Aadi Pooja

[JUSTIFY]Balaji felt a tap on his shoulder. “Hey, who are you? What are you doing here at this time of night? Don’t you know this forest is full of wild animals and snakes?” some one was asking him. He woke up with a start and saw a small girl, about his same age standing near him. He narrated the whole story to her. “Oh, so, you are angry with your father. But look at what you have done to yourself. You could have gone with him when he came searching for you”. “Yes, I should have done that. But I was worried that he might beat me at that time. After all, he had beaten me only for my good. But now, I have been trapped in this forest and I could go home only if I am alive tomorrow morning”. Saying this, he cried aloud.
“Ok, don’t cry. I can take you home. Come with me” she said.
“But”, he hesitated, “you are a very little girl. What will you do if we are attacked by one of those animals”? He said.
‘Don’t worry”, she said. “I have been brought up in this forest from my childhood. Wild animals will not come near me. Come with me if you want to go home or I shall go and you should be alone throughout the night” she said. “No, please don’t leave me. I shall come with you. But I am very hungry” he said. She then offered him some fruits and some pongal which she had with her. He ate them and felt a little better. “Ok, now I can walk” he said.
They started walking. “By the way, what is your name?” he enquired her. “People call me Baala” she said. They walked very fast. Now he observed her fully. She was wearing a dark green skirt and blouse. She wore plenty of bangles and other jewels. She also wore nose rings on both sides of her nose. She had a bunch of flowers on her hair. Suddenly he heard a growl. A pair of glowing eyes observed them from a nearby bush. “Baala, some animals are following us” he said to her. She turned back and looked at him. Her nose rings shone in the moonlight. “Hey, you go away!” she shouted at the bush. A leopard jumped and ran away. “Come fast, come fast” she said to him. She held his hand and practically pulled him making him almost run. He ran alongwith her.
He heard some more growls. He turned back and saw more wild animals following them. He shivered lightly. “Baala”, he whispered. She turned and glanced at them. He was surprised to see them retreating lightly. It looked as if the animals had a certain reverence for her. Again they started walking. The moon went behind the clouds. It became very dark. He placed his leg on something that was slippery. It seemed to move under his feet. The moon appeared and in the light he saw that he had stepped on a snake which started hissing. He started sweating with fear. She turned back, gestured him to remain silent, caught hold of the snake and in the flash of a second, threw it away. “Come now”, she said and finally they reached the border of their village. After that, he led the way to his house and she followed him. When they reached his house, he gave a sigh of breath and smiled at her. “When can I see you again Baala”? he asked her. “You can see me in the forest when you come for the Aadi pooja next year” she said. He knocked the door of his house.
He heard the lantern lighted and his father opened the door, closely followed by his mother. “Balaji, you have come at last! My son, my prayers have not gone in vain” his mother shouted, pulled him to her and hugged him tightly. “Where did you go my son?” his father asked him. “Please do not do like this. Whatever I did was for your own good only”.
“I am sorry dad” he said.
“How did you come at this time of night? The forest is full of wild animals and snakes” his mother said.
“I didn’t come alone. I came with Baala. But for her help I would have been dead by now” he said. He turned back to introduce Baala to his parents. But she was not there. “Baala, Baala,” he called. But there was no answer. “Who is Baala”? his parents asked him. He narrated them the story briefly and his father took the lantern and went in search of the girl. She was not seen anywhere but they saw a bunch of flowers on the ground. “Oh! These are the flowers which I offered to Amman at the temple” his mother said. “No these are the flowers which Baala was wearing in her head” said Balaji. Now they realized with pleasant surprise that it was Amman herself who had come to the rescue of their son and saved him from the dangers.
“Balaji, your faith in Amman has made her to save you and you are very lucky to have her darshan. Even great saints and sages who perform lot of pooja do not get her darshan so easily. You are blessed my son!” his mother said and hugged her son again.
Moral: Belief in God never lets you down. :thumbsup

[/JUSTIFY]

 

Thank you so much, Sunitha. The picture is soooooo good

 

Hi Sunitha, your suggestion is taken into account. Thank you