Coming down the Alpine hills the river gushes past the golden ferns and the tall pine trees. Bickering past the small sleepy villages, the river slows down near the Kuntal village creating a perfect spot for fishing. It’s a bright sunny day and Rama, Shyama, and Lakshmana, have gone out fishing as it’s the first day of their vacation.
Bass leaps out of the sparkling water shattering the surface and quickly dives in, but Shyama is not going to let it sneak away easily, he throws in the bait, the fish is caught in the bait, and is trying to break free, Shyama pulls the fishing rod with all his might but the fish is a fighter strong from battling the currents. Tug of war goes on, but the fish wades through the current and sneaks away.
"You have let another fish sneak away, Shyama," said Rama. "Hey, that's not my fault, the fish was just too big..." shrugged Shyama. "You are a wimp Shyama, can't hold on to a fish," Rama said in jest. "What!?" Both coming to blows. "Stop! Exchanging blows and pleasantries like kids, as if its gonna help you catch..." Rama cuts Lakshmana mid-sentence and pulls him in the fight. A shove here and punch there, and the fight intensifies, three of them go rolling down the jetty into the river.
The splash shattered the otherwise calm flow of the river and the cool water diffused the tension, slightly. "Fighting like small kids..." shrugged Lakshmana, drying out his clothes. " It's not his fault Lakshmana, there are too few fishes in this side of the river, blame it on climate change, gone are the days when people used to catch a fish in no time". said Rama. “We have wasted a lot of time and have caught nothing,” said Shyama.
The crisp, sunny morning had ripened into the afternoon. The boys, exhausted and tired, lay down in the shade of many a tree, the grass was soft and comfortable, and soon everyone went into a contemplative state...
“There was a time, long ago, this river known for its fluidic grace carried prosperity and abundance into the lives of the villagers. Its water like an elixir healed the diseased, quenched the thirst of the weary traveler, and yes it had more fishes than it has now…” quipped Shyama. “What fun it must be to play along with the riverside with your buddies without giving a second thought about the day to come. Roam in the farms, sleep underneath a tree, have your lunch beside the river and that’s not the end, there was something magical about the time then and everyone in it was happy and anything seemed possible. I wish I could time travel and visit the long-lost land that nurtured happiness”, yearned Shyama.
“Stop being nostalgic and turn this sunny day into a gloomy one”, thundered Rama. “You are a fool, shyama longing for the days that have gone far away, buried under the sands of time. Cheer up, the best is yet to come…”, Lakshmana said reassuringly. “One day you will catch a fish within minutes with the help of a robot powered by artificial intelligence without investing lot of energy and time, you just have to enter the type of the fish along with a picture of it and then be rest assured that your fish curry is served piping hot”, Lakshamana said rather ecstatically. “I wish I were born some fifty years from now and then life would have been uber- amazing with all the gadgets in my armoury, and then …”
“… you would have caught a fish and served us traveling forward in time,” Rama said with a sarcastic overtone. “Yeah, I can, but get me a time machine”, said Lakshmana. “I will give you one but tell me something, what’s wrong with the now?”, asked Rama. “We don’t have the right tools and I am tired”, shrugged Lakshmana. “and there are too few fishes out there”, added Shyama. “That’s right, one is making merry in the lost farms of the time gone by and the other is weaving magic with his gadgets in a distant land that is yet to come. No wonder we could catch so many fishes”, sneered Rama. “It’s sort of a trend, to dwell in the past and overanalyse the future and in that tussle we forget the awesomeness of now, Just have a look around, high rise mountains, the lush green valleys, and then you will understand” continued Rama.
“Oh, Lord Rama then why is your bucket filled with air and no fishes in it,” said Shyama in jest. “ I think lord Rama doesn’t want to hurt the fishes”, Lakshmana said with a laugh. “You are right, there is no fish in the bucket because it is out there to be caught. And I think they will be there for the day and we will return empty-handed if we keep talking, “ said Rama getting up. “It doesn’t matter now, let’s wrap up and go home I am tired” shrugged Lakshmana. “And we have wasted the best time of the day, now isn’t a great time,” added shyama. “No time spent on trying is wasted, either you get the thing done or learn how it’s done, let’s pick up our tools and go out there because now is a great time! exclaimed Rama.
“Hey look a bass leaps out,” exclaimed lakshmana. “ I am not going to let it sneak away this time,” said Shyama. “Let’s hustle…”blazoned Rama picking up the fishing rod.
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