by Chitra Gopalakrishnan

Release travels to me through the icy waters of my beloved river Beas. Not drenched in apprehension but in lightness.

As I wade across its blue-green, glassy waters, head down, inverted images of Kangra’s snow-wrinkled mountains scuttle around me. Surface reflections of upside down deodars with spiky leaves, conical crowns, level branches and droopy branchlets sway with liquid grace.

Mermaid-brave, I eddy past these lures towards the deep end. This to complete my ritual of immersion – scales, fins, tail and all. And to find my very own restful quietus.

I now call this inviolate part of the underworld ‘home’.

Chitra Gopalakrishnan

I am a journalist by training, a social development communications consultant by profession and a creative writer by choice. My focus is on issues of gender, environment and health. I dabble in poetry on the sly and literary creations openly on the website using social media.

Link: www.oomna.com (completely my creation)