It was Bengal’s favorite day, Saptami.

Rishabh began by reading the headlines for the day first.

“Durga Puja begins. Great Rejoicing.” What is this?

“Valuable ruby is stolen. Police hot on the trail.”

Whereabouts suspected to be Safdarjung Enclave.

“But that is where we live. Maybe I could solve the mystery. But then again the idea is far-fetched. There could be a million people thinking along my lines. Forget it, let me enjoy the Puja’.

The family got into the car and went gallivanting around Delhi, looking for Pujas, Rishabh noticed how bright the idols were. There was Durga of course, Lakshmi the goddess of wealth, Saraswati the goddess of knowledge, Kartika the general of the gods, and Ganesha the god of success. On the way back, the family stopped at the Durga Puja in Safdarjung. It was the same bright ceremony-food, dances, drums, etc. As usual, there were priests near the idols receiving donations. But strangely, one particular priest was more interested in Saraswati’s idol than in his job of receiving donations. Saraswati’s idol looked brighter than the others from a distance.

Rishabh did not bother with these thoughts and enjoyed the Pula thoroughly. Meanwhile, he also noticed that the weird priest was constantly talking to two strange fellows. They looked like hoodlums. Anyway, Rishabh enjoyed himself quite a lot throughout Saptami, Asthami Navami, and Dashami. The day after Dashami, he went with his parents to the pandal near his house to see the immersion the idols.

One by one, he saw Kartika idol and Lakshmi idol and Durga’s idol being immersed. Saraswati’s idol was left. By chance, he happened to glance inside the pandal and saw that the weird priest talking to the two hoodlums also seemed to be worried. They were continuously pointing to Saraswati’s idol Rishabh felt that the priest should also have gone to help immerse the idols. But he did not Rishabh put two and two together and dashed off to the policemen standing by the pandal who had been watching over the pandal throughout in search of the ruby.

Rishabh told them in hushed tones. “Those men standing by the pandal are the thieves and the ruby is hidden somewhere on Saraswati’s idol.

The police immediately went to the three men and placed under arrest. When they tried to resist, Rishabh shouted, “Immerse Saraswati’s idol.” Rishabh asked them, “Why did you struggle?” they kept silent. Rishabh declared,”The three men are the thieves the ruby will be found in the jewellery on Saraswati’s idol. The three men have no other objection to the idol being immersed.”

He then asked the police to search the idol. Eventually, the ruby was found. Rishabh was thanked by the police and applauded by the crowd.

When later asked said exactly aroused his suspicions, he pointed to the over the brightness of Saraswati’s idol.

A few days later, he received a parcel from the Government. Guess what it contained, An idol of Saraswati with his name on it!