Peana Piditha Natchaththirangal

ð튬ð¬òŠ HKˆ¶ â‡E ªè£‡´ Þ¼‰î£˜ Üõœ ÜŠð£. 䉶 GIìƒèO™ õ‡® õ‰î£„², A÷‹ðô£‹ â¡ø£˜! A÷‹HM†ì£˜èœ. They enjoyed shopping for a few hours and felt hunger when it was 10 p.m. They booked a cab and waited in the mall lounge, where she saw her father counting change and sud- denly he said taxi was there. They started for dinner. êóõíðõ¡ õ‰¶ ÞøƒA, ÜõÀ‹ Ü‹ñ£¾‹ àœ«÷ ªê¡ø£˜èœ, ªõ°«ïó‹ ÜŠð£ õó£î ªõO«ò õ‰¶ 𣘈,ð˜¬ú‚ è£íM™¬ô â¡ø£˜. Þõ˜èÀ‹ «îì, ð˜v ÜèŠðì«õ Þ™¬ô. ÜF™î£¡ ÜŠð£M¡ Aªó®† 裘´èÀ‹ «ý£†ì™ 裘´ àœO†ì â™ô£Š ðíº‹ Þ¼‰î¶. Üîù£™, 죂R‚° ðí‹ âŠð®‚ ªè£´Šð¶, ⃫è õ¶, F¼´«ð£J¼‰î£™ â¡ù ªêŒõ¶ â¡Á ªîKò£ñ™ å¼ ðî†ì‹ ܬùõ¬ó»‹ ªî£ŸP‚ ªè£‡ì¶. As soon as the taxi reached the restaurant, mom and Ikshitha went in and even after a while, her dad did not come inside. When they went to check, he was tensed and told them, “I can’t find my wallet! Please help me find it”. They searched but the wallet was nowhere to be seen. Anx- iety was at peak for all of them, and it was traumatizing as all their money, credit, debit cards and hotel access were in that. A million questions flashed, What if somebody had stolen the Wallet? What will we do? Where to go for food and shelter? ꆪì¡Á «î£¡Pò¬î Þ‚S‌ î£ «è†ì£œ, “ÜŠð£ ܉î ñ£L™ cƒèœ ¬õˆ¶ M†´ õ‰F¼‚èô£«ñ£?” ܊𣾋 «ò£ê¬ùò£Œ, “«õÁ ⃰‹ Þ™ô£î 144 ´ «ðù£ H®ˆî ï†êˆFóƒèœ

܃°î£¡ Þ¼‚è «õ‡´‹. Ýù£™, ÞŠ«ð£¶ 죂R‚°‚ ªè£´‚è‚ÃìŠ ðíI™¬ô«ò!” â¡Á õ¼‰Fù£˜. ï™ô«õ¬÷ò£è, êóõíðõ¡ áNò˜ å¼õ˜ «è†è£ñ«ô àîMù£˜. ܊𣠬èJ™ ðí‹ ªè£´ˆ¶ ñ£½‚°Š «ð£Œ õ¼ñ£Á ªê£¡ù£˜. ÜŠð£ ÜŠð®«ò 죂R «ðC‚ A÷‹ð, Þõ˜è¬÷ àœ«÷ ܬöˆ¶ õ‰¶ àí¾ ªè£´ˆî£˜èœ. ðî†ìˆF™ ꣊Hìˆ «î£¡øM™¬ô â¡ø£½‹ ªè£Pˆ¶ ¬õˆî£˜èœ. å¼ ñE «ïóŠ ªð£¿¶ å¼ »èñ£Œ «ð£ù¶. ñùFŸ°œ °öŠðº‹ G‹ñF Þ¡¬ñ»‹ GôMù. Ikshitha had a brain wave and asked him, “Could you have missed it at the mall?” Dad felt he could have. “But ê‹Uî£ ´   145

