"Krishna –– I–– I really don't want—"
"SHUT UP, AMBER! Ooooh~ was it too loud?" Krishna asked, trying her best to be invisible.
I stayed silent, and she got her answer.
"Okay let'sssss doooooo something," she whispered dramatically.
"Well I'm not in the mood to —"
And before I could realise, I was forcibly being dragged towards the river.
"I like your eyes, you know that?" said Krishna, still dragging me to her-favourite-place-since-childhood-though-she-wasn't-really-born.
Huh. This girl.
On reaching the breezy and sparkling river, Krishna let go of my hand. She jumped and sat near the bank, giggling at her self-made jokes.
"How old are you?" I asked.
She turned her head towards me and said, "As many years as you!" a smile playing on her lips all the time.
I mentally huffed in frustration, and yet felt bad for not returning the vibe Krishna gave me. I knew she was trying to cheer me up, but I still needed time to grieve and gather my thoughts.
I, deeply immersed in my thoughts could hear distant yells of excitement from her side when suddenly her one sentence caught my attention.
"You know, I-dun-think-anyone-should GRIEVE FOR MORE. It's a pityyyyy humans can't understand this SIMPLE CONCEPT."
Though taken aback by her words, I kept my calm. Deep breaths.
Inhale.
Exhale.
She coudn't be reading my mind. It was just a coincidence.
"Ooooof~~~ why-dun-you-look-at-the-river?" she whined.
"Yeah. Yeah."
With all my concentration, I stared at the river right in front of me in awe. The mango tree beside me was a tiny distraction because the smell of freshly ripe mangoes was quite irresistible.
I noticed that the river passed through the hill, wide and opaque. The water was blue, darker in the shadows and more pale in the light, but still greenish-blue. Against the noise of the birds that were welcoming us (their new visitors) the playful splashes of the water could only just be heard.
Catching notice of my growing amazement towards the river, Krishna didn't leave a chance to speak.
"A loooong looooong time BEFORE, the-troubles-of-this river-had-been sooooo clear, LIKE SO DAMN CLEAR, you could literally see the smoothness of the rocks underneath." she said, and I noticed her hyperactive story telling skills. I let her continue though, as I was slowly getting used to her this overwhelming behaviour. My shoulder relaxed and breaths had started to become even already.
She joined her palms to make a cup out of them, "On a hot dayyyy~ you could-cuppp-your-hands-to-take a DRAFT of the coooooool water."
I nodded in agreement, remembering the times when I came to this almost forgotten place.
"The banks had been ALIVE!" There was some kind of urgency in the way she spoke. "BUTTT in this loOong decade, it's-become-full-of-nasty-things."
She sighed, "Bullshit." she said, and bit her lip.
"Every-petty-thief-and-mugger tosses their WEAPON into its now MURKY depths-after-their-HEIST-to clean it of fingerprints." she said now with a blank face.
I had no clue what to say. I was exposed to a whole different dimension of thoughts, I'd say. I never knew people of this mentality actually existed. For me, or even most of us, saving the environment was confined to making posters in school activities to get good grades.
She shook her head, "There are no more fish, and even if there were it wouldn't be wise to eat them..."
Who would have thought Krishna, such a happy-go-lucky girl would ever fall silent talking about something I had never given a thought to.
Nature? Environment?
"...but in reality the only thing people register is the loss of clean water and the need to dig wells in safe enclaves."
"You love this river, don't you?" I whispered.
"Moree, than-anything-else in the world." she answered.
I skimmed my fingertips lightly through the gentle surface of water.
"And you feel depressed for how she is dying bit by bit every single day, and you have no control over this?"
"Trust me, Amber. Everything is just a matter of a snap of my fingers. He refrains, so that this cycle prevails."
A/N:-
How are you all doing? What do you think about this book?
YOU ARE READING
Amber
Teen Fiction"Your true reflection can heal you when you're caught up in your fears." Amber is a socially anxious young girl struggling to find meaning in life. The only friends she makes are a speaking tree and later, a mischievous girl who lives near the river...
