Anushka Paints Multicolor Appu - Chapter 8

Anushka Paints

Multicolor Appu the Elephant.  

Chapter 8:

All Friends Change Their Features

And come to their original Form.

Friends Waiting for Appu

It was Sunday morning! Grogor, Tuntin and Neelu with their parents had gathered in the clearing amidst the Jungle. It was their usual meeting place. Pancharangi’s Mommy had brought Pancharangi directly from the Jungle Hospital. Now all were waiting for Appu.

“Wow! YES!! At last it is Sunday morning!”

“It is 8-30 now. He has promised to come at 9. But the Clock is also running slow today.”

“In a short while from now, we will see Appu coming. Then we will go to Anushka’s Palace and wait till 11 o’clock.”

“Sevening, the fairy will come there to reverse the magic.”

Everybody was so eager to go to the Palace that they couldn’t wait.  

“But where is Appu?”

“Why he is not coming?”

“Why he is so late?”

Then they saw Appu coming ‘Doolat Doooolat, Doolat Doooolat, Doolat Doooolat.’

“Oh! He is so slow!!”

“Why he is coming ‘Doolat Doooolat’?”       

“Why, he should run! Run fast!!”

“Doesn’t he know, we are waiting? We are very eager to go to Anushka’s Palace?” 

“Oh Appu, Run! Run!!” 

“Run! Run fast!!!” Everybody shouted. 

1: Friends Waiting for Appu

When Appu came, he was panting.

“Oh! Appu, why are you so late?” Grogor grumbled.

“And why were you coming Dooolat Doooooolat.”

“I am not late. And I came running. I knew you were waiting for me. It is just 5 min to 9. You were very eager and impatient, that’s why you felt like I was coming slowly.”

“Okay, okay! Don’t waste time in giving explanations.”

“Let’s go.”

Then Appu lifted them all, one by one, and put them on his back. He was almost running and panting but everyone thought he was walking very slowly, Doooolat, Doooooooolat.

2: Friends Going to Palace

When they reached the palace, Anushka, Saya, Sonya and Blumini were waiting for them. They all shouted with excitement of seeing each other but they were so weak the only sound that came out was “Hiiiii”.

“Hi!” Saya said. “How are you?”

“We are very miserable, as you can see.”

 “Yes, you look very week also. But your misery will end soon. I have phoned ‘Sevening’ and she is on the way.” Saya said.

Everybody looked at the Clock on the tower. It was 10-30 A.M. “At 11 O'clock the Magic will be over and we will come to our Original Form and have Unique Individual Features”, everybody was thinking. “And the week-long misery will be over.” 

Everybody was waiting impatiently. There was utter silence because they feared that even the utterance of a word would slow the time.

3: All Waiting for Reversal of Magic

Then came Sevening. It was 10-45.

“Welcome Sevening”, Anushka and Saya said.

“Now only 15 minutes.” All Whispered. “… now only 10 … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … and … 1 minute.”

Their sound started to climb. “Now 40 sec, 30, 20, …” 

“It’s a Countdown!!!” Saya shouted.

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and ... 1. …” All shouted.

“Bong, Bong, Bong …” the clock struck 11.

Then there was a pin drop silence. Everybody was looking at Sevening with expectation.

4: Countdown

Sevening was ready with her magic wand. Just as the clock struck 11 she waved the magic wand and whispered the magic words.

And Ohh! Everybody came to their original Form.

At first they couldn’t believe themselves. Their usual characters seemed so familiar and comfortable; so special and unique; so simple, practical and natural; at the same time so heavenly and unnaturally pleasing; it was like a miracle.

All friends, Anushka, Saya and Appu were so overwhelmed with the joy that all started crying. It was very usual to have usual original characters. But now they had realized the importance and value of usual and routine things. So they were very happy. They were very weak to dance but there eyes were dancing.

5: All Happy after Reversal of Magic

Queen Sonal and King Abhi were also happy. They loved Anushka and Saya as they were, not for the color of their eyes or length of hair. They were happy because all have realized the value or real important things. “Thank You Sevening for all you did. And thank you Appu.” They said.    

