Swami and Friends

Three weeks after the events of Chapter 5, Swaminathan and Mani make their way to Rajam’s house because he has promised them a surprise. As they make their way to Rajam’s house, Mani declares his intention to “break Somu’s waist.”

Once they arrive, they playfully enter Rajam’s house, getting down on all fours and pretending to be kittens and puppies. The boys bark and meow, crawling blindly to Rajam’s room, where he replies to them with barks and meows. Shortly thereafter, Mani and Swaminathan open their eyes to find that Somu, Sankar, and the Pea are also at Rajam’s house. Mani and Swaminathan are shocked by the presence of their enemies, and Mani declares that he is leaving. Rajam states that he will no longer be friends with Mani if he leaves.

Mani stays still and fidgets as Rajam compliment him and Swaminathan for exhibiting the best impressions of a kitten and a puppy he had ever seen. This compliment calms the two boys, and the entire group peaceably share a meal that was prepared for them.

During this meal, Rajam lectures the others on the merits of friendship. He declares that “[a] friend in need is a friend indeed,” and he quotes from the Vedas, conveying that harboring enmity brings nothing but suffering and torture for the individual in the afterlife.