Lake evenings in Bathinda carried a different mood from the rest of the city.
After the dust, traffic, errands, and straight-talking pace of the day, the water gave people somewhere to reset.
Families slowed down there. Friends stretched conversations. Children kept running long after they should have been tired.
It was not flashy, and maybe that was the point.
The city does not often perform softness, but around the lake it showed up naturally.
Those evenings taught a lot of us that even tough places know how to exhale.
Bathinda felt more generous there.
If one Bathinda lake evening still cools your mind down, write it here.