“Blueee... sagar ke dil main...blueeee...jitne khazane...” blared out from the speakers in perfect sync with our feelings as we took in the overwhelming sight. Mani had miraculously hit the jackpot this time. The vast expanse of water lapping up the shores provided a grand visual impact. The beach was wide and largely undisturbed. Our Sumo crawled down the road onto the beach followed by loud cheers. One of the unique aspects of this beach was that there were no proper roads to the resorts lined up facing the sea. We had to literally drive on the beach to reach our hotel. It was pure delight to see the line of beautiful resorts on one side and the sun simmering on the waves on the other. I could make out the silhouettes of people playing with the waves at a distance. I just wished to get down and run for the waves.
Driving on the beach was tricky. There were puddles of water here and there that asked to be avoided. The Sumo growled now and then as the driver changed gears frequently while maneuvering over the soft sand. In due course, he got the beast to prowl efficiently on the new surface and we were back to enjoying the sights.
We had planned our overnight stay at the Sana Beach Resort. It was one of the more famous names that we heard back in Kolkata. We had however voted not to book any rooms without having a look at them and perhaps even manage to draw out a discount in a face-to-face finalization. “Abbey... we crossed nearly a mile of resorts... but no Sana.” Mani quipped. “Aayegi mere yaar... Sana aayegi... aur kahan jayegi?” I grinned. There was always this nagging thought though, “What if we came in the wrong direction?” Another mile went by. Everyone stretched their necks and strained their eyes like a bunch of lemur cats searching for the eluding Sana resort. “Look up ahead... the last one.” Mani pointed out ahead. A signboard declared that the destination had been reached, “Welcome to Sana Beach Resort!” More cheers followed.
The resort was spread over a large area and decorated with taste. Another surprise awaited us when we reached the reception.
“We need two rooms: one for girls and one for boys. What options do you have?” I asked at the reception.
“Sorry sir, we are out of rooms at the moment” the manager said. I scratched my head as Upasana gave me a ‘I told you so’ look.
“Bad idea” I thought.
“Sir, you can check out our Presidential Suite and our Maharaja camps. They are the only ones available now.” the manager gave us a glimmer of hope.
“Camps won't be bad” Papori said.
“Should we check out ‘Diganta’?” Mani suggested about another resort that he had heard about.
“How much does this Presidential suite cost per day?” I asked the manager.
“It's 7800 rupees without tax. It is a cottage with two bedrooms and a drawing room and should be able to accommodate five of you” he replied.
"Two rooms taken together will cost you near about the same amount. Let's check out the suite. What say?" I asked the group as some enthusiasm came back along with hope.
The ‘Presidential Suite’ was a beautiful cottage with tinted glass walls and thatched roofs. There were three levels inside the cottage. The ground floor was the drawing room. There was a bedroom on the first floor and another one on the second floor.
“We are taking this suite” Upasana declared, “And this bedroom on the second level belongs to us girls!” I smiled and looked at the others. The decision had been taken. We went back to the reception to finalize the suite. To his credit, Mani had eventually managed to squeeze out a ten percent discount on the total amount. The driver's accommodation was arranged as well.
“Sir, we don't accept cards here.” the manager couldn’t help dropping another bomb when Mani took out his credit card. “There you go....another twist to the story. Guys do we have enough cash?” I wondered aloud. The nearest ATM was twenty kilometers away and we didn't want to waste time and energy to this end. A rough calculation showed that we would be able to manage for the night, provided extravagant expenses were curbed. “Phew...we can finally stay here.” I let out a sigh and went back to our cottage. The lodging issues finally stood settled.
The Beach
It was around 2.30 pm when we came for lunch. A satisfying lunch of Indian and Chinese delicacies settled the complaining stomachs.
Later in the afternoon, we came out to enjoy the serenity of the beach. The sound of the waves lashing the shores created a soothing rhythm for the heart. Mandarmani beach was quite different from other beaches in a pleasant way. It was peaceful, not many souls had visited this beach which meant that it was much cleaner than the crowded ones. I stood there looking at the distant boats on the horizon for sometime while the sea water lapped up my feet. It was enchanting. Away from all the worries of life, my heart felt thankful for the peace and calm. I knew that I could sit down looking at the sea for the entire day without getting bored.
“Dhat...dhat..dhat...dhatdhatdhat...” my moment with silence was broken by the arrival of a colorful motorcart. “Dada... ek chakkar pura ghooma ke layenge... aayiye..” the driver shouted above the din of the engine as he parked his vehicle beside me. I looked at the others. Upasana and Papori were delighted. They climbed onto the motorcart for a photo session. The driver insisted that we take a ride along the beach. We decided to save it for later. Somehow, we always tend to follow the unwritten rule: save the best for the last.
As we walked along the beach, we noticed some small mounds in the sand and some small creatures moving around. At the first sight, they seemed like some big ants coming in and out of those holes in the sand. A closer inspection however confirmed those as little crabs. They were quite a few in numbers and it was amazing to just look at them moving around the sand. Infact they were fast enough not to allow me to take a proper photograph. Camera shy people!
The waves in Mandermani were low and slow and allowed you to go far into the sea then you could otherwise. It was sheer pleasure walking through the waves and at times picking up shells left behind on the wet sand. On one instance, we made a startling discovery. Amongst the shells, we found a live starfish and then we found some more. The moving tentacles made a dent in my confidence, but I found a way around to pick one up with a shell. Papori christened a trio of the lot as Ina, Mina and Dika before they were washed away by the waves.
Time just passed by and before we knew it was sunset. The sun continued on its descent in the western sky, creating a myriad of colors. As the evening set in, the bluish sky was gradually tinted with a reddish hue and the sun turned into a large orange fireball. It was a magical moment to watch the sun gradually disappear into the horizon. This one moment was enough to justify our trip to this beautiful place. Well, someone missed it though. CK had spent the entire afternoon sleeping in the cottage. The scores would however be settled soon as we would find out.
“Hey CK, you missed a most beautiful sight.” Papori said when he finally joined the gang at the tea stall. “What else did I miss?” CK asked as he browsed through our recently clicked photos. We filled him with the details including Papori's newly christened starfishes: Ina, Mina and Dika. The evening wore on as solar powered lights lighted the few tea stalls along the beach. A few people had put up a volleyball court on the beach. The tides had brought in the waves closer to our resort. We sat down on the beach watching the volleyball match and chattered on about life and experiences. Now and then, cold drinks and delicious pakodas would ask for attention and we would oblige.On our way back from dinner at the restaurant, we noticed the time of sunrise being put up on the reception board. “Sunrise at 5.34 AM.” Mani read out. That was indeed a challenge to most of us. I couldn't remember when I had last seen a sunrise; maybe, during my last college exam four years back. I couldn't help smiling at the thought. “Guys, please set your alarms at 5.00 am,” Upasana asked. “We shouldn't miss the sunrise.”
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