Shravya Shrestha
In a world not so different from ours, there was a beautiful village beside a crystal-clear river. The river was the heart of the village. It was said that the water was so clear you could see the pebbles shimmering like diamonds.
The villagers would often gather by the riverbanks, enjoying the serene view and going fishing. But over time, the villagers grew careless. They started throwing plastic and waste into the river. Sometimes, fish would mistake plastic pieces for food. Gradually, the once crystal-clear river became dirty and polluted. The river was sick and tired of the villagers, so it decided to teach them a lesson. Then, something extraordinary happened-it transformed into a gateway to another universe, a place where the roles of humans and fish were reversed.
When the villagers woke up, they found themselves underwater, breathing effortlessly among strange pieces of plastic and waste. To their shock, they realized they were now living beneath the river’s surface. The fish, who had once been the prey, were now the hunters, armed with fishing rods. The roles had completely reversed: the fish were fishing for humans. The villagers tried to hide, but the fish knew every corner of their underwater world. One by one, the fish trapped the villagers in seaweed and plastic.
152Imperial World School Days turned into months, and the villagers finally understood the harm they had caused. At last, after what felt like an eternity, the river decided they had learned their lesson. In an instant, the world shifted, and the villagers found themselves back on land. The river flowed beside them once more, but it was no longer the beautiful one it had been before.
The villagers realized that they had the power to change things, to clean the river and restore it. So, they worked hard to remove the waste, and slowly, the river began to turn clear and blue once again.
The villagers would never forget the lesson they learned in that strange, reversed universe where the fish once fished for humans. They understood that the river was not just a resource but a living part of their world, deserving of care and respect.
