A fisherman's evening

Nasik, my hometown, is a beautiful city. It is one of the most diverse cities I have ever been in. You will find absolutely anything you desire within your reach. Beautiful landscapes, serene lakes, tranquil riversides, gushing waterfalls, challenging mountains, lovely countryside…what more does a person who loves nature want!

We have a farm alongside the Gangapur Reservoir in Nasik. My dad loves nature much more than I do. He’s a budding horticulturist and has done lots of experiments in the farm with help of experts. We often go to the farm to tend to the plants and have a nice evening off. One such evening we went to the lakeside and to our surprise found a boatman fishing. The reservoir is meant for drinking water purpose and according to the law fishing is not allowed. [Dad knew about this...I didn't!! ] So he just called for the fisherman’s attention and I was taken aback when he immediately rowed his boat to the banks. On a little enquiry he told us that when the reservoir was built a lot of farmers lost their lands. As compensation they were granted the rights to fish in the reservoir. Because of this exclusive right these fishermen earn a decent living. We were touched by their story not only because of what happened to them but also because of the way he narrated the whole incident in real “gavathi” marathi.

At the end of the story, without a second thought, I enthusiastically asked him if we can get a ride on the boat and to our surprise he didn’t say no. Slowly and cautiously all four of us hopped on to the boat. The water was so calm the only thing to disturb the placid waters were the oars. Within no time we were in the centre of the huge unending Lake. We stayed there for 15-20 minutes enjoying the Elysian experience. After that each one of us had our turn on the oars and somehow managed to maneuver the boat back to the shore. While the quest was on, the fisherman shared his expertise on fishing, telling us about the variety fish they catch and the tools they use. He even showed us one of his lay on the way back.

Once we were off the tottering dinghy, we bade him good bye. We offered him some money for the pleasurable ride but he declined the offer. All he asked for was that we keep meeting him and go for more rides.

When I had walked just a few meters away I turned back to view the picturesque view above. I asked them to stop rowing as soon as the waters became calm I captured the moment. One of the most beautiful pictures I have ever captured…I remember the whole incident so vividly and every time I look at the pic I picture myself back there…reliving the moment once again. The fisherman has left an indelible mark on my soul.

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