A fine evening by the sea
To get a better feel of this post, please read my previous post
Driving around lazily in the summer evening, I pulled up my upbeat jeep next to the church. About 12 years back at the same spot the girl in the passenger seat next to me had directed me to an unexplored beach. And I was just being pulled to the very same shore that separated land from the mysterious ocean, so many years later.
Its been a while since I have been away. Actually 7 long years. Looking back at time, I can barely remember doing anything significant in these 7 years, of course besides working my a** off to get a decent living and remain in the so called Race of professional life. Frankly speaking nothing has changed in my life as I see it. But looking around my hometown, there are very few things in the same way from the last time I was around here. I can barely recognize things amongst the concrete structures that have come up where the road was once lined up with a numerous coconut trees. And worse still I have to ask for directions in a town where I have grown up.
As I made my way along the road to the beach, I remembered my journey along the same narrow road years back. I have been along this road several times, but for some reason the only trip I remember is with HER. It had been a nice drive along the interwining coastal road. We could not see the ocean, but we could definitely smell the salt in the air. Neither of us knew where the road led, or we did but strangely neither one accepted the fact and were delighted to be lost along the way and in each other's company. We encountered one village after another, as we discovered each other along the way. She was so sweet and innocent that it was hard for me to believe life could still be made so simple. Her giggles, her laughter that left a twinkle in her eye at every thing I said, made me happy, even though none of it made sense afterwards. The way she hit me every time I joked about her, the smile that bordered her lips every time I complimented her could barely be seen in the dark.But I could easily sense the comfort we both felt despite the small space that separated us.I barely remember much of what we spoke that day, but it did not matter. What mattered was that I could still remember the feeling of her sitting next to me. Finally we decided to make the turn and return home.As we turned around, we both could sense the disappointment that we felt in turning back. I surely hoped that someday life wouldnt make us turn and go in separate directions. Strangely life lets you experience your worst fears and forget the sweet dreams you much desire to live.
As we made the return journey, we came at the same church and surprisingly she made me drive along this very same road to this little known beach from this part of the town. Exactly why I had taken this route home but I let her have the pleasure of guiding me to a place which she believed was unknown to me, but in fact was one of my favorite hang out places and much frequented before I left town.Or maybe for the fact that I never wandered back there until today. Our journey along the untreaded path was still on. We dint know what lay ahead but we surely wanted to explore it together. Like the other things life would throw at us and we would take it on together. Another sweet dream!
I could feel the goosebumps and the hair at the back of my neck stand up as I made my way again along the same path. Much like the last time, I was not very sure what would greet my eyes. But I drove on alone, missing my companion. As the beach came in sight and I could hear the waves cresting just before the shore and softly landing on the shore only to find themselves being pulled back by the ocean and lose themselves amongst the many other mysteries the ocean hid under its velvety cover of the darkness.
I was amazed to find the beach in almost the same way I remember from my last visit. A couple of shacks did spoil the otherwise long, unmarred horizon. I parked just where the road ended and the long expanse of sand separated it from the sea. As I was about to sit on the hood,two sets of footprints caught my attention. And I strolled down the beach instead. I followed the prints to the water as they deftly made their way around the sand castle that still lay intact, with the small flag perched on the top fluttering joyfully in the evening breeze. While I folded my khaki's to keep them from the water,I could see the small castle separate the feet as the prints ran down to the shoreline and sense their re-union at the shore, but a sudden wave slid beneath my feet and still made my trousers wet at the edges. The water made me aware of my surroundings, only long enough to take me back in time to the front of my car and the passenger in it.
As we sat there staring at the ocean that lay ahead of us, we spoke about life and the many virtues we experienced in our short yet long lifetime. We opened up to each other finding solace in each others words. As she spoke animatedly about her childhood, her family, I could only gaze at her lovely dark eyes. I have seen very many shades of eyes, but hers has been the darkest till date, as if they would not let you peak beyond them and trap you within. But her every word oozed innocence. There wasn't a moment I felt trapped. In fact I barely remember being more myself with anybody else. As we wound up talking about other things and came to talking about us, we realized it was pretty late and we had to rush back to our respective homes. As I turned the key in the ignition , I could feel the joy of a memorable evening but also the desolation of ending a perfect evening.
With my feet firmly rooted in the sand and my eyes fixed at the horizon , I could still remember the evening that separated us as barely as the sky and the sea, seemed to the naked eye. And the vast expanse that time had left between us in all these years much like the reality between the sea and sky.
I retreated from the water which seemed to have widened its grasp on land and my trousers as well with the night bringing in the high tide.Was the feeling of completeness brought about by HER in my life temporary like the tide, Only to disappear with day light? I realized my cheeks were as wet as my khakhis if not more.
As I got back in the jeep and fastened up my seat belt to complete my drive back home, I could not stop myself from wondering whether I would find HER back in much the same way as the beach, Untouched by time!
The Ice cream always tastes best when frozen, neither a molten ice cream nor a refrozen one gives the same pleasure. Maybe romance follows the same rule!