Appu was really great. He was a true friend. He helped all his friends when they really needed him the most.

But Saya was curious. “Sevening, you were aware of what will happen to all friends and how miserable they will be. Then why did you do the magic?  You could have refused straight away.”

“True realization of value of really important things comes from real experience only.” Said Sevening and then, Zuooikkkkkkk … she disappeared. 

… … …

“Okay!” Queen Sonal said. “Let’s go for party. I know you all are very hungry.”

“Yeeeeeeeeeesss! Party!!!” All shouted and went in the Palace Dining Hall. 
  

6: Party in the Palace

End of Chapter 8

End of the Story

Told by

Rajan Aaba & Anushka

Illustrated by

Rajan

Anushka Paints Multicolor Appu - Chapter 7

Anushka Paints

Multicolor Appu the Elephant.  

Chapter 7: Miserable Week

All Desperately Waiting for Reversal of Magic

That night was very lonely and miserable for all in the jungle and in the Palace.

Next day morning was not better. 

Early in the morning Appu come in the jungle. One by one he knocked the doors and called his friends. But only the parents of his friends came out. On seeing Appu alone they all started shouting.  

“Oh, Appu! Where are our children?”

“What has happened to them? Yesterday they went to Anushka’s Palace with you.”

“We thought, you were staying at the palace overnight and will be back today morning. Now you are here and where are our children?  

 “Oh! We were late yesterday,” Appu said. “But I left them here. Were they not at home?”  

“Oh, no! Where are they?”

Everybody started searching and they found all his friends lying in the grass outside the doors of their houses. They were so weak that they couldn’t even get up and call their parents.

“Oh! But they are not our children!! They look so weird!!!” cried all the parents.

“Yes, they are! This is Tuntin, this is Pancharangi, he is Neelu and he is Grogor.” Then Appu explained how everybody wanted to change their features, how they called Sevening, the fairy, how she did the Magic that changed their features for the whole week and all that had happened yesterday.

“But have you not changed your features?” all parents asked.

“No. I am satisfied with what I have. And I was warning them also against doing such dangerous thing. Even Anushka and Sevening were also warning them. But they didn’t listen.”

“Oh! We are very sorry Mom and Dad”, everybody was crying. “We will not do such foolishness again. But please pardon us and accept us now. We are very hungry, thirsty and miserable. And we have spent all the night outside, without you.” 

The parents accepted them and they all went into their homes. But they still couldn’t eat. They could only drink some water, sweet lime juice, vegetable soup and mutton soup. For the whole week they couldn’t move or do anything. They were hungry, weak, sad and miserable. And they were desperately waiting for the next Sunday.

Pancharangi couldn’t even do that so his parents had to admit him in the Jungle hospital. The Doctor had to keep him on IV saline for next 6 days.

In the palace, Anushka was miserable too. In the morning, to her surprise, she found herself in the heap of hair, in an unfamiliar room. She was feeling dizzy. Somehow she stud up and looked around. There was a big mirror and an unknown girl with blue eyes and very long golden hair was looking at her. To her shock, she was her, her image looking at her through the mirror.

But then she again started admiring herself, “Oh! How golden and long are my hair and how dazzling blue are my eyes and how beautiful I am.” But then with weakness she fell down in her hair.

At breakfast Sonal was crying, “where is my dear Anushka? Where has she gone?” King Abhi was also very worried. But he was the King. So he couldn’t cry.

Then Saya remembered, “Oh! Anushka had also changed her features. When I last saw her yesterday, she had long golden hair and blue eyes. She was looking very different.”

“Oh! But where is she?” Sonal asked.

“She must be in the palace. Let’s search all the rooms.” So they all started to search all the rooms.  

In the 100^th room Anushka was still looking in the mirror. But then, with weakness she was falling down in her hair. Then she was trying again to stand up and look into the mirror. This happened many times during the day. At last she fell down and couldn’t stand up.

