                                    More than twenty minutes passed as he walked furiously through various mud paths of the forest. The unfamiliar paths crisscrossed beneath his feet, revealing a desperation to find a specific place that seemed elusive. His determination was unwavering, fuelled by a purpose. After another forty minutes, the distant sound of water reached his ears, and relief washed over his face. He reached the riverside, The sound of the river grew louder as he approached, its gentle melody a soothing balm to his troubled soul. A sanctuary of flowing water. The water was clear and sparkling, reflecting the blue sky and the white clouds above. He stood on the bank of the river, his undergarment still clinging damply to his body. he took a deep breath and slowly undone his dhoti. he let it fall to the ground. he stepped out of the garment, leaving him completely naked. he stood there for a moment, feeling the cool breeze on his skin and the warm sun on his face. He is a man of age where no sign of wrinkles yet. Unscarred torso. He is tall and muscular but not too shredded. He is of dark complexion as same as the colour of his eye. He has locks of hair with no parting, behind his back long enough to cover his shoulder blades. His chest is full of hair, curly and thick. He felt free and uninhibited.
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Shiva started walking slowly into the river, his bare feet sinking into the soft sand. The water was cold and shallow, but it felt refreshing on his skin. He waded deeper and deeper, water took his knees, his torso and then him he didn’t even mind taking a deep breath before giving in himself to the river. He is under the waters of slow-flowing shallow cold waters. He floated on his back; his limbs relaxed. He started feeling pinching pain in several places in his body, slow and constantly flowing river water reminded him of all the nicks and cuts he acquired the previous day. It’s just dawned and the sun’s rays started shooting into the river underwater forming a light play on the sandy riverbed. He could see the sunlight filtering through the water, creating long, golden streaks. He could see the tiny grains of sand sparkling like diamonds. He could hear the pebbles grinding against each other. The sound of flowing river water surrounded him entirely like a lullaby. He found himself at peace. He was one with the river, one with the water, one with the nature at that very moment. He closed his eyes and let the waters take him. The locks of his hair flowed on his face with the rhythm of the river.
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A few unmeasured moments consumed what he had in his chest. He could feel his lungs burning and his heart pounding in his chest. His vision is blurring. when he felt his body run out of air, he felt like giving in and letting the river chock and take him forever. It would be so easy. Just a few more seconds and it would be all over. Nothing in this world seems to object to his urge to give in to the utter despair of his soul paralyzing every bodily action he should take. a silent and pleasant death that he always wished for. But involuntarily he is moving up to reach the surface for a gasp, entirely without his consent. He felt his body as a separate entity. Finally, he broke through the surface and found himself gasping air hard and taking lumps of air into his lungs, filling every muscle, every cell. He felt that he couldn’t escape his body easily. He walked back to shore. Droplets of water clung to his skin, reflecting the early morning sunlight like liquid diamonds. His movements were deliberate, each step carrying the weight of his internal conflict. He felt the burden of reality again all over his body. His bare feet sank into the grains as if seeking grounding after floating. with a measured pace, he approached his dhoti and dressed up almost ritualistically, it bore the marks of dampness.Â
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