The Story Behind the Story:
I was a frequent visitor to the Thekkemala Waterfall before it became world famous. The waterfall happened to have been on the river that flowed by the property we owned at Thekkemala. 

The following story is based on a real incident that took place very close to the waterfall. Thekkemala Waterfall is a seasonal one from June to September unless there is rain and flooding before or after these months. 

Now read the Story.

When I was in primary school, hide and seek wasn’t just a game—it was a way of life. We played it everywhere: between jackfruit trees, behind rocks, and most thrillingly, down by the riverbanks, where the wild lantana bushes grew thick and the pools of water smelled of raw adventure.

One sultry evening, I found what I thought was the perfect hiding spot—a dense lantana bush with orange flowers and thorny branches, hidden just off the narrow footpath that wound along the river. As I crouched low, heart thudding with excitement, I parted the branches to tuck myself deeper in. That’s when I saw it.

A snake.

Coiled, calm, and terrifyingly close—its copper-brown body glinting in the dappled light, its eyes like tiny dark beads of lantana fruit. It was curled neatly around a branch, as if waiting for me.

I froze. I couldn’t scream, couldn’t run. I remembered every scary story my older cousins had told me—of vipers and cobras, of boys who ran and got bitten, of jungle spirits.

But then, something strange happened. A soft breeze rustled the bushes, and the lantana flowers danced gently. The snake didn’t move. It just looked at me—calm, disinterested. Almost as if it knew I was no threat.

I slowly lowered my eyes, the way I had seen in a documentary about wild animals. I remembered: no sudden moves. I counted to ten in my head. Then, inch by inch, I began to slide backward. I moved like a shadow, careful not to break a twig or rustle a leaf.

Once I was at a safe few feet away, I bolted—straight out of the bushes and into the open, where my friends were waiting for me, unaware. I collapsed onto the grass, panting, as if I’d just escaped an elephant.

I never told my friends the whole story. They wouldn’t have believed me anyway. But I learned something that day: fear has its place, but staying calm can sometimes save your life.

And to this day, the scent of lantana still gives me chills.