"Peace! I've had enough, laughed Abhit, protecting his face from being splashed.
The swift shallows of the river were perfect for bathing. But there was nowhere to run, or submerge one's head in a splash attack!
"Let's play for a while longer," suggested Aarush, as he stopped drenching his best friend, and went over to the diving rock. With a thunderous splash, the child landed in a deep clear pool of the river.
"Bhavin, what do you think of this river? Father says that except for the area close to and upriver from the village, it's wild and dangerous. But I have always thought of it as a friend," Abhit asked his older brother.
"I think Father is a wise man, and that we should both listen to him," replied Bhavin.
"Of course... I just feel safe with it is all," Abhit said thoughtfully.
"This section is pretty safe," Bhavin said confidently, repeating what he had heard from many adults.
"It might be safe, but we need to get home if we want to eat," said Aarush.
The other two boys smiled. As much as Aarush had wanted to stay moments before, his rumbling stomach had finally won out.
"Let's go. Maybe we can come back here tomorrow, or even go to the waterfall upriver," suggested Abhit.
"And here you were saying how much you like this river," Bhavin grinned, teasing his little brother.
"Race!!!" Aarush announced, and sprinted towards the village.
"Wait!" Abhit exclaimed, as he stopped halfway to the village.
The other two boys stopped to see what was wrong.
"I forgot my towel, and the baseball cap from Uncle Gaurav," panted Abhit, as he looked back towards the river.
"I'm starving!" Aarush announced, as he sprinted away with a playful grin.
"See you tomorrow!" Abhit called after his friend, laughing.
"I want to get home, so I can help feed the chickens," said Bhavin.
"Alright, I'll run back and get them myself," replied Abhit.
"Just don't take too long talking to your friend the river," teased Bhavin.
Abhit trotted down the familiar trail, until he saw his white towel sitting on a rock, with the dark blue cap next to it.
Before he could collect them, a goat walking along the shore decided to head downriver.
"I better get it back to the village before it's lost," he thought as he looked at the rapidly darkening sky. Forgetting his towel and cap again, Abhit followed the animal.
"Stupid goat... It's going to be eaten if it keeps going," muttered Abhit, as the wayward goat sped up to a trot.
He sprinted forward, hoping to catch up. "If I can't get it soon I'm going back," Abhit decided.
"Finally! It's about time you stopped," he told the goat, when it suddenly froze.
Trotting up to it, he noticed that the normally calm nanny goat was trembling. Putting a hand on her neck to calm her, the child looked around.
"It's night... And this goat smells something," whispered Abhit, suddenly realizing that he was in danger.
A leopard screamed nearby, sending the terrified goat running for home. Abhit began to follow, when he saw it.
Standing on the beach blocking his way home, was a huge tigress.
"Oh no... I have to get away," Abhit thought frantically.
Slowly he moved towards the water, which he saw was much faster and deeper, just as Father had described it. Reluctantly Abhit put his feet in the rushing water, never taking his eyes off of the deadly feline.
Soon he was several feet out, and the cat hadn't moved a muscle. "Maybe if I can make it across she won't follow me," he thought.
The terrified boy forced himself to look away from the tigress, and focus on the river. "I was wrong. This water isn't friendly at all," thought Abhit.
After only several more steps, his small legs were swept from under him. Sputtering, he swam harder than he had ever thought possible. Despite his efforts, seconds later his world went black.
"Where am I?" Abhit wondered, as he opened his eyes. He laid still for a few more seconds, then experimentally moved first one leg, then the other.
"Oh, I remember. At least I got away from the tigress," he thought thankfully. Then he looked around, and every hair on his body went on end.
Close by, the tigress was lounging on a small patch of sand, still warm from the recently set sun. She was looking at him, but didn't seem inclined to lunge.
"I better lay still. Maybe she'll just go away," he thought, remembering what the adults in the village had said about never running from any big cat.
Lying still on the smooth gravel, the exhausted child was soon asleep. While deep in a dream about tigers and towels, he felt something sharp on the back of his neck. Then he screamed in terror. To Abhit's surprise, the pain stopped immediately.
Firmly but gently, the tigress got in his face, and shoved him in an upward motion. Surprised, he sat up.
Not satisfied, she kept trying. When he didn't move, she started to circle in back of him, and he got the idea. "You don't have to carry me, I'll walk," Abhit assured her hastily.
Soon he was being herded through the dark forest. Cold, wet, and tired, he was unable to stay put for fear of the tigress deciding to carry him. With his thin delicate skin that would have been painful, possibly fatal.
"Can't we rest a moment?" Abhit pleaded.
In response to his lagging, she showed her displeasure with a small growl.
"I think I will call you Amvi," he informed the impatient tigress, as he began to pick up speed.
After what seemed like forever, he came upon a den, and was unceremoniously shoved into it.
Abhit gasped. Inside was a motionless tiger cub.
"Oh, you poor thing. Something must have found you while your mother was hunting. One of your legs is missing," he whispered, stroking the soft fur.
Finally satisfied, the tigress laid down next to him, presenting her nipples.
"I couldn't... I'm starving and cold though. Warm milk would help. But what if she changes her mind?" Abhit debated with himself.
When he didn't react as expected, the cat's huge rough tongue went to work. "She wants me to act like a cub," he thought, and snuggled in deep, grabbing a nipple as he had seen kittens do in the village.
The next evening when Amvi left to hunt, Abhit left as soon as he knew she was truly gone. Guiltily, he followed the small game trail back to the river, then headed home at a fast but steady trot.
When he arrived at the village, Bhavin was the first person he saw.
"Where have you been?!?! The men are still out searching for you, we thought you were lost forever. Did you lose your way somehow?" Bhavin asked, both curious and relieved.
When Father comes back, I'll tell the whole story, but you're never going to believe it," replied Abhit with a huge grin.
Describe what you see:
I see three children playing in a calm stretch of a river. The sun looks like the time is either evening or early morning.
Describe what you feel:
I feel like the children are close, and that they probably live in a rural area.