to go back, to pay driver, we need money.” The restaurant staff was kind enough to lend money, as he understood their situation, even without asking. While her father went back to find wallet, the restaurant staff called them inside and gave them food. Feeling pressurized, they nibbled the food and an hour passed, but felt like a long day with confusion and discomfort. «ð£°‹ õ‡® êˆî‹ â™ô£‹ F¼‹H ð£˜‚è ¬õˆî¶. å¼ õNò£Œ Üõœ ÜŠð£ õ‰î «ð£¶, Üõœ ݘõºì¡ ܼA™ ªê¡Á â¡ù ÝJŸÁ âù «è†è, Üõ˜ å¡Á‹ ðF™ ªê£™ôM™¬ô. Üõó¶ ºè‚°PŠH™ Þ¼‰¶ Üõ÷£™ å¡Á‹ ÜPò ÞòôM™¬ô. Þîòˆ¶®Š«ð£ âAø Ýó‹Hˆî¶. ÜŠð£ CKˆ¶‚ªè£‡«ì ¬ðJ™ Þ¼‰¶ ð˜¬ú ⴈ  ÞõÀ‚° Í„«ê õ‰î¶. Üî¡ H¡ 죂R‚°‹, êKò£ù «ïóˆF™ ðí‹ ªè£´ˆ¶ àîMòõ¼‚°‹ ðíˆ¬î‚ ªè£´ˆ¶ ï¡P ªê£¡ù£˜èœ. ð˜v ܃«è«ò Þ¼‰î¶ â¡Á‹,ªê‚ÎK†® â´ˆ¶ ¬õˆ¶‚ ªè£´ˆî£˜ â¡Á‹ ܊𣠪꣙ô, Ýù‰îˆF™ ÞõÀ‚°‚ è‡a˜ õ‰î¶. àí¾ ê£ŠH†´M†´ˆ îƒAJ¼‰î M´F‚° õ‰î£˜èœ. Every single car honk made her expect father’s return. She saw her dad finally. His expression was unreadable. She rushed to him. When she inquired him, dad did not respond. Her heart stopped beating for a second. Then all along smil- ing, he pulled out something Ikshitha longed to see. The lost wallet! Relief washed through her and her heartbeat became normal. They settled money to cab and the staff who had lent money at the right time. Dad told her that Ikea’s secu- rity people had found the wallet and kept it safely and they returned it to him. Ikshitha had tears of joy. They took food and then went back to their hotel. 146 ´ «ðù£ H®ˆî ï†êˆFóƒèœ

ÜŠð£, â¡ù å¼ ðòƒèóñ£ù Þó¾ ܶ â¡Á ªð¼Í„² M†ì£œ Þ‚Sî£. ÞŠ«ð£¶ Üõ˜èœ Þ‰Fò£ F¼‹HŠ «ð£Œ‚ªè£‡´ Þ¼‚Aø£˜èœ. Þ‰î ÜÂðõˆ¬î Üõœ ñø‚è«õ ñ£†ì£œ. Ýù£½‹ ªîKò£îõ˜èO캋 輬í«ò£´ Þ¼‚è‚ èŸÁ M†ì£œ. Ikshitha sighed, what an eventful night it was. Now they are flying back to India, this experience was something she would never forget. She would always remember to be kind, even to those unknown. ´´ ê‹Uî£ ´   147

27 åO‰¶ M¬÷ò£´! HIDE AND SEEK ??Chanasya Jayashree Saravan, Dubai Ü Fó£Q å¼ õ£ˆ¶ °…². eó£ å¼ e¡°†®. Üõ˜èœ Þ¼õ¼‹ Üõ˜èO¡ °´‹ðˆî£¼‹ ñŸÁ‹ Cô ï‡ð˜èÀ‹ å¼ °÷ˆF™ õCˆ¶ õ‰îù˜. Athirani is a duckling. Meera is a little fish.Their families and few other friends lived in a pond. eó£ e¡ êKò£ù °Á‹¹‚è£K. °÷‹ °¿¶‹ ²ŸP‚ªè£‡«ì Þ¼Šð£œ. îQò£è¾‹ FKõ£œ. eó£M¡ Ü‹ñ£ å¼ï£œ ÜõOì‹, “Þƒè 𣘠eó£! ޡ‹ ªðKòõ÷£è õ÷¼‹ õ¬ó, c îQò£è ⃰‹ «ð£è‚ Ã죶” â¡Á â„êKˆî£˜. ܬó ñùî£èˆ î¬ôò£†®ù£œ eó£! Meera was naughty, roamed all over the pond with her friends; or all on her own sometimes. Her mom warned her to never go alone until she is old enough to do so. Meera agreed half heartedly!. Fùº‹ ñ£¬ôJ™ â™ô£‚ °†®èÀ‹ åO‰¶ M¬÷ò£®ù. Ü‰î‚ °÷ˆF¡ Ü®J™ å¼ CŠH 148 ´ «ðù£ H®ˆî ï†êˆFóƒèœ

