In the chapter, the author, presumably Rusty, describes a delightful adventure at a hidden pool he discovered in the wild. The pool was nestled in a small ravine, filled with apple-green water cascading from a waterfall.
Rusty shares his discovery with his friends Anil and Somi. The trio name it 'Rusty's Pool' and create an oath of secrecy, preserving their private paradise. The pool becomes their playground and refuge, strengthening their bond. They swim, create subpar fishing techniques, roast small fish, play in the mud with local buffalos, and even bathe under moonlight, with Somi singing harmoniously as they float magnolia blossoms down the stream.
However, life steers them all in different directions. Somi joins a military school and later sports a fierce moustache. Anil's impulsive and unpredictable nature takes him to Delhi. Their inevitable drift apart is subtle and hardly noticeable.
Years later, in April, Rusty finds himself around the region of their childhood escapades. Fuelled by nostalgia, he attempts to revisit Rusty's Pool. However, much to his disappointment, the pool has dried up, a poignant metaphor for the evolution of their childhood friendship. His friends are a no-show, busy with their own realities, possibly families. Rusty feels a pang of disappointment but mostly a sense of being the only one stuck in the past.
Nevertheless, Rusty's melancholy is broken by the noise of young boys playing in a nearby stream. He spots a new pool where new memories are being made. He does not interact with them, lingering in the shadows, but relives his own memories of companionship and innocence, symbolizing the course of life and the timeless joy of youthful adventures.