A Girl Who Can Find Her Way Without Being Able To See?! Pari’s curiosity is

The story so far : Curious Pari had a lot of questions about her grandparent’s house. She was excited to meet her grandparents and everyone else there.



Pari decided to walk down to the pond. She sat on the grass and looked at the green fields. “I had no idea there were so many shades of green,” she said. “The paddy fields are green but different from the lemon tree, which is different from the coconut tree, which is different from the mango leaves...

Suddenly, she spotted a green speck walking towards the pond. It was a girl, and she walked slowly, as if counting her paces. She raised her head towards the sky, and a soft cool breeze swept over her face. She smiled. Then, she leaned forward, and slowly reached for the pond. Her fingers searching for the edge of the water.

“She can’t see,” thought Pari. She had read about people who had no sight or who couldn’t hear or speak. But she had never met a differently-abled person before. For the first time Pari found herself speechless. The girl found the water’s edge and sat there dangling her feet in the pond, humming a tune. Pari watched in silence. Then, she quietly crept away, heading straight home.

“That’s Kalavathi’s daughter, Veena,” ammama told Pari, the next day. “The poor girl cannot see. She comes to the pond in the evenings and waits for Kalavathi to finish her work. Then they go home together.”

“How does she find her way here? Or anywhere?” asked Pari.

“She cannot see, Pari. But she can feel. And when you are familiar with the place you just know your way instinctively.”

Pari was now pretty familiar with the house. Could she walk around with her eyes shut?

Pari shut her eyes. The world was black. “I have to get to the kitchen and I know exactly where it is,” she thought. She took small careful steps. She stretched her hands out to feel for pillars and walls and other objects that could get in her way. She tripped on a shoe on the floor, but regained balance. “See, ammama. I’m feeling my way to the kitchen,” she called out. And at that moment she touched somebody’s hand.

Impromptu picnic

“What are you doing, Pari?” It was Kalavathi.

“Kalavathi ma, I saw Veena yesterday. Ammama says she cannot see. But she didn’t trip even once when she walked from the field to the pond. How does she do it? It’s amazing!” Pari gushed.

Kalavathi said, “She’s down by the Vinayakar shrine in your thatha’s coconut grove. Why don’t you go meet her? You two have a very lovely way of looking at things.”

Pari ran all the way clutching her little satchel in one hand and the seams of her skirt in the other.

It was a small shrine and Veena was sitting at the back, leaning against a wall. She was humming a song. Her hands were busy stringing jasmine buds together. Suddenly, she stopped and turned.

“How did you know I was here, Veena?” asked Pari astonished.

“I heard the shuffling of your feet and I got a whiff of the food you are carrying,” replied Veena.

“Wow! You are so smart like the detective Sherlock something… Have you heard of him?”

“No. But before you tell me about him, tell me who you are.”

“Oh sorry! I’m Pari. I’m Lakshmanan thatha’s granddaughter.”

“Pari! I’ve heard so much about you from my mother. She says you are the girl who needs to know everything!”

The two girls laughed. A friendship was born...

To be continued...