The Sea

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Yves Cousteau

I recently visited a beach. Now I don't love the sea and the beaches in the abnormal way that some people seem to. I am okay being there, okay not being there too! Being there I sat and pondered as to why I was actually there, why were so many people?

That middle aged lady, wrapped in a blue saree, probably uncomfortable by the fabric, just sat and watched as the kids and the husband played in the water. To her the sea was having a quiet moment to herself, once a year, without having to cater to anyones demand.

To the old man, a native, sitting on the rocks, the sea was the only thing that remained from his childhood, as his generation slowly faded away, never changing, never moving, never leaving!

One sea crusted jewel after another, the magnificence of what was beneath a hundred times more than the surface. The deep secrets in the dark depths, the sea was a fairy tale for the scientist mining knowledge on a terrain that few shall tread.

As she doodled on the sand, the little toddler was all smiles as the sea was the freedom to be dirty and sloppy without being lifted and thrown in the bath or straightened and smoothed to appear like the child from a "good" family.

Beer ran freely, into the glasses and up the system, as the clouds shaded the harshest of the sun rays. There were pretty girls to look at, from behind glasses and buddies to go crazy with. For those 5 college boys, the sea was one of them, young and wild.

Sniff, dig and sleep. The sea was 'the dog's day' for as long as he was there!

Selling her wares, while her husband clicked pictures and her son etched tattoos, following the endless stream of visitors and changing the language she spoke in at the blink of an eye, while she cajoled and nagged 'potential' customers into doing and buying THE beach stuff, it was a sea of business for the beachside hawker.

The first trip together, the gentle showers, the smooth sand and the romantic lighting. The sea and sky were as much in love as the young couple, so steeped in emotion that even the plastic bags that were washed ashore added to hues of magic!

Failure, humiliation and anger. A dark storm brewed just near the horizon, it would consume all in the way, while consuming itself, till nothing was left and the next day dawned so clear as if nothing had touched the vast expanse and the world would go on just like it did. For those troubled eyes, the sea was the last thing they saw, through a downpour of their own.

For me the sea was simply a boundary, that I intend to cross, glide over to the other side and wave a hello to the land this side!

For the sand the sea was a million imprints, to make them its own and wash away into being nothing, just like life!

P.S. Seashores are never going out of fashion, for one reason or the other!