"Praveen." I went on to the dais as the anchor called my name.
*****
It was in my third grade that I first visited my village. The first thing in the village that caught my eye was the lake. It had been named Manasasarovar after the sacred lake in Himalayas. I was awestruck at the beauty of the lake and though I was a rookie in swimming, I wanted to take a good swim in it.
For the first two days of our stay, we had to visit the temple for some function that was being held there and had to stay all day there. On the third day while I was fast asleep after a sumptuous meal, my cousin, Rahul woke me up . He said he was going outside to play and wanted me to tag along. I've readily agreed for that and took permission from my mother to go out.
We went to the village ground and a few children were waiting for us. We then divided ourselves into teams and played cricket for some time. We then decided to play hide and seek. I had to hide in the first game. So I ran towards a mango tree near the lake and climbed it. Hidden in the huge tree, I plucked a ripe mango and started eating it. I then waited for my new friends to come looking for me.
After I thought I've waited enough, I tried to get down and fell accidentally into the lake. I tried to swim but the lake was too deep for me. The harder I tried, the more I was drowning. I tried shouting for help but couldn't. I could see Raj, one of the boys who played with me, calling for help. I then blanked out.
After a few minutes I regained consciousness. I was saved by a farmer passing by and was carried home. Everyone was angry with me and my cousin. My mom was particularly angry with me and never let me go out during our stay there.
*****
The first thing my mom did after we returned to the city was sending me to swimming classes. I'm here now on the dais, receiving the gold medal in National swimming championship.