õCˆ¶ õ‰î¶. ⊪ð£¿î£õ¶ ñ†´«ñ î¡ õ£Œ Fø‰î Ü‰î„ CŠH ♫ô£KìI¼‰¶‹ 嶃A«ò Þ¼‰î¶. eó£ Ü®‚è® CŠHJì‹ ªê¡Á “â¡Âì¡ «ð²õ£ò£?” âù MùMù£œ. “âƒèÀì¡ M¬÷ò£ì õ¼Aø£ò£, æ! c âšõ÷¾ Þ¡ðñ£è Þ¼‚èô£‹ ªîK»ñ£?” â¡ð£œ. ÝJ‹ Ü‰î„ CŠH 弫𣶋 ðFôOˆîF™¬ô. eó£¬õˆ îMó «õÁ ò£¼‹ Ü‰î„ CŠHJì‹ «ðCò«î Þ™¬ô. M¬÷ò£ì ܬöˆî¶I™¬ô. Every day, in the evening all the little ones played hide and seek. There was a clam that lived in the bottom of the pond. It stayed away from everyone and rarely opened its mouth. Meera often went to the clam and would say “Hello, would you like to talk to me?” She never got reply. She would sometimes say “Do you care to come and play with us? You are missing so much fun”. But the clam said never êùvò£ ªüòÿ êóõí¡ ´   149

a word. Nobody else bothered to talk to the clam or invite it to play. å¼ ï£œ ÜFó£Q ÜõO¡ e¡ «î£NèÀì¡ åO‰¶ M¬÷ò£®‚ ªè£‡®¼‰î£œ. ªõ° «ïó‹ M¬÷ò£®ò H¡ù˜ «î£Nèœ eó£ e¡°†®¬ò‚ è£í£¶ «î®ù˜. ⃰ «î®»‹ 致 H®‚è º®òM™¬ô.Üõœ è£í£ñ™ «ð£ŒM†ì£œ âù ÜõO¡ Ü‹ñ£ èõ¬ô»Ÿø£˜. ♫ô£¼‹ ðóðóŠð£Œ «î®»‹ Üõœ A¬ì‚è£î eó£¬õ Þö‰¶ M´«õ£«ñ£ âù Ü…C ܿ eó£M¡ Ü‹ñ£. One day, Athirani was playing with her fish friends. After a while, her friends noticed that her fish friend Meera was missing and nowhere to be seen. They searched everywhere and couldn’t find her. Meera’s mom was worried and panicked. 150 ´ «ðù£ H®ˆî ï†êˆFóƒèœ

Everyone searched frantically but none could find her. Meera’s mom and dad couldn’t control their tears as they feared of losing their little one. ÜFó£Q eó£¬õˆ «î®‚ªè£‡´ ªê¡ø£œ. Üõ¬÷ âŠð®»‹ 致H®Šðî£è àÁF ̇죜. Ãö£ƒèŸèÀ‚° Ü®J™, c˜ªê®èÀ‚°Š H¡¹ø‹ â¡Á ÜõÀ‚° «î£¡Pò â™ô£ ÞìƒèO½‹ «î®ù£œ. å¼ ªñ™Lò Ü¿°ó™ CŠHJL¼‰¶ õ¼õ¬î‚ «è†ì£œ. CŠHJ™ eó£ ñ£†®‚ ªè£‡®¼Šð¬î ÜFó£Q à혉. Üõœ M¬ó‰¶ CŠH¬òˆ Fø‚è, eó£õ£™ ªõOJ™ õ󺮉î¶! «î£N‚° ï¡P ÃPù£œ eó£. Þ¼õ¼‹ «ñ«ô c‰F õ‰îù˜. eó£ àì«ù 殄ªê¡Á î¡ ªðŸ«ø£¬ó‚ 膮 ܬíˆî£œ. G‹ñFŠ ªð¼Í„²M†ì eó£M¡ ªðŸ«ø£˜ ÜFó£Q‚° ï¡P ÃPù˜. Athirani was determined to find her friend. So she started searching for Meera in the pond. She looked behind every pebble, behind the small bushes on the sides and all the places she could think of.Then she saw the clam resting in the bottom of the pond. She heard a faint muffled cry.She found Meera stuck in a clam, rushed and opened the clam and Meera was free! Meera thanked her friend.They swam up and Meera went straight and hugged her parents. Her parents were relieved and thanked Athirani. ÜŠ¹ø‹ Üõ˜èœ CŠHèOì‹ ªê™ô«õJ™¬ô! After that they never went near the clam! ´´ êùvò£ ªüòÿ êóõí¡ ´   151

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