Marine Musings- A short story

pic from photography.about.com

Sitting on the paved fence at marine drive promenade, looking at the waves striking the rocks and bouncing off, I wondered if there is any meaning to all this, to the unending water, to the blending of the sky into the sea, to the rocks which protect the city and wear themselves apart and to me sitting here, watching all this, when I should actually be back home. It was not for the first time that I was wondering about the underlying meaning and purpose behind all things that people generally are too busy to think about. Maybe, I am too lazy to be busy doing things that everyone does or maybe I am just a fool dabbling in mindless exercises. Nonetheless, my thoughts wandered way beyond the seas, the skies and the rocks. Now, I was thinking about my purpose in life, the cycle of birth and death...when my thoughts were abruptly, rudely, interrupted. Interrupted by the sweetest smell, I turned my face to the right and saw a girl about my age, making space to sit down on the fence, she was confused whether to sit beside me or beside a couple getting cosy! After some moments of indecision she carefully calculated the exact centre of the distance separating me from that couple, and proceeded to sit down. I was amused and unknowingly a soft smile formed itself on my lips.

"What's funny?" she asked, visibly perturbed.

"err..nothing really"

"excuse me, I saw you looking at me and smiling"

"So?" I asked mockingly, I should have just said sorry, I thought! 

"nothing..I don't want to spoil such a peaceful moment over a useless argument”

“My point exactly!”

And then we looked towards the massive blueness as a wave violently crashed over the hard and sharpened rocks with a roaring splash. It’s amazing how pervasive music is! It’s everywhere, in the hustle-bustle of traffic jams, in the whistling winds and dancing trees, in the raindrops clanking on the roofs, but of course, life is not meant to enjoy such precious little moments of pure bliss, huh!

A waft of gentle breeze brought her scent along and my train of thoughts took a complete detour!  I felt a strong urge to look at her, but resisted the temptation. It was after, what seemed like an hour, but was actually less than five minutes, that she broke the wall of silence between us.

“So, you new to this place?”

“yup” I replied,after a brief moment of indecision between yes,yep and yup!

“I come her almost every week, love the tranquillity of the place and the feel of the wind on my face!”

“Couldn’t agree more! Amidst all the noise, dirt and commotion of the city, this place is an utter delight. So pleasing to the senses!”

Conversation flowed like a gentle sea breeze and it was evident that we shared a lot in common. From being voracious readers to being selective movie-goers, from food to music our streams of interests converged. But there was a difference in the way she lived her life to the full. Her life was an expression of ' joie de vivre'. I was fascinated by her stories. I listened to her life's tales with rapt attention as though those were matters of national importance! Her night outs at friends’ places, the brawls in bars, the crowded coaches of local [“Ah! Second class general compartments are a different world altogether!”] and then, I wasn't listening, her words were like the cool morning breeze which seem pleasant but of which one is mildly aware with the rising sun stealing all the attention. My Sun were her lips. All my thoughts circled around them. The way they moved while forming words, my eyes simply wouldn't divert! The breeze had picked up its pace and her hair danced to the tunes of the wind, though it was still evening, the gathering black clouds darkened the space between us.

"What do you think?" she asked, as a dancing strand of hair gracefully fell upon her face.
" Haan, yes, I totally agree!"
“What? Were you even listening to me?”
“Oh yes, of course I was, just the last part, it got drowned in the wind”

The excuse worked, and how! She moved closer! Now, our shoulders rubbed every time she laughed. That made me spill several beans, only so she could laugh. Each bout of her laughter dissolved some more boundaries between us. She was spilling all her secrets too, one by one, all our best kept secrets tumbled out. “Hey, I have no idea why I am telling you all this”, she remarked. “Tell me about it” I quipped, as we both laughed. Lost in the moment , we shifted closer to each other. There was a thunder above, and thunder within, as light drizzle fell like an approval from the sky and the wind died down. The street lamps were beginning to light up and the noise and din of the traffic was rising.  

She fell silent presently and absorbed the beauty of the moment; light drizzle looked magical against yellow pearls of the queen's necklace. She caught me looking at her face and for once didn't turn away. Her eyes searched for an answer in mine, I held her chin to wipe away some drops that had settled on her lips, I paused for a moment, the drops looked like white gems. We both leaned in, I more, she just a little, her lips were soft, the drops had made them wet, my heartbeat rose and then stopped. It's strange how we skip a beat in the liveliest of moments! The drizzle was now getting heavier and there was a slight chill in the rain.  As her lips further pressed into mine, strange warmth ran through me. The sensation lingered for a while, well after our lips had parted.

I looked towards the darkened horizon; sea was the darkest shade of blue and betrayed strange calmness even as rain drops roughened its smooth surface here and there as a lone bird, pure white with wings stretched out, glided over the sea like a dream. When life is so beautiful, who cares if it has any meaning at all!