In the evening she was lying in her tangled hair, very weak and unable to get up. For two days she had no food and water. Now she was missing her Mom and Dad and Saya. She felt miserable and lonely. She started crying. She remembered what had happened yesterday, the magic, change of features, her advice to all against changing the features and at last her own demand to change the color of her eyes and hair. She remembered all and regretted. She shouldn’t have changed her characters. But what could she do now? Except to wait for 1 whole week and hope for the reversal of magic.

When Saya, Abhi and Sonal reached the 100^th room, they found a girl with golden hair, lying in the heap of hair, crying and calling her Mommy.

“This is Anushka.” Saya said. “Now I remember. After magic, she was looking very different with blue eyes and long golden hair. I saw her leaving the garden and running towards the Palace.”

At first Sonal couldn’t recognize Anushka. But then she recognized Anushka’s voice and cry. 

 1: King Abhi & Queen Sonal Find Anushka in the Room 100

“Oh! Anushka, my baby, what has happened? What have you done to yourself?” Sonal asked. She was also crying.

“It was my mistake. I was advising others against changing their features and then I myself did the same mistake. Now the magic won’t get reversed till next Sunday. What can I do? My friends must also be miserable like me.” 

“And what is this dirty smell,” Sonal asked. 

“I think that is of long unwashed tangled hair.” Saya said.

“Okay! Don’t worry. We will take care of you. First of all, have some drink and food and have some rest. Tomorrow morning we will wash your hair. Don’t worry now.” Sonal said.

On the third day Sonal had to spend all morning untangling, combing and washing, ‘Ghassun, Pussoon’, Anushka’s hair. They were long, golden and initially beautiful but now they had become dirty and foul smelling. Both were tired after hair management program.

“Mommy, now I understand why you always tell me to cut them short and manageable” Anushka said.  

“At least till you manage them by yourself. Long hairs look good but need continuous and proper maintenance. Now that you have to spend much time, for next few years, for MORE IMPORTANT THINGS like Study, Games, your Singing lessons, Jujitsu and good health, you can’t afford to waste time for hair maintenance.” Sonal said.

“Yes Mom. It was very foolish of me to wish for long golden hair and blue eyes. ”

“As such you are beautiful and we all love you as you are. You don’t have to do anything more or foolish for that.”

On the 4^th day Appu came from Jungle and told Anushka about her friends and their miserable condition.

“Oh! I am very sorry. I shouldn’t have called Sevening.” Anushka said.

“No. It was not your fault. You were telling them against doing such thing. But they were not in a mood to listen.” Appu said.

“You and Saya are really wise not to do such dangerous thing.”

“Oh! But it was you who told me the other day when I came to you to change my color. You told me the importance of what we have and why we should be satisfied with it.” 

“Yes. But what a shame, I forgot it myself.”

Till lunch time Appu and Saya played with Anushka. In the afternoon Appu told her other funny stories from the Jungle and tried to lessen Anushka’s misery. Next day Appu and Saya went to the Jungle to play with friends. They were very weak to play. But Saya spent all the day with them. So they felt better.

During the whole week everybody experienced many problems. They couldn’t eat and couldn’t drink properly. They had to remain in their homes, near their parents, because they were unable to defend themselves. They were very conspicuous and could not hide because of their changed characters. They had no camouflage. They could not move fast and properly to run away from danger.

But now they all realized the importance of unique gifts everybody naturally had. They realized the importance of their unique characters. And they realized how it was more important to be with parents; to have water and food; to movie easily and fast; to have a sound sleep and, most of all, to be safe.  

Now they were very eager to come back to their normal appearance. Everybody was waiting for the end of that week when the magic would be over.

It was Friday evening when Saya went home after spending the whole day with them.

The countdown had started. Everybody said – now we will have dinner and go to sleep. Tomorrow will be Saturday.

Saturday morning … afternoon … evening … dinner … sleep … and …

Wow! YES!! It is Sunday morning! In a short while from now, we will see Appu coming. We will go to Anushka’s Palace and wait for Sevening to reverse the magic. 
 

2: Friends Waiting for Appu

End of Chapter 7

Told by

Rajan Aaba & Anushka

Illustrated by

Rajan