Idle musings

    A bright dawn broke over the village. The handsome and broad shouldered Nirmal had been up long before the sun rose, as was his custom. Today was an eventful day  : the day of his final race with Samarth. Nirmal and Samarth were the two famous climbers who had earned the admiration of all villagers. Among the two, Nirmal was the clear favorite of the villagers.     Their village was surrounded by hills. It was natural that the villagers appreciated mountain climbing and trekking. The village was famous primarily for its hills and for its climbers, who often set up races to climb the hills and return. The races lasted hours and beginning early in the morning, would end in the evening. The people of the village enjoyed the climbs and the races. A good race and a good climber could stop work in the village for a few hours easily ! To each villager, climbing was a natural progression from walking. Outsiders visited the village to see the hills and marvel at the skills of the climbers,