#6 Fishes

Kolkata - 24th August 2021

Back when we are kids, we used to go for long afternoon swims, my brother and I.

After splashing around in the water for a while, we used to sit together on the stairs, dip our feet in the water and just sit there, basking in the sun.

After a while, if we were still enough, schools of fishes - small fishes, would come and move suspiciously around our feet.

Then sooner or later, a brave one would grab a quick nibble at your feet and dart back (Nothing can quite prepare you for how this first bite feels). The courage of the first mover, used to inspire his friends, and they would come for more nibbles. Soon, before you know it, you would be overwhelmed by a therapeutic tingling sensation.

This didn't happen everyday. Some days, the fishes wouldn't dare come near and would instead shoal only at a safe distance, other days, it would linger around but wouldn't take a first bite. There was no way, you could force this to happen. When it happened, it just did.

They knew the days something bothered you, no matter how still you thought you kept your feet, and they knew the days when you were completely at rest.

It is easiest to lie to your own self. However, there was something between you and the fishes that you couldn't lie about, not even to yourself.