Just like yesterday, today again Rati's grandmother and uncle lock her inside the veranda and leave for the fields. But today Rati does not insist on going with them. Instead, she quietly waits for them to leave.
After a while, she quickly runs out through the back alley. So that the people of the neighborhood do not see her, she does not take the paved road to the field. Instead, she walks along the narrow ridges between the fields.
Soon she reaches the orchard.
There are many children there again today. Some of them are playing, and some are climbing up and down the trees.
Watching them climb the trees without any fear makes Rati very happy. She has never climbed a tree before, so she also wants to try.
She goes to a boy standing nearby and says,
"Hey, listen."
"What is it?"
"How do you climb the tree? Please teach me too."
Hearing this, all the children start giggling and laughing.
Seeing them laugh like that makes Rati feel very bad, and she walks away from them.
In the middle of the orchard there is a small temple. The villagers often come there to pray for a good harvest. Every day someone lights a lamp there and offers flowers as a sign of devotion.
Rati goes to the temple, picks up some of the flowers, and begins playing with them. At the same time, she keeps watching the children play. She thinks that when all the children go back to their homes, she will try to climb the tree.
That day the children return to their homes quite early.
As soon as they leave, Rati goes near the tree and starts trying to climb it.
But every time she tries, her foot slips and she falls down.
Then she remembers how easily those children were climbing the tree.
After gathering a lot of courage, she finally manages to climb the tree.
She feels very happy sitting on the tree. For a few moments, it feels as if she has discovered a whole new world.
But now she also has to climb down.
And now getting down feels like facing death.
Whenever she looks down, her heart starts beating very fast.
"Oh Mommy… how will I get down?"
"Grandma! Uncle! Please get me down!"
A machine had been set up in the fields to thresh the wheat, and its loud noise filled the whole area. Whenever Rati called for her grandmother or uncle, her voice could not reach them.
After calling out many times, she becomes very tired. Now she has no choice except to try to climb down herself.
"Mom says we should not be afraid."
"The one who is afraid is weak."
"I am not weak, right?"
"Yes, I am not weak."
"Oh God, please don't let me fall. Mother Goddess, I will never take flowers from your temple again. Please don't let me fall."
"Jai Hanuman."
"Jai Mata Rani."
"Jai Krishna."
Thinking all this, she tries again. But as soon as she crosses two or three branches, the lower branch suddenly breaks.
She does not fall because she is holding the branch above with her hands. But this makes her courage weaker, and she again starts shouting loudly,
"Grandma! Grandma!"
"Uncle! Please get me down!"
Whenever she looks down, she sees the broken branch on the ground, and her heart starts pounding again.
Still, she cannot stop herself from trying again.
For a long time she remains hanging on that branch.
Evening comes, and it is about to get dark. Rati is still there.
Then she realizes that the sound of the machine has stopped.
She thinks of calling her grandmother and uncle again, but when she looks toward the field, she sees that no one is there.
Everyone has already gone home.
But because of shock, Rati does not fully realize this.
There are two paths from the field to Rati's house.
One is the paved road, and the other passes through the orchard.
Heavy rain had fallen the previous night, so everyone was using the paved road instead of the orchard path. Because of this, no one was passing through the orchard.
Now there is no one in sight.
A cool breeze starts blowing.
Birds are flying back to their nests in the evening sky, which makes the situation even more frightening for Rati.
But the lamp in the temple is still burning.
Now the only way for Rati is to climb down.
Once her mother had told her, "When you are afraid, you should recite the Hanuman Chalisa."
"Jai Hanuman gyan gun sagar… Jai Hanuman gyan gun sagar…"
Rati begins repeating this line like a mantra and slowly starts sliding down the tree.
Finally, after many attempts, she successfully climbs down.
Just then someone calls her from far away,
"Rati! Hey Rati! What are you doing there?"
"Come here!"
It is her uncle's voice. He is returning from the field carrying fodder home, and he notices Rati.
As soon as Rati sees him, she runs toward him.
Her uncle holds her hand and starts taking her home.
But today, deep inside, Rati feels very happy—as if she has conquered the whole world all by herself.