Sunday, December 17, 2023

Beautiful Girl Across the River

    My friend Sukham is a weird, white, chick-like guy, and he's the one who did this very weird heroic thing—he crossed the river. The funny and risky part? He didn't even know how to swim, and it all happened so quickly.


    Four of us boys came to the river to take a bath on a summer noon. We approached a huge bridge where the current was stronger and faster. Stripping away our clothes (except for our underwear), we stowed them somewhere proper and started bathing near the bridge. The riverbank and bottom were full of huge stones, and if carried away by the current, we'd likely hit the stones and break some bones.

    We swam short distances in the river, sometimes diving and playfully catching each other's stomach underwater. Occasionally, we took breaks on the bank to sun ourselves. Then, something unexpected occurred.

    A white Maruti car drove along the broad bank on the other side of the river. It stopped, and a young man (probably our age) and a girl stepped out. A few yards downstream, they stepped into the river with their clothes on and began swimming along the other side. We took notice of their playful activity, later learning from Sukham that she was cheating on her boyfriend, who was one of the men accompanying her.

    The couple started playing, throwing water on each other. Sukham and another friend decided to move downstream and swim opposite to where the couple was playing. Two of us remained and continued swimming.

    I thought I saw the girl waving to Sukham, but I didn't pay particular attention. My frustration grew when he started crossing the river towards the opposite bank by walking underwater. Two of us got furious, considering his carelessness and irresponsibility. Crossing the river was risky, given the tribal-dominated region, and we could have faced severe consequences.

    Despite our concerns, Sukham crossed the river, holding a big stone in both hands to help him stay grounded. He struggled in the middle, the deepest point, but eventually reached the women. They started talking and playing together in the water. I felt like giving him a punch for risking all our lives for a girl who wasn't even his girlfriend.

    After a while, Sukham turned back towards us. We gestured for him to return, which he did after a while. Suddenly, all his bravery disappeared. Crossing back, he felt weak and timid, unable to gather the guts to do it again. He shouted for us to help him out. Despite being under the bridge, he could have used it to cross the river, but that would mean walking over the crowded bridge in only his underpants, which would be shameful.

    He returned safely to us, thanks to my other friend who swam across the river and brought him back, holding him by the right hand as he swam. It was a funny sight, and I scolded Sukham as soon as he safely reached the bank.

    Luckily for us, no one troubled us later, thanks to our fate.



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