Butterfly on the other side of the lake

Q banks of the lake - everything seemed like a part of a fairy tale.

Asha, who grew up in the city, but came to this village to visit her grandparents every summer vacation. For her, this place was nothing less than magic. But the most attractive thing was the dense forest on the other side of the lake.

Grandma always said, "Don't go to the other side, there is no path there, there is only forest!" But Asha had an unknown curiosity in her mind. She always felt that there was someone there... someone who was calling her.

One summer morning, when the breeze was slightly cool, Asha was sitting on the banks of the lake. She saw a butterfly hovering across the lake—a golden colour, something she had never seen before. The butterfly would sit on the surface of the water, then fly away. It seemed as if it was calling her with it.

The next day, Asha decided to go across the lake. She took a small boat and started to cross slowly. The wind was calm, there were no waves in the water. When she reached the other side, the scene was completely different—long rows of lush green trees, and the sweet sound of the waterfalls. It seemed as if this place was a different world, different from the village.

Suddenly, she saw the same golden butterfly. It was sitting near a small waterfall. Asha started to go towards it, but as soon as she extended her hand, the butterfly flew away again. It was not trying to catch it, but was urging her to follow it.

While chasing the butterfly, Asha went deeper into the forest. Suddenly, she heard a sweet voice. She looked around, but there was no one. Then a soft laughter was heard. A boy emerged from behind the bushes—Neel.

"Who are you?" Asha asked, startled.

Neel smiled, "I am from... here. I saw you coming here, but thought I should get to know you first."

Asha knew nothing about Neel. She had never heard his name in the village. But there was a strange charm in Neel's eyes, as if he wanted to tell many stories.

Asha and Neel gradually became friends. Every day, whenever Asha went to the other side of the lake, Neel would be waiting for her there. They would talk for hours—about the village, about trees, about books. Asha began to feel that Neel had a secret hidden inside him.

One day, she asked Neel, "Why don't you come to the village? Does anyone even know you?"

Neel's eyes became sad. He looked towards the lake and said, "I knew you once... but not anymore."

Asha could not understand anything. But she promised Neel that she would listen to his full story the next time.

The next morning, when Asha asked her grandmother about Neel, she said in panic, "Neel? Don't mention that name again, daughter! He drowned in the lake... years ago."

Asha felt as if the ground beneath her feet had slipped away. "But... but I have met him, he is on the other side of the lake!"

Fear came into her grandmother's eyes. "No one lives on the other side, it is strictly forbidden to go there."

Asha was confused. She ran to the shore of the lake and boarded a boat to reach the other side again. But there was no one there. Neel, the butterfly, the waterfall... everything was missing.

She thought that maybe it was just her imagination. But then, she found a small letter in Neel's handwriting on the shore of the lake:

"Some people are timeless, some memories are alive forever. You saw me, it means I'm still here. Sometimes, we just need the right person to make us feel alive again. Thank you, Asha."

Asha read the letter and looked at the lake. The same golden butterfly was fluttering in the air again.

After that day, Asha never went to the other side of the lake. But every time she stood on the shore of the lake, she felt that Neel was still somewhere around.

Because some people live not only in memories, but also in the air.