we’ll all climb the water tank and once we are on the top one of us stays back to signal while the other three do the plucking. Who is staying to signal?’

Saahil raised his hand. ‘I’ll do it.’

‘Fine that is decided. Do you know the signals? One hoot for danger and two hoots if clear.’

Saahil nodded.

They all proceeded to climb the wrought iron ladder up the concrete water tank. They crouched around the narrow flattened rim and leaned on the dome. They could hear the water gurgling within and though each of them was scared out of their wits they did not show it.

‘Now what?’ asked Arshad.

‘We go round towards the other end of the dome overlooking the garden,’ said Ronit.

‘Go round this narrow strip? Are you mad?’ blurted Nikhil. ‘What if we fall?’

He didn’t wait to reply and inching carefully as though on a tight rope walked around the dome. Emboldened by his attempt; all followed one by one. A limb of the mango tree stuck out invitingly towards the water tank. Ronit swung on it and hoisted himself up. He plucked a mango and waved at them. Nikhil and Arshad joined him on the tree.

Saahil looked up in terror at the dome that was to be his position in this mission. He lifted himself up on the partially flattened dome. When he reached the top he was exhilarated with the view spanning miles.

‘Crouch, you silly,’ Ronit hissed. ‘Remember to warn us of any danger.’

Saahil watched the three of them disappear between the leaves. He turned and looked down at the watchman’s hut. There was a light within so he knew the watchman was in. He suddenly laughed softly to himself. This was an experience of a lifetime! Oh how he would boast about this to his friends back home. They would be awed even without his embellishments of unafraid courage. There he would be a hero even if he wasn’t here.

He looked up from his hunched position and in the distance saw the naval harbour. The orange-red sun was sneaking quietly towards the horizon. He knew there wouldn’t be much time left and smiled ruefully. After sunset he usually felt very lonely. He was the only child and though his parents spent enough time with him, he felt alone. In this naval neighbourhood there were very few boys of his age, they were either too big or too small. He did not mind playing with girls at all. Why he played with his friends back home and there were girls too. But he feared what his three friends would say to him and so he kept his thoughts to himself. He suddenly felt sorry for himself and felt his eyes well up. He allowed few tears to wet his cheeks. He could cry here where nobody could watch and ask uncomfortable questions.

He lay down watching the setting sun and dreaming about his holidays when his reverie was rudely disturbed by a cycle honk. He looked up to see the gardener coming back. Maninder Singh’s voice rang out in the still air.

‘Somu what brings you back? Changed your mind about the tea?’

The gardener laughed but spoke in a lowered voice. ‘No Lata sent me to ask you if we could get some mangoes for pickling.’

Maninder Singh looked around furtively and motioned him in. ‘Okay come along.’

Saahil looked in horror and felt a bucket full of ice cascade into his stomach. He had to warn his friends but no sound came from his throat. He saw the two men carrying cloth bags and walking towards the garden. He unstuck his throat and let out a piercing hoot into the evening sky scaring a few crows away. He waited. Nothing. He contemplated getting down but then suddenly realised that he couldn’t without help. Fear caught hold of his stomach and was climbing up his oesophagus. He strained his eyes in the dark clump of trees but saw nothing resembling his friends. Where were they? They should have surely heard his hoot by now. Should he try again? All around him street lights came alive. He suddenly felt very exposed. He checked his watch -7 pm! Fear erupted as goosebumps on his arm at the thought of what his parents might say. He had never been this late before. What if his parents got worried and sent people to search for him? Or what if the watchman found him here? Either way he would be in deep trouble.

Another thought painfully pricked him. What if his friends had left him and gone with the mangoes? No, he said to himself, they wouldn’t do something like that. But then where were they? He knew they weren’t caught else he would have heard it.

Crickets were singing around and all the nocturnal animals were waking from their day slumber. He held on tightly to the dome, his heart beating painfully against his ribs at the thought of his friends deserting him. Tears now flowed freely as he convulsed with emotion. He thought resentfully about them, Ronit the cruel dictator, Arshad and Nikhil his salivating sycophants. He vowed to get back at them and screwed up his face in anger and determination. Oh he hated them, hated them from the core of his being! He choked back his tears at the thought of not having any friends any more. The leaves around him whispered in the stifling wind and he turned in fear. That is it! He should die here! Maybe a rattlesnake would bite him. After his death they would all realise their mistakes and weep; his friends, parents and Maninder Singh. It would be too late to get him back but he would surely haunt them. They would regret it all through their rotten lives. He gave a grim smile. Now he had to prepare for his death just like a true soldier. Even if he couldn’t fulfil his dreams of being a soldier he would die like one. He closed his eyes and laid his head down, waiting...waiting for the blow to strike...waiting to die...

‘Psst.’

‘Saahil!’

‘Come down quick!’

He lifted his head. He wasn’t sure but he thought he heard his friends. He got up straight.

‘Down you idiot you’ll be seen.’

‘Ronit...Arshad...Nikhil...is it you?’ Saahil said with unmistakable relief. ‘What took you so long?’

‘Come down first and then we’ll explain.’ Arshad answered.

Saahil dried his eyes and happily realised that he could get down after all. They tip-toed down the water tank and once out of ear shot ran in abandon.

When they slowed down near their homes the tirade began.

‘Why didn’t you warn us?’

‘We were caught off guard.’

‘We dropped half our mangoes on the way...’

‘We had to go via the other compound wall.’

‘My legs are hurting running all the way.’

‘Mummy will scold me for being late.’

For once Saahil did not argue back. He just looked at their angry faces and smiled.