By the River Side

The water cascades over the boulders in series, and bubbles and froths in the rocky regions, creating un-navigable rapids. A pied kingfisher hovers over the water like a helicopter, trying to spot a viable target before swooping into the water, only to emerge with a splash with its conquest shining in its beak. Squirrels play around in the thickets nearby, giving each other chase, scattering the variety of birds that come in their way, that fly away shrieking in protest of such childish gambles. An exhausted red-vented bulbul feeds her chicks, as they shout out relentlessly for more food, their pink mouths gaping wide open in anticipation of the yummy mushy worms. A water insect with long spindly legs runs along the surface of the water using the surface tension to its advantage, bent on fulfilling its mysterious responsibility. A multitude of little tadpoles swim around lazily in the shallow pools of the less turbid waters, as they while away their time, waiting for their legs to grow out so they can start contributing to the process of insect population control. A sudden flash of light as a huge fish swims by, the silver scales catching the sunlight.

I sit there, watching life flow past me, my heart beats synchronized with the harmony of the wind and the chirrups, feeling every muscle of my body relax and every nerve receptor stretch out in the hope of imbibing as much of the scene as possible. I let my hand skim the cold water, and hold it down, surprised at the pressure of the current.

The car hoots, and too soon, it is time to leave my Shangri-la. I pick up a stone, polished smooth and sculpted by the eternal current, and after casting a lingering last look and filling my lungs with one last breath full of the musty air, I trudge back to the waiting vehicle…