ಮಡಿಲು

ಪ್ರೀತಿಯರಸಿ ಹೊರಟ ಜೀವ,

ಬಳಲಿ ಸೊರಗಿದೆ ಉಂಡು ನೋವ,

ಯಾರೋ ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಕೈತುತ್ತು ತಿಂದು,

ಹೊಂಗೆ ಮರದ ನೆರಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಿದಿರಿಸಿದಂತೆ ಕಂಡೆ ಕನಸೊಂದು.

ಗೆಳತಿ, ತುತ್ತು ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಆ ಕೈ ನಿನದಾಗಬಾರದೆ!!

ಆ ಹೊಂಗೆ ಮರದ ನೆರಳು ನಿನ್ನ ಮಡಿಲಾಗಬಾರದೆ!!

How I learnt to swim

Alirajpur, Jabhua district , Madhyapradesh. That's where my school was. Jawahar Navoday Vidyalay a residential school. We ,14 boys and 4 girls, had been sent there ,in the year of 1997-98,

to study 9th class as part of cultural exchange program of JNV Samithi.

We knew, that a small river by name Sunkad flows near the school at a potato throw distance.

Only on the fifth day there, we gathered some courage to go towards the river. From sixth day we went regularly to river to take bath. Only 3 in of us knew swimming. YJ Raju(YJ/baayi), Paramesh(Parmi/Pammi) and Chikkabasavalingaiah(Chikka). 

First, they found a shallow place for us and a deep place for themselves.Leaving us to play in the shallow waters they left to enjoy the deep ones. Getting into water was an easy part as everybody saw one another  easily walking in. I went along with SR Raju(my best friend ever - not in touch since we left the school in 2001), to a chest high deep place and I was being very cautious not to slip and was holding his hand. I wanted everybody to play with care but then who cares for my thoughts?

T Prakash(Teeya), a dwarf, came jumping into water, unable to stop he jumped on me. My hold on Raju's hand went off and I slipped and got immersed in water with my face down. I remember shouting before the fall "Save me. I'm dead".For once, I thought I'm going to drown.But a hand took firm hold of my hand and lifted me. It was Raju.