Khaalee haath sey..!!! A kid with six fingers screamed at me, a 7 year old called asok(ashok).A small motor boat at kedar ghat is their play ground. 

It is generally peak time for floods( and the right time to see those very famous flash floods at 6 Ghats of Varanasi) in river Ganges and not very good time to take a "HOLY DIP".

I went there and sat on last of those steps with my feet under water.

Some kids are jumping into the boats from the 1st floor of their houses(ground floor is completely submerged in water).

As these boats are blocking the spectacular view of Ganges on rage, I jumped  into that boat(Anchored obviously) with my mobile camera on.

The Protagonist:

Sanjay is a 12 yr old kid, looks younger than his age. He dived into the water and came back with a frog in his hand.

They some how caught this frog and started throwing it into the water and our hero is tasked with saving this frog ;and he is doing a very good job.

He is happy and proud kid. he can swim under water for a straight one minute (nearly; he can stay there for 30 secs). 

He learned that trick while he is collecting coins under water. he has a gang(They are adorable)too and split the money.

The “Kaala Machili” :

I made a truce with him, our pirate master. we are friends now and he introduced me to his gang. They have nick names they sound pretty serious(like the pani ghoda(water horse), a 9yr old kid, cant swim but he runs under water :) )

Sanjay is kaala machili(black  fish) ; he is ambitious to be like his brother. His father died with severe fever( as he said)when he is 5yrs old. since then he is taking good care of his mother by collecting  the coins under water and selling flowers near Ghats.

Sanjay has a broken teeth and scar of a deep cut on his fore head.

He said that is from his initial days, when he is new to this job( “8 or 10 months ago” in the words of his brother(21 yrs) ) . when he get caught by a group of devotees for stealing their "offering to Ganga maayi" and the beating took his tooth and the scar is from the wound, when they threw him on the steps.

He said That beating he took, made him a hero among these kids and since then, he never got caught again.

The Scars of Valor :

“Mom is always angry on me, big brother is her favorite ; but after this(his scar) I told her, I want more food every day, so that I will never get caught and earn more money to buy a new boat. since that day, she gave me more food, sometimes more than my brother"  - Sanjay

He gave me permission to take a selfie(poto) with him and then he went for hunting(shikar) coins may be , or his dreams.

"If you think the world you stay is harsh to you, create your own world."

This little gangster of Varanasi changed the meaning of my whole trip and made a strong impact on my life.

I left the boat with a feeling I never had in my whole life.

To those gangsters who runs the underworld of hope where life and dream has a different meaning.