On April 16 last year, 16-year Mohit Dalvi was playing with his friends on the banks of the sacred reservoir in Walkeshwar, when a hue and cry broke out. Tenyear-old Krishna Pasta had fallen in and no one could see any sign of her.Dalvi’s prompt response, saved the day, and Krishna’s life. On January 24 Dalvi, along with 24 other fellow award winners from across the nation, will be given the National Bravery Award by PM Modi on January 24, and also participate in the annual Republic Day parade. Each child will receive a medal, a certificate and a cash prize.Dalvi seems to be unflappable, both in the moment of crisis and now in the spotlight of attention. Speaking to Mirror from Delhi, he recalls that people were shouting all about him, that Krishna was drowning. He immediately dived in and started looking for her. It wasn’t a straightforward rescue – it took Dalvi nearly five minutes – a very long time for such strenuous swimming, to catch sight of her. By then Krishna had drifted all the way down to the bottom.“I saw her leg deep down in the water. I immediately grabbed it and pulled her up,” he said over the phone from New Delhi.The others standing around soon reached for help and the girl was rushed to St. Elizabeths Hospital. “Krishna was saved in the nick of the time the doctors told us,” said Anisha Pasta, Krishna’s mother.Orphaned when he was a small child, Dalvi the youngest of the two siblings was raised by his aunt Dimple in the shanties that surround Banganga. He’s become a local hero in the neighbourhood, but it hasn’t swelled his head.“I learnt swimming in the waters of Banganga when I was very young. I do not remember who really taught me to swim. I just enjoy swimming,” said Dalvi. He has already been felicitated with several awards which are placed in his house. When asked what bravery means to him, Mohit said, “Nothing much, I just did what I felt was right at that time.”As part of the award, Mohit will receive financial assistance for his schooling and possibly a reserved seat at a higher education institution.