I have many friends, but most of them belong to the same village where I live. We have been together since childhood, studied in the same school, and later attended the same colleges as well. We share a strong bond that has only grown stronger over time. This is mainly because we have always stayed together, respected one another, and helped each other grow without leaving anyone behind. No doubt, we have a lot of fun, crack jokes, and even mock each other, but the understanding we share is unique and incredible, and we rarely get hurt by each other’s comments.
Now I will talk about a recent trip we went on a few days ago when we were all home. Since all of us are engaged in one job or another, we hardly get time together, and it is quite rare for all of us to meet. Whenever such an opportunity comes, we hardly miss it. A few days back, we decided to go towards a forest area about 6–7 km from our place. The place is quite famous for its blue-water lake, Nilnag, which is located between small hills and surrounded by young green pine trees.
Whenever we get together, we never miss the chance to eat something, and we usually prefer to prepare the food ourselves because we do not trust food available in the market. Most of us have lived away from home during our studies, so we have developed good cooking skills. Cooking is not work for us; it is our hobby, and we enjoy it thoroughly. We bought a few kilograms of fish from a local vendor in our village market and then headed towards Nilnag Lake, carrying utensils and other essential items like spices, oil, and salt.
It was my car that we used for the trip, as other friends who own cars were not available that day, so it was my responsibility to take everyone along. After reaching there, we divided the work as usual. Some of us went to collect firewood, while others started cleaning the fish and preparing a suitable place for lighting the fire. Initially, the wood was a bit wet and did not catch fire easily, which was quite exhausting as we had to keep blowing air to ignite it. Eventually, we succeeded.
The cooking process was not very lengthy. We fried the fish and added spices, and throughout the process, we enjoyed each other’s company. We had a great time, cracked jokes, and laughed a lot. Some of my friends who smoke enjoyed a few cigarettes. Sitting along the banks of the beautiful Nilnag Lake was a mesmerising experience. We enjoyed the serene surroundings, the gentle breeze blowing across the lake, and the calm atmosphere.
Since the winter season is quite dry, it was important to extinguish the fire completely. For that, I crossed the fence and brought a few litres of water from the lake to minimise any chance of fire spreading towards the nearby forest. Later, around 8 PM, we returned home. We could have stayed longer, but the intense cold forced us to leave, as it felt like we might freeze if we stayed any longer.