P.N.: This writing is purely fictional (or is it?) :)
Continues Here
Driving around lazily in the summer evening, I pulled up my upbeat jeep next to the church. About 12 years back at the same spot the girl in the passenger seat next to me had directed me to an unexplored beach. And I was just being pulled to the very same shore that separated land from the mysterious ocean, so many years later.
Its been a while since I have been away. Actually 7 long years. Looking back at time, I can barely remember doing anything significant in these 7 years, of course besides working my a** off to get a decent living and remain in the so called Race of professional life. Frankly speaking nothing has changed in my life as I see it. But looking around my hometown, there are very few things in the same way from the last time I was around here. I can barely recognize things amongst the concrete structures that have come up where the road was once lined up with a numerous coconut trees. And worse still I have to ask for directions in a town where I have grown up.
As I made my way along the road to the beach, I remembered my journey along the same narrow road years back. I have been along this road several times, but for some reason the only trip I remember is with HER. It had been a nice drive along the interwining coastal road. We could not see the ocean, but we could definitely smell the salt in the air. Neither of us knew where the road led, or we did but strangely neither one accepted the fact and were delighted to be lost along the way and in each other's company. We encountered one village after another, as we discovered each other along the way. She was so sweet and innocent that it was hard for me to believe life could still be made so simple. Her giggles, her laughter that left a twinkle in her eye at every thing I said, made me happy, even though none of it made sense afterwards. The way she hit me every time I joked about her, the smile that bordered her lips every time I complimented her could barely be seen in the dark.But I could easily sense the comfort we both felt despite the small space that separated us.I barely remember much of what we spoke that day, but it did not matter. What mattered was that I could still remember the feeling of her sitting next to me. Finally we decided to make the turn and return home.As we turned around, we both could sense the disappointment that we felt in turning back. I surely hoped that someday life wouldnt make us turn and go in separate directions. Strangely life lets you experience your worst fears and forget the sweet dreams you much desire to live.
As we made the return journey, we came at the same church and surprisingly she made me drive along this very same road to this little known beach from this part of the town. Exactly why I had taken this route home but I let her have the pleasure of guiding me to a place which she believed was unknown to me, but in fact was one of my favorite hang out places and much frequented before I left town.Or maybe for the fact that I never wandered back there until today. Our journey along the untreaded path was still on. We dint know what lay ahead but we surely wanted to explore it together. Like the other things life would throw at us and we would take it on together. Another sweet dream!
I could feel the goosebumps and the hair at the back of my neck stand up as I made my way again along the same path. Much like the last time, I was not very sure what would greet my eyes. But I drove on alone, missing my companion. As the beach came in sight and I could hear the waves cresting just before the shore and softly landing on the shore only to find themselves being pulled back by the ocean and lose themselves amongst the many other mysteries the ocean hid under its velvety cover of the darkness.
I was amazed to find the beach in almost the same way I remember from my last visit. A couple of shacks did spoil the otherwise long, unmarred horizon. I parked just where the road ended and the long expanse of sand separated it from the sea. As I was about to sit on the hood,two sets of footprints caught my attention. And I strolled down the beach instead. I followed the prints to the water as they deftly made their way around the sand castle that still lay intact, with the small flag perched on the top fluttering joyfully in the evening breeze. While I folded my khaki's to keep them from the water,I could see the small castle separate the feet as the prints ran down to the shoreline and sense their re-union at the shore, but a sudden wave slid beneath my feet and still made my trousers wet at the edges. The water made me aware of my surroundings, only long enough to take me back in time to the front of my car and the passenger in it.
As we sat there staring at the ocean that lay ahead of us, we spoke about life and the many virtues we experienced in our short yet long lifetime. We opened up to each other finding solace in each others words. As she spoke animatedly about her childhood, her family, I could only gaze at her lovely dark eyes. I have seen very many shades of eyes, but hers has been the darkest till date, as if they would not let you peak beyond them and trap you within. But her every word oozed innocence. There wasn't a moment I felt trapped. In fact I barely remember being more myself with anybody else. As we wound up talking about other things and came to talking about us, we realized it was pretty late and we had to rush back to our respective homes. As I turned the key in the ignition , I could feel the joy of a memorable evening but also the desolation of ending a perfect evening.
With my feet firmly rooted in the sand and my eyes fixed at the horizon , I could still remember the evening that separated us as barely as the sky and the sea, seemed to the naked eye. And the vast expanse that time had left between us in all these years much like the reality between the sea and sky.
I retreated from the water which seemed to have widened its grasp on land and my trousers as well with the night bringing in the high tide.Was the feeling of completeness brought about by HER in my life temporary like the tide, Only to disappear with day light? I realized my cheeks were as wet as my khakhis if not more.
As I got back in the jeep and fastened up my seat belt to complete my drive back home, I could not stop myself from wondering whether I would find HER back in much the same way as the beach, Untouched by time!
The Ice cream always tastes best when frozen, neither a molten ice cream nor a refrozen one gives the same pleasure. Maybe romance follows the same rule!
P.N.: This writing is purely fictional (or is it?) :)
Continues Here
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