Time Stood Still

A dam is under construction high up in the mountain. It is winter, and the construction staff has gone down to pleasanter temperatures, but a couple of staff are left behind, on rotational shift, to keep a tab on the health of the construction and machinery during this time. One of them leaves, but the replacement had his own, or his wife's problem, the next generation had decided to arrive a couple of months early. A young man volunteers to take his place, not on a pure altruistic motive. He had an exam, in the spring, and the town-life doesn't let him concentrate on the studies, so he chooses the peace and quiet of the solitude. Of course he doesn't realise that the life there would be so tough and perilous. And in addition, he has a problem, even in that temperature, he insists on non-alcoholic beverage (in fact milk). The old man, the regular is taken aback, and is curious about the new recruit, but he adjusts well, and is almost paternistic to the young man. The young man, in the beginning, treats it as adventure, till a snow storm makes him realise the perils, and also the risks that are run, just in case one meets an accident or even gets sick. In that one night, he realises that it wasn't what he thought, and grows up to face the life, like a mature person, rather than escaping from challenge that life throws in. Though it has some sort of generation gap, but it is taken more as a matter of conversation, not a clash. None of the two treats the other as either "out-dated" or "Green-horn", though they talk about the two generations. Not much of a plot, but it has packed quite few things in it.