Three  Friends 

     It was evening. The closing bell of Abhinav Vidyalaya rang and the school was dismissed. A swarm of buzzing students emerged out of  the classrooms. Some students started walking towards their rickshaws, school buses and school vans to go home. Parents of some students had come to pick them up while some students started walking towards their home.

Raju, Viju and Sanju three friends studying in class eight came out of the class as usual while chatting with each other and started going towards the cycle stand. As soon as they reached there, all three rode on their bicycles and left the school premises. Due to a huge crowd outside the school, all three slowly came to the main road from there. Since it was evening time, there was a queue of vehicles on the main road. All cycled carefully and reached the signal on the main road. 

       All three stopped because of the red signal. Standing behind the zebra crossing line all three started waiting for the green signal. At that time a person riding a bike came very fast. He ignored the red signal and sped ahead. All three friends kept looking at him with wide eyes.

Raju exclaimed, “Oh my god! That man was riding his bike so fast! ”

Sanju said immediately, “ That is absolutely correct. He ignored the red signal and went away. ”

To this Viju said, “ That man violated the traffic rules and went away. There were always traffic police near the signal. If they were there they would have definitely caught that man.” While three friends were talking the signal turned green and all three left from there.  All three of them rode bicycles for some distance. They saw a huge crowd at one place.

All three got down from the bicycle and entered the crowd. To their astonishment they saw the same man on the bike had fallen on the road. One of his legs was badly hit by the bike. There were scratch marks on his hand and the blood was oozing from the wound. He was saved because of the helmet on his head. He was screaming loudly due to the pain. 

      Raju, Sanju and Viju moved forward quickly. Viju tried to lift the man by holding his hand. Raju and Sanju tried to lift the bike. Since the bike was very heavy both were unable to lift it. Some people in the crowd came forward to help them.  Everyone together lifted the bike. That man got some relief at his foot which was stuck in the grip of the bike was released. Everyone together made the man sit at one place. Sanju gave him water to drink. The man got severe injuries on one of his hands and one of his feet. In his enthusiasm to ride the bike at high speed, he lost control and fell badly on the road. Raju took the mobile from someone in the crowd and called number 108. An ambulance arrived there shortly after. Meanwhile the traffic police also arrived there. With their help the man was put in the ambulance and arrangements were made to take him to the nearby Lifeline hospital. The traffic police praised three friends for their cooperation and let them go home. The three friends left for their home satisfied.

     After sometime all three reached the corner of Suyog Colony. They were surprised to see their parents standing there. Their parents were worried as they did not return home for a long time after school. Therefore the parents went out to look for them. Seeing all three safe, their parents heaved a sigh of relief. All three told them the reason for their delay. Hearing that all three helped the injured man, their parents appreciated them. All three returned home merrily with their parents. The next day when Shrivastavaji, the principal of their school came to know about the help provided by the three, he called them in his office and praised them. In the presence of the students and staff members the principal appreciated Raju,Viju and Sanju. All the students gave a big hand to three of them. The three told the importance of following traffic rules and controlling the speed of vehicles while travelling. All students listened carefully to the information given by the three. The three friends set an example of being a responsible citizen through their behaviour. In the end all the students together shouted the slogan,

“ To follow traffic rules is our important duty

Always control the speed of your vehicle while travelling through the City.”

RUJUTA DESHMUKH