Achyut(A) and Nirupti(N) were in their late twenties. They had been married for three years and had not planned to have children. They were both staunch devotees of Lord Maddi Anjaneya Swamy, located near Dwaraka Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh. They visit and offer prayers to the Lord every year after their marriage. They were working in Bangalore.

*

A and N planned to visit a cool mountainous place this summer. The tour operator booked their flight to the Himalayan region, which took about ten hours, and the cab took an additional two hours. They were accommodated in a hotel at the base of the mountains. The hotels were constructed on the slopes of the hills. They were posh, offering both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. A nearby shopping area catered to tourists, offering special items from the region for purchase. The shops were located on the slopes of the hills. They took a cab to go to the shopping centre, and from there, they had to walk up and down the slopes to the shops. 

*

The next morning, they booked a taxi to travel to the snow mountains. The drivers need to be experts in driving in the mountainous region.

A and N  took on rent overcoats, hand gloves, and shoes at the base to protect against snow and low-temperature weather. The entire route was under the Army's control, and they checked the people everywhere.

After going up, they found the region was entirely covered with snow on all sides. They engaged a mechanised passenger trolley to take them around the hill on snow. N and A hugged each other, slid on the snow slopes, and enjoyed. People were from different parts of the country, and some were foreigners. They were unknown to each other. Everyone was enjoying themselves without bothering about others. To their surprise, they found that two vendors were selling tea and snacks on carts and had tea. They saw children enjoying the snow on the mountains; it was a pleasant sight. At that moment, N and A thought of having children. They enjoyed the cool climate by throwing snow at each other. Two young trainers of snow buffalo were taking people on a ride. Young parents and their children were enjoying the ride. N and  A  went for a ride for about fifteen minutes.

*

That night, they arrived at the hotel, and the next morning, they started heading down to the town in a car. On the way, they stopped at a valley point.    There were horses to take people on a ride to the adjoining mountain—one person per horse, accompanied by the horse trainer. They went for a horse ride on the mountain. Horses were to go one after another. It was a pleasant journey through the high mountains on one side and the deep valley on the other, with dense trees and water paths flowing into the valley. The trainer was walking beside the horse. A and N were on different horses. Initially, N was afraid, but the horse trainer gave her the confidence she needed to overcome her fears. They had never ridden a horse till that date. After about five minutes, they started enjoying the ride and returned safely after one hour. They had snacks and tea at Valley Point and started for the town.

*

This hill town is on the bank of a River that passes through a mountain region.   With water paths gushing from the mountainous range, passing through a rock-filled riverbed, the river's flow was violent.

People were enjoying a boat ride on the river, and N and A wanted to join them.

An experienced rower was needed to navigate the boat. People had to put on life-saving jackets and helmets to enter the boat. People with high blood pressure had to think twice before joining the trip. A and N initially did not consider going but changed their decision after seeing the young and elderly enjoying the boat ride. They sat side by side in the boat, with N holding A's hand tightly.

After a few minutes, the boat picked up speed, and with ferocious rising tides, it rose and fell, swinging sideways. The rower had to manoeuvre through the rocks carefully on the river. As the river passed through the rocks, its passage decreased, its velocity increased exponentially, and the flow became turbulent. The rower navigated the boat through the rocks with high precision. Fearing its turbulence, swinging up, down, and to the sides, N held her hand tightly on A's waist.

*

 As a devotee of Lord Hanuman, she started chanting the Hanuman Chalisa. He patted her on the back to encourage her bravery and took her close. The tides splashed on them, and they got drenched. After about half an hour, the tide was high, and the boat rose with the tide, but as it got down, it turned to one side, and all six passengers fell into the river, and the river flow dragged them along with it. N's safety jacket buckles got loose, and the ferocious river waters threw it off her. She had only the hope that Lord Anjaneya Swamy would save her. She folded her hands together and started praying to Hanuman. Unable to control herself, at that moment, she started drowning and gulping water.

All six and the rower were thrown hither and thither. They were nowhere near each other. They were flowing along with the river velocity, hitting the rocks. There was a big hue and cry of passengers on different boats and the bank. People on the bank were crying; help them. But no one came forward. One of the rowers on the bank called the proficient divers to save these passengers.

All six passengers on the boat went about a km downstream. N was about to drown, as she did not know how to swim, and nobody was near her. Though others had life-saving jackets, they moved with the ferocious river waters hitting rocks and were about to lose consciousness. They were unsure of their lives.

*

Suddenly, a nine-foot-tall figure on a circular boat with all white hair on the body, hands, and thighs and a long beard and hair on the head fell near N. He was not a normal human being. His body had well-built muscles. His face was beaming with divine magnificence. The stranger picked up N, A, and other passengers and took them safely to the riverbank.

*

All the people waiting at the bank, booking agents for boat riding, and rowers surrounded N and cared for the other passengers. One of them, a doctor, administered first aid to N to remove the water that had been gulped.

After a few minutes,  N came to her senses and searched for the tall stranger. She asked everyone present. He could not be found, and He and His circular boat were nowhere to be seen. Everyone was astonished. N thought it was Lord Hanuman who saved them. She folded her hands and recited the Hanuman Chalisa to express her gratitude to the stranger. The people in the crowd thought it was Lord Hanuman who saved N and the other passengers. They all joined the chorus in chanting the Hanuman Chalisa. If He had not saved, all six would have drowned. They all offered prayers to Lord Hanuman.

All six passengers, including N and A and everyone in the crowd, thanked the stranger for saving their lives. After the incident, N and A left for the hotel room.

*

They purchased some winter wear at the town's shops because it was cheap. Before returning to Bangalore, they went to the Maddi Anjaneya Swamy temple and performed one hundred and eight rounds in the temple to save them from drowning in the river. They prayed that they would visit again with their child within a year, and went to Bangalore happily with the blessings of Lord Maddi Anjaneya Swamy.

(Note: This is an imaginary story about people and places.)

***