Ambu Nathu Bhor

Ambu connected home to school. Half way thru the day, he brought love from home in a metallic tiffin box

Ambu Nathu ever there at 1 pm. Dressed in his loose cotton shirt, sleeves folded 3/4, khakhi short pants, a handkerchief wrapped round his collar with a white gandhi cap

One day this unforgettable incidence happened. Ambu Nathu brought the tiffin. It felt extremely light. Mom must have forgotten to put the inner boxes & accidentally sent only the outer cover ... or had Ambu Nathu got hungry & eaten my food - a child's imagination. I looked at Ambu with anger & suspicion

I opened the box.OMG ! The desert box was empty. The second 'dal' box - empty too. Depressing. The third 'rice' box only had cucumber-tomato salad. Thats not Mom.

But I was hungry & angry. Ambu Nathu was declared guilty, somehow. I eat the salad. Ambu had to be stabbed with compass.

I finished the salad & found a note in an old envelope. Mom wrote...

Dear Adil,

Grandmom ill. Am taking her to doctor.Haven't cooked. Don't worry. Please eat in the canteen. But salad first.

Mom (and there I found a Rs. 5 note)

I ran to the Canteen.Bought a Ravalgaon. Sheepishly walked to Ambu & hugged him. Told him 'Thank You' & gave the Ravalgaon sweet. I love Ambu Nathu since then. He is 76 now !