Meet Me by the Betwa
Meet me by the Betwa, and we will talk of old times.
We’ll sit with our feet in the water, and feel the current that has flowed for thousands of years. It will be just as our ancestors did, in this place we have remained for generations. We will remember them fondly, and talk about a time when they farmed the land. When farming was all there was here. A time before Rudra Pratap Singh built his fort and founded our town.
Around us, we can see the remnants of that time. In the low flat lands that give our town it’s name, in the imposing chhattris lining the river bank in memory of our past rulers, and in the old stone bridge that we can see our neighbours crossing on their way home.
Bring your family and we’ll watch the children splash and play and laugh just as our parents used to watch us. We’ll wash in the river and let the ancient waters cleanse us.
Young men will be fishing, trying their luck again. I wonder if today will be the day one finally catches a spotfin. Old men will be napping, we’ll need to step around them on the ghats.
We’ll meet our neighbours and catch up on the goings on of the town. Who is arriving, who is leaving and who is marrying who. The dhobi’s will be there, washing clothes in the river. Their work will provide the soundtrack as they slap wet shirts on the rocks before laying them out to dry in the sun.
So meet me by the Betwa my friend, as we do every day. Life moves on in this modern world with its conveniences that seem to separate us. Some things, though, we choose to keep . Some may find it strange that we choose tradition over comfort, when we have the choice that is, but traditions keep us together. A life lived simply is a life lived happily. That is the lesson those before have left us.
So meet my by the Betwa, and we’ll cool our feet in the river. We’ll appreciate the little things in this life. The things that really count.














