Potpourri!

We were to Meenmutty falls on the 5^th of March where exactly this incident happened. People were having there best time at the falls. Besides Rajasekar and VJ were involved in measuring the depth with a stick (Note: They are professional swimmers). They found it to be very deep and had informed people. Unfortunately Navaneeth and me didn’t get it into our ears. Praveen, who is fond of waters rushed in posing for snaps. Navaneeth too joined. I was surprised to see Navaneeth in water. That reminded me the fun we had with Navaneeth at Marina swimming pool. They were in hip level deep, in the waters. Sriram (Bladezz) was handling the camera. He didn’t join us in the waters, just because of an incident at the same swimming pool. I came late and I got pulled in, to enjoy the beautiful falls. The area was rocky and slippery at places because of the algae. I changed my clothes and jumped in to join the three- Navaneeth, Rajasekar and Praveen. We were holding our shoulders together, unaware of the coming incident!!! Bladezz was to capture a video of us. He couldn’t get a correct position, so we were to move backwards as he (Bladezz) didn’t have space to move backwards. We were in a water level which was just below our chest. I was having Praveen on my left; Navaneeth on right who in turn had Rajasekar on his right. Bladezz was ready to start capturing us. Just at that time Praveen slightly tightened his grip on me. He was giving a close pose but I mistook him to play with me. I remembered what Praveen and Emerson and Rajasekar do to me when I am in the swimming pool. They usually lift me up and throw in the water. Wanting to release myself from his hold, I moved back inviting death not only to me but to other 3 too!!! When I moved back I didn’t found any ground or support to place my feet. The rock on which we were standing dropped suddenly by 90 degrees. I lost my balance and jus fell backwards into the water. Knowing that I was in danger I tried to hold Praveen and Navaneeth for support but unfortunately I pulled both of them into the waters. Navaneeth pulled in Rajasekar, result – we 4 were in the water. The place were we fell was around 8-9 feet deep. I and Navaneeth don’t know swimming. We four were struggling in the waters. Rajasekar somehow made it to the bank. He was safe now. Meanwhile Navaneeth had only 2 things going through his mind. He said if he was to die it was at this instant and if he was to get out of water then it was only with Praveen’s help. Navaneeth held Praveen tightly and attempted to come to the surface. But he slipped down. The second time he was on his shoulders but couldn’t make it. Praveen was struggling inside bearing himself and Navaneeth. Navaneeth gulped in water 5 times and he was just lucky enough to make it to the banks putting Praveen into more deep water. Then Praveen showed himself up and was safe. People said that he was very much scared of the incident after he was out. Though being a good swimmer he himself couldn’t make the situation better, because he was in water for nearly 10 seconds, bearing Navaneeth and the force of the water.

They were safe and people were glad but they just realized that I was still in water. I was pulled in by the water to a deeper place. Nutti had explained me the rules of Buoyancy after the tour. According to it, a person who falls in water can come to the surface just 3 times. Well I too came to the surface 3 times. I was in a horizontal position when I fell. The place where I slightly got control of myself was very deep-I could sense that. The first time I was surfaced I saw Navaneeth and the others on the banks, but unfortunately they didn’t see me. Aashik and Kishore had seen my head and they rushed in for help. The second time I came up I couldn’t see anything. Aashik said he saw my fingers this time. The water was light green when seen from inside. I went again into the water and tried to show my head to people for help, but it went in vain as only finger tips was visible. This time I was going down deeper than the second time and the water was turning dark. I didn’t know what to do at that moment. I closed my eyes just to drive any fear. I believed very strongly that I would be safe somehow. That gave some confidence and energy which really helped me that time. A few seconds later I felt the ground. I just realized that I was in deep trouble in the water. The place was surely some 12-15 feet deep. I was trying to surface but that was the 3^rd time, so I didn’t have any difficulty in moving up. But bad luck assisted me this time too. I was pulled again into water just before surfacing. Meanwhile my friends didn’t know where exactly I was in water. I was going deeper again. I touched the ground once again. This time I felt it more than 2 seconds. This urged me up. I thought I had to do some thing to save myself. I tried to push myself up, and I did come up. My junior in college, Jagdish, gave reasons for it. He said if a person in water had held his breath and if he waved his hand in the vertical direction (action), then the reaction would bring him up. Now back to the incident- I knew I was going up. I realized that this was my last chance. It made me lose hope slightly. Meanwhile my lungs were contracting pleading me to breathe in something. But I resisted it. That was a hard battle I had fought in my life. It was paining you know. My eyes went open wide in water because of that. When I was nearing the surface I saw a brown thing floating in the green water. I realized I was near the rock with the dead tree. I worked to reach the branch and caught it. It happened to be most happiest moment in my life.

The next second I found that it was only a broken stick. That was the most hardest moment in my life. This time I lost all hope and did nothing to come up. My mind went flashing pictures of my mom, dad and my sisters and friends. Well, I even remembered that we had to catch the train that evening; in time. Well, jokes apart. I realized death was nearing me. I couldn’t resist more. Suddenly I saw a hand pulling me. I thought I had reached the place where I had fall and my friends were trying to save me. But I lost grip and again went down. Again someone pulled me up; this time I realized that it was my friend Rajasekar who had jumped in to rescue me. I hold him round his waist, but the same time I lost my consciousness. Few seconds later I regained it. But I couldn’t see anything because I was having a virtual problem that time. I couldn’t even move. As I dint move, I was floating in water. This scared many lives. They thought that I was dead. Rajasekar struggled hard to take me to the banks. Realizing this Nutti, Navaneeth and Praveen formed a Chain structure in the water. They pulled me and Rajasekar to safety. Nutti laid me in his lap. I sensed all these but I couldn’t see or move that time. The virtual problem I had was that my eyes still felt like its being flushed with water. Nutti and Rajasekar slapped, punched me at the back. People confirmed that I was dead. But the two were still trying out their best on me which made me normal and raise my hand. Wow!!! My friends were relieved seeing me alive(See the pic near). Yes I am alive. Well I still couldn’t believe. Thousand mile smile on my face!!! Well I saw everyone again. Nutti said he got terrified on seeing my eyes. Of course it must be, because 40 seconds in water is not a child’s play you know. I was told that Rajasekar broke the stick he had to measure the depth, and threw it in water to find where I was. Luckily he had thrown the stick where I was exactly in water. When I caught the stick, he got my position and jumped in water and brought me to land. Tons of thanks to you Rajasekar. And thanks to Emerson, Praveen and Rajasekar for teaching me on how to hold breath in water (At the swimming pool). Thanks to Nutti and Navaneeth for their helping hands. Thanks to Amarnath who shed tears for me. Thanks to Aashik and Kishore for rushing in to help despite of their fall. Thanks to all other friends there who must have really prayed for me. I just realized that I said “Hello” to death, but heard it reply back “Bye, my son. Not now. Meet you another time”.

I won’t forget this incident ever in my life. It was a great day to me and others. I was reborn. I realized the importance of swimming that time. Friends please learn swimming because some day somehow it will help u. You might save yourself or save some other life.

Am a great fan of “AJITH” and I want to say his dialogue now – “I am back”.

The first picture shows Rajasekar and the stick he used(Encircled).

The second picture shows where we were standing (Encircled with Red color) and where i was inside water (Encircled with Blue color).

The third picture shows me at the right end realising wat happened while others are seen happy tat i am Back!!!

(Left to Right)- Rajasekar,Emerson,Navaneeth,Prabhakaran(me),Praveen,Nutti,Sriram and Ganesh.

Read our experiences during our tour- College Tour