The accidental escapade

Little boy Vachasya, like any other kid, had an innocent boyish charm to him. It was just a facade, they believed, because behind those big, black shiny eyes was a conflicting nature of the things around him that wasn't reconciling. There was a sense of chaotic wonder. The conversations were pedantic. The cloud of looming specter that hovered over him had questions. Questions people didn't have answers to. The quest for these questions only led him to locked doors. He opens one door and four more follow. It goes on indefinitely. "What if my patience to seek runs out."

"RUN OUT! MAN!"
"I couldn't believe it either man! Sachin got run out!" cried Adesh, who hadn't come to terms with the overwhelming defeat of the Indian cricket team.

The posse nodded in joylessness.

"Excuse me, guys" Vachasya politely edged out and bid adieu to his circle.

"Defeat is overbearing", the posse resumed the chit chat.
The routine of post-school play time was disturbed by last night's drubbing.

School life was mundane. It was the long walk from school to home that had little Vachasya in a land of his own. The view-expanding horizon made the village look so puny. It was palliating for the boy who had inoculated with the norms and conditions that worked pretty well for everyone else in the village. Or at least that is what the folks liked to put their faith in.

Continuing his journey towards home, it took a while for his wandering mind to see what lay ahead of him. His wavering thoughts crashed and he found himself in an exotic place. Before him was a majestic mountain. His eyes twitched in astonishment. There was an absolute stillness about the place, it was felicitously rived by two squealing birds that flew over the green cover. Stepping onto the uphill terrain with his strength, in awe of the magnanimity, Vachasya moved with such agility that it took him a few minutes to reach halfway. Pausing against a rock to catch his breath, he steadied himself on the edge of the craggy surface and faced upwards to sort the way out with a fettered gaze. He felt sprinkles of water on his face. Adrenaline rush. He continued the trek to the top. Crawling his way to the pinnacle, he rolled on the ground and laid flat with his outstretched arms. Palpitations. He didn't move an inch and kept staring into the sky. Sunlight seared through the clouds and graced the mountain with its presence.

Vachasya basked in the eternal present. The yearning was too overwhelming. The boy couldn't stop himself from breaking into tears. The view from the top was breathtaking. His soul was filled with ecstasy. He strode further to look for the stream, the cry of squealing birds his escort. It was simple. He quenched his thirst and splashed his face with the cool water. It was rejuvenating. He sunk his legs into the flowing stream and sat on the side gazing the pastures. The sun was warm and gentle. Hours went by and the sunlight was dimming. It was then that it hit him that his parents must be anxious. He rose and took in the beauty around him one last time, closed his eye in reverence. He sighed and took off.

He was going downhill. He followed a different path which was not as steep as the uphill terrain he had climbed. He took his time to reach down safely. He reached the village road and saw the village men approaching him. Deep down he was cognizant that the news of his absence would have spread.
"Here he is!"
"Where were you little fellow?"
The questions didn't seem to end until his mother came. She was crying and hugged him.
Vachasya started to narrate the story of how he somehow ventured into the jungle.
The village men froze at the mention of the word "jungle". Everybody had a different account as to what they saw and experienced. The villagers were set in their minds. There was nothing vachasya could have said to assuage their unfound fears. The wilderness was untouched by the convictions and norms of the village. It remained free, pure and unscathed. Village folks never experienced what the boy did. They sighed a collective sigh of relief. The boy had returned unharmed.

Vachasya closed his eyes and smiled.