The only difference between this house and the house in Amen Island was that this house had a garden. A real garden, a naturally raised garden… not an artificial one. Ilm was left open-mouthed when he saw all the different types of flowers.
He went near to a flower plant. It was bright red. Beautifully casted petals abled luring all to itself. He touched the flower, brushing its smooth petals. Each petal embraced the other one. He smelled it… never smelled as sweet as it.
He had many bouquets before, but a whole garden—that was something out of his imagination. He didn't regret coming here anymore. The first impression of Boduin was quite unexpected.
He smelled other flowers. They were small but able to create a revolution of emotions in his heart. He watched everything altogether.
"Dada!" Rov called. "Come upside, there is something!"
Ilm went to the upper floor, to the room which was decided to be the boys' room. From the window, he saw the nearby river.
River! Ilm never saw a river. It was like a long and large blue snake.
"Maaaa!" Ilm loudly called Pema who was already there. He looked at her and tried to say something. But he was speechless.
Pema smiled. I know, I know.
So this is what life looks like. Jovial, charming. Earth was once like this. It is what Baba comes to protect. He will protect this planet and its treasures. Ilm heart was quaked.
"You are fortunate that you will learn to use plant power and water power with the help of naturally born plants and a real river," Pema whispered in his ears. "I wonder when last time a Bharata got this chance."
Ilm felt grateful more.
"Pema!" Shakhai called from the down floor.
Pema went down. There were Shakhai, Svitiou and other sentinaries standing.
"Ah, Pema, make tea for our guides. They've worked so hard."
Other employees and their family members had already gone to their pre-decided house. Only some official works remained with Shakhai. So, Svitiou had not gone yet.
"Of course," Pema said without noticing that an outsider man was staring at her. She went to the kitchen.
"Sir, by the way, what does madam do?" Svitiou asked Shakhai.
"She is a homemaker. Bhagavat sir wanted her to join the company. But after our elder son, she gave up that idea. And because of not having a formal education, she can't afford other works."
"Are all Bharatas uneducated?"
Shakhai laughed. "I don't think they are uneducated. They just simply don't have any formal education. In fact, Bhagavat sir is a history enthusiast. Some Bharatas were scientists and other great business persons. Without education, I don't think it is possible."
"What about your sons? Do they go to school?"
"No." Shakhai smiled. "I had a terrible experience at school. So I've decided not to send them and make them full-fledged Bharatas."
Svitiou sighed. Fortunate man, he is. He thought about Shakhai and figured out something. "I've never heard of House Amir."
Shakhai chuckled. "I was an orphan. It is a surname given by Bhagavat sir. He said that someone from history had that surname."
Svitiou tried to picture Bhagavat. A history-geek person surely had a hunchback. But Bhagavat didn't look like that, all knew.
Pema came with tea. She served them, and Shakhai also helped her. Together, they worked. And Svitiou hated this.
"Oh, why are you doing this?" He said. "We can take cup ourselves. Don't we?"
"No, never. You shouldn't. You have worked so hard today. So no more work today," Pema said frankly. She handed the cup of tea to Svitiou.
Svitiou wanted to touch her. Wanted to feel her skin. Wanted to see if it was smooth or rough. But couldn't. He felt greedy.
"We should go now. Especially I have other works," Svitiou said feeling disheartened.
"Why? I thought you were specially appointed for us," Shakhai said.
"Unfortunately, rebels are everywhere, in every region, Mosifal, Bharata. It doesn't matter which region is. Just today, I've got ten cases of rebels' attacks in the Central state of Bharata."
"Rebels?" They shocked.
Svitiou looked at their surprise and realised the thing. "So the President didn't tell you… ha… guess, he didn't want you to reject this project."
Svitiou bowed to them. "Don't worry, Universal Militias are already here."
He and his men went outside the door and slowly became out of sight. Shakhai and Pema looked at each other. They were still wondering what Svitiou had just said. Rebels? But why? And why isn't it on the news? Or, maybe, the rebellion has just erupted and is yet to be spotlighted.
Ilm and Rov were enjoying the sight. Then Kuro came. The black robot joined their fun.
"Isn't it interesting? Rivers… like a snake," Ilm said. "Zigzag… zo."
"Rivers are like human life," Kuro said. "It comes out from a mountain breaking the edges as a newborn comes out from its mother's womb. Rivers are agile, restless like how children are fickle. In middle age, humans become relatively quiet and when rivers come to the plateau area, they become slow. In older age, humans enter their slowest period, they are big and experienced. Rivers become larger and slower when they enter plain areas. In the end, humans die and rivers meet the sea."
"Wow," Rov wondered.
Ilm's eyes were shining. Kuro compared human life with rivers. That was astonishing. He stared at the river. With its help, he would learn to control water.
"A poem must be done on what Kuro has said," Ilm said.
"Then why don't you create one," Rov suggested.
"I… I?" Ilm was surprised. Then he thought about it for a moment and then composed it.
"We are born emerging to the light,
Like a river comes down from the mountain height.
We yell; we cry;
Life and water flow with pride.
In youth, we rush and are strong;
River craves its way and jumps from long.
We run; we play;
Life and water flow with sway.
Many undreamt dreams, many imaginations,
We and the river walk with emotions.
We sigh; we hope;
Life and water flow with proof.
We carry stories being decayed,
River carries legends being straight.
We smile; we move;
Life and water flow with groove.
Time is the mightiest, we need to go,
To the sea, the river ceases to flow.
We fall; may we rise again;
Life and water stop with fain."
Ilm stopped and heard the sound of clapping. It was Rov. Kuro tried to clap but made the least similar. Ilm heard the sound from his behind. He looked back and saw his parents clapping loudly.