Brave Hearts

Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Eye Care Foundation

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Sweet Are The Uses of Adversity unruffled. The dacoits found to their surprise that he was carrying no weapons so there was no chance of an encounter between them. The dacoits came closer to him and started snatching everything that Pavitran had with him. What could Pavitran or any other person in his place do in such a situation? While this was going on, Phoolan Devi, the leader of the dacoit gang, arrived on the scene. She was the most dreaded person in the entire Chambal valley. The queen of the dacoits was amazed to find that Pavitran was all alone and was trying to cross the region unarmed, without any fear. In an authoritative tone, she asked Pavitran about the purpose of his visit to that dangerous area. Pavitran explained to her everything and also pointed to the artificial foot he was wearing. On hearing patiently all that Pavitran had told her, she ordered her men to return all the things they had looted from him and said a few words of appreciation for the courage and confidence Pavitran had shown in undertaking the odyssey. In addition, she also offered Rs. 200 to him as a reward, and that she thrust into his pockets because he refused to accept it.
He came across similar incidents elsewhere throughout his journey. On an average, he was covering a distance of 300 km. every day and while passing through 21 states of the Indian Union, he completed the entire distance of 24,000 km, in a total of 58 days. He was the only competitor who successfully completed the full distance. Others could not complete even 12,000 km.
Everyone who came to know about Pavitran's achievement was simply flabbergasted. When he announced his future plans to undertake a worldwide tour on bicycle, many manufacturers started competing with each other to offer him a bicycle for that project and that too without any
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