Page 22 - Elixir_2025_26

Arjun and Kaveri both agreed without hesitation. permission. Gopal thanked him and also requested him not to
Without wasting much time, they thought of a clever idea of
opening a food stall. After returning from school, they discussed
their idea with Madhav Kaka and it was decided that one of his
shops should be cleaned and to be converted into the food-stall.
The next day onwards, their work began. They cleaned the shop,
brought kitchen supplies and after Ganpati pooja, they started
advertising to the neighbourhood people about their stall.
Customers began to come and under the supervision of kaka and
kaku, their cooking work began. All the customers praised the
food. They even delivered orders and also the orders of their
mother's tiffin services daily customers.
Apart from the food stall, Gopal also had something else
on his mid mind. He had decided to take on his father's job of
delivering posts. With excuse of delivering the orders, he went
off to the post office, where his father worked. He went straight
to the post-master's cabin and told the story of his father's
accident and said that he wanted to do his father's work as he
was unwell. The postmaster denied his request, as child labour
is banned, but Gopal was firm on his decision and kept on
insisting. Finally, the postmaster gave up and granted him
tell anyone about his working there, and went off to deliver the
parcels of the orders.
From the next day, after delivering the parcels, Gopal
used to go to the post office and delivered all the post quickly
and happily, everyone whom he gave the posts used to ask him,
"Where is Ramu?" and he would answer patiently, telling the
story as short as possible.
The three siblings used to manage all their duties, school
and homework along with their food stall very nicely and
happily. On the other hand, their food stall was getting more
famous. Customer and orders started increasing. All started
praising their efforts and the food.
It was pretty much a load of Gopal, but he continued all
his duties sincerely and happily. They used to visit their father in
hospital once week and would always go and pray in the Vithal
mandir after the visit. Day-by-day, their father's health started
improving and finally their long awaited wish came true! After
five months, their father was getting a discharge!
The siblings could not wait to see their father walk again,
fully recovered and a gentle happy smile on their mother's
pretty face.
They greeted their parents with flowers and hugs. The
children touched their parent's feet and told them everything
that had happened- how Madhav Kaka and Kaku helped them,
their food stall and prayers at the Vitthal mandir. Gopal didn’t
burst his secret but gave a mysterious smile after telling them
about the work.
Next day, as their father went to post-office to tell about
his return, the postmaster broke the news and told Ramu about
Gopal's work and giving him some money he said "your son is as
bright and precious as a diamond. Tell him that I am very proud
of him and give him this extra money for his determination to do