CrossingSuvarnarekha in floods

Crossing Suvarnarekha in floods.

August 1939. River Suvarnarekha was in floods. It was flowing in swirls carrying twigs and branches.
My younger brother, Satyanarayana, distant cousin, Jagadesan, co-worker, krishnamurthi Iyer and I decided on a picnic on the other side of the river. With whatever was needed we reached the river bank around 10 am. We took the country boat the only means of crossing the river those days.
There were 10 in the boat including the boatmen. The boat headed upstream towards a point higher than the destination point. Mid stream the boat drifted slowly towards the destination. We disembarked with our loads and were happy to meet some native boys playing on the bank with bows and arrows. We joined them and enjoyed running and playing their games and tried our hands on the bows and arrows. Soon it was time for lunch. All of us including the natives ate what we had and rested for a while. We resumed games in the afternoon. The sun was low on the western sky and we decided to return.
When the boat touched that side others got in. My brother and I wanted to swim across the river. The boatmen warned that it was dangerous and not possible to cross by swimming. we wouldn't care less and jumped into the river. The boat was following close to us in case we changed our mind. I kept on with brother a few yards behind me.
We had crossed three fourths of the river. Sun was setting. Visibility hardly few yards. It was hard going. I was getting exhausted. I had drifted away from the boat. Then I find the river turning against me. I had to swim upstream to reach the the bank. That was impossible with my exhausted limbs. I turned to my brother who was far behind and told him to return. I wanted to get a foot hold to rest. I looked for submerged rocks. None were found.
I thought of my wife, mother, brothers and sisters, prayed for the safe return of my younger brother and surrendered to the elements to take me where it would. I lay flat on the surface and floated.
I was slowly drifting calmly with the current. After an hour or so my hands touched some thing. I turned and found my self at the edge of the river. I saw my friends coming down the bank asking about my welfare. I asked them about my brother. They said they saw two speck drifting and followed. The lost sight of one on the way. I was heart broken and sat speech less. My friends saw my state, consoled me and lead me up the bank. Half way we found my brother sitting on the bank in a similar state of mind when he could no longer keep track of me drifting down the stream. When we met we hugged each other in tears of joy. All of us walked up the river to the point of embarkation. The boat was waiting and we crossed the river. It was almost dark. We thanked our stars and returned home.