It has been less than a month living in Rajpur when Ranji discovers a pool. The summer was at its extreme and Ranji’s school hadn’t opened yet. He didn’t have any friends either. While wandering all by himself in the weather, he discovered the pool in the forest. On the day when Ranji discovered the pool, it was extremely hot and Ranji’s brown feet turned chalky with dust.
The water had a gentle transparency on that day. In monsoon, however, the water used to be gushing down the hills. But, during the summer the water was merely a trickle. Unlike in the plains, here the rocks held the water and therefore, the water did not dry up.
Ranji Takes a Plunge into the Pool
Ranji had never seen a pool like this. Pools in Rajputana were sticky and muddy. Only buffaloes wallowed in those pools. This pool was clean and cold and therefore, inviting. Ranji had often gone for swimming with his friends and even alone. He didn’t, therefore, hesitate and took a plunge into the pool. His dark body shined as patches of sunlight water touched it.
The Fighter Meets the Warrior
The next day when Ranji came to the pool, he noticed another boy, who was little order than him, staring at him. Ranji was taken aback by he hostility of this stranger. The boy told Ranji that the pool belonged to him and he liked to swim alone and he didn’t appreciate uninvited visitor’s. The boy also informed Ranji that he was a warrior and didn’t like speaking to villagers. Hearing this, Ranji told him that he was not a villager, but a fighter. Both stood staring at each other with deadlock silence.
When none of them said everything and Ranji didin’t make any move to leave, the stranger slapped Ranji across the face with all his force. There were red finger markson Ranji’s cheek. Ranji staggered and felt quite dizzy, but then he mustered courage and hit back at the stranger. Soon they were rolling over and over in dust, in mud, even in the water, hurling one after one their violent blows.
The Boys were Exhausted with the Fight
The boys fought with each other, but nobody emerged victorious. Their bodies were having with exhaustion and they needed to put effort to be able to speak. Each, after reiterating their status as a warrior and a fighter, decided that they were reluctant to submit before the other. The warrior asked Ranji if he would leave the pool. Ranji continued to answer in the negative. They resolved the matter for the time being by deciding to continue with the fight the next day.
As Ranji got back home, he found it difficult to explain to his mother the cause of his wounds and bruises. He thought of going to the market and finding solace in a bottle of lemonade. In the market he saw the stranger, his adversary. He wanted to throw the bottle of lemonade on him or to look in another direction. But, Ranji choose to angrily stare at him. The warrior too merely stared back at Ranji.
The Next Day
The next day, Ranji felt weak and lazy. He was not at all eager for a fight. However, he did not wish to acknowledge his defeat by not showing up at the pool and refusing a challenge. He dragged himself to the pool thinking that he had the right to the pool till he fought. He also hoped that the warrior should have forgotten the challenge by now. On reaching the pool, however, these hopes got dashed as he saw his opponent onto other side of the rock. No sooner did the warrior call out a challenge, they started fighting over the sides on which the challenge would be fought. Each kept calling the other to his side.
The warrior challenged Ranji to swim to his side if he knew how to swim. Ranji was pretty good at swimming; he dived into the pool and came swimming to the other side. Seeing this, the warrior’s mouth hung open gaping at Ranji in amazement.
The Warrior asked Ranji to Teach him how to Dive
The warrior told Ranji that he was very good at diving, the warrior himself found diving a difficult task. At this, Ranji told the warrior that diving was fairly easy. Ranji demonstrated to the warrior how to dive. The warrior tried doing it, but fell into the water, flat on his belly. Seeing this, Ranji beagn to laugh.
Ranji to tach him both the skills. Soon both had forgotten the fight and the challenge. They exchanged their names with each other. The warrior promised ranji that he would teach him how to become a pehelwan if Ranji taught him how to dive. On this note, both became friends. The warrior told Ranji that now it was their pool and not his alone. Ranji, silently, triumphed over his victory.