For days, the people of Gajera village had discussed nothing but a man called Bapu. Lalita wondered about Bapu and why his coming was causing so much excitement. But people were too busy to tell her; instead she was told, “Lalita, go play!”
Lalita was wondering where she would play when she had a brainwave. She would go to the mango orchard! Neither the owner nor the fierce chowkidar would be there today and Lalita hoped to find some green mangoes.
She found several and sat astride a branch, munching one. It was teeth-clenchingly sour but Lalita shivered in delight and chomped on. At that moment there was sudden activity below her. With a large rustling, many people erupted into the orchard. To Lalita they looked like a sea of white.
Voices were raised, instructions called and people moved busily. Finally, a string cot was arranged under Lalita’s tree, a man led to it and then, the orchard magically emptied. Peering through the leaves, Lalita caught a glimpse of a skinny man in white, resting on the cot.
Bored, Lalita reached for another mango. It slipped from her hands and went hurtling to the ground. Lalita froze as the mango bounced on the cot and the man sat up. Lalita heard him exclaim and then, he picked the mango and bit into it.
“Aaah!” he groaned at the sourness.
Oops! What have I said?
“It’s better with salt,” Lalita called out. She had been regretting not carrying some salt to eat the mangoes with. The man below her looked around and suddenly Lalita realised what she had done. But it was too late now; he was looking through the branches and when he saw her, he called, “Who are you?”
“Lalita,” she replied.
“Lalita,” the man said, “why don’t you come down?”
Lalita slithered down the tree till she was standing in front of the man, heart thudding painfully. Would he scold her? But his lined face was kind, his smile sweet and he said, “You are right. Everything tastes better with salt!”
“Shall I run home,” Lalita suggested, “and get you some salt?”
“Oh, no,” the man laughed. “I am on my way to find salt!”
What a strange thing to say, Lalita thought. But he began to talk of other things and she forgot to ask what he meant. It was only after he left Gajera that Lalita realised that she had spent the afternoon with Bapu. Suddenly, she was full of questions about him. And that was how she learnt of the battle for independence and his reasons for marching to Dandi. She thought of him often over the next few days, hoping anxiously that he succeeded in his search for salt.
More than two weeks passed before news reached Gajera — Bapu had made salt at Dandi. The village erupted in joy and celebrations. And this time Lalita joined in, celebrating Bapu and the importance of salt. Everything, she thought, was definitely better with salt.
