A Promise

I remember that day very well due to it's unusual importance and circumstances, also as my memory has been serving me well.

It was a summer vacation, I was about ten years old and was staying at my native village in Gujarat. Like every summer vacation of an Indian child mine too was always problematic (Only for my family), adventurous and blissful.

It was an early afternoon after lunch that my brother had this devilish great idea - To take a walk in the jungle and explore it.

It was impossible to tell the truth and get away from home! Naturally we told we're nearby playing hide and seek. At first only my brother and I were brave enough for an adventure like that for the jungle was huge, full of unknown creatures and it was our first time entering it.

As we proceeded to walk in our two flaps slippers, carelessly our distant cousins joined in too, This actually relieved us for we knew if anything happened we all would be lined up together for an unofficial investigation.

The first thing we saw as we entered the hill was a mango tree, mangoes were still unripe but who cared we stole and ate them anyway!

There were various species of flowers and weeds which I had never seen, my brother pointed out at green strong aromatic weed shrub and acknowledged it's potency for curing fever.

My cousins had vague idea about me being too dull for such an adventure however they ran away as soon as it was their time to reach home.

My brother had promised me to show something special, which I knew he told because of brotherly affection rather than actual existence of that specialty. We almost reached a hill, by far I could hardly believe it to be real!

It was greener, more beautiful than I could ever imagine, A plateau was filled with greenery and variety of flowers.

Just as I was absorbing the beauty of place my brother pulled me back and told not to stir, confused I still had the habit of obeying him even if unnecessary!

Such as I was about to grump, a flock of peacock came gracefully to stroll around the hill. I could hardly believe my eyes!

All of them one by one came forward as if they knew I was already in awe waiting for them to dance without rains! And they did it so without complaining of the weather.

I didn't care to even glance at my brother all this time. It was almost seven in the evening by judging the sky. We made haste and reached home, hungry, excited, bewildered and exhausted.

We were not at all guilty or sad when we were yelled and shouted by elders, as I was standing beside my brother I saw his feet bleeding.

I asked him later how did he get that bleeding and I was moved as he said, "I didn't pull you because I had foreseen peacocks, I pulled you because I had pierced my feet on broken glass and was in pain, I didn't want you to get hurt, but I kept my promise".

He did not only show me something special but also made me feel one.

P.S- As a matter of fact, an another day of summer vacation I was stuck in thorns in one of his adventure!