The window seat passenger

2.10 PM !
I looked at the watch even as I closed the door of the car. There was a mad rush at the airport, the cause attributed to the arrival of some celebrity. I was late for the function that I had promised to attend and was thinking of how to salvage the situation, more so when the one given the promise to was my wife. Amidst that hurry, the thought of a window seat guy and a subtle guilt came around to prick my conscience. The car manoeuvred its way out of the parking lot and I glanced out of the rear seat window to see if he was still around. Finally I gave up and reclined back to ponder about the events of the past couple of hours.

A background preceding those couple of hours in the flight is necessary to understand how I ended up there. So, here it is.

It was a Sunday and Sundays are special. It is not advisable to spoil a Sunday plan when there is a family at back home, my own family - A little kid and a lovely wife! Yet, that was exactly what I did. An urgent trip to Guwahati had to be made and along with that a solemn promise was extracted to be back home by Sunday noon.

The assignment was completed in time. The traffic was relatively thin when I reached the Guwahati airport two hours before departure for my return flight to Kolkata. However, time management went for a toss when the beautiful lady at the flight counter informed of a two hour's delay with a smile. "You are going to be two hours late Mr. Konwar! Two hours !" I told myself. And then the lady added, "Sir, we don't have any window or aisle seats left !" Perfect, the lady no longer looked attractive!

A few hours later, I found myself perched in the seat between two fine gentleman, my poor knees stacked against the seat in front. Leg space has always been my problem while travelling and I stopped complaining about it for sometime now. Height had its disadvantages; this was one of them. The person to my left was a middle-aged man occupying the aisle seat. He seemed to be a businessman on a tour dressed in neat semi-casuals and a high end tablet on which he was reading The Economic Times. The window seat was taken by a boy in his late teens or early twenties. He was dressed in a black jeans, a jacket and a scarf. A careful observation revealed that the clothes had been past their due date but neatly taken care of. Normal guy, middle class, probably a college student ! I had this habit of trying to figure out people by their appearances, particularly when I am seating in the same row with them on the same flight. A bad habit, but sometimes necessary.

My already spoiled mood was further aggravated when I was left looking for the metal clasp of the seat belt. I finally traced it to my window seat neighbour sitting on top of it while he himself struggled to put together his own seatbelt. The length of the seatbelt was short and he was trying to pull in his stomach to tie the clasp. I looked in amazement when he finally put the lock in place but then he was unable to breathe. His struggle to unlock it made me smile with a tinge of sarcasm.His first flight, I thought! I helped him unlock it.

"Excuse me, can you be able to tie this one... for me?" he said  showing the seatbelt in his hands in an accent that told me he was new to speaking the language. It reminded me of my own student days when I had difficulty in picking up the correct grammar and vocabulary for the language.
I adjusted the length of the seatbelt and tied it properly for him. He smiled at me and said his thanks.
I opened a novel that I had been reading for the last few days. There was a hundred more pages left and the plot was entering into its final phase.
"How long to Kolkata ?" he asked in his broken English accent.
"One hour!" I replied in a monotone not wishing to continue the conversation. I was engrossed into the story. Besides the concern about the delay and the repercussions at home was always there. I made a mental note to get a few gifts on the way from airport to home.
"Excuse me, I need water... can you ask that air hostess?" the window seat guy looked at me expectantly. He was starting to get on my nerves. I didn't respond but pressed the overhead call button for the air hostess. He looked at button and then smiled at me "Thank you !".  He got his glass of water shortly after that.
A few minutes after take-off, the food trolleys came out. The airlines was serving complimentary snacks to all the passengers and I was hungry. It was a nice change to see complimentary food when most of the airlines charged passengers separately for the same.
When the food trolley reached our row, the window seat guy spoke up "Excuse me, is that food priceless ?" I couldn't help but a smile escaped my lips. The air hostess looked at him for a second and then regaining her composure replied, "Sir, the snacks are complimentary. You don't have to pay for it."
"So, it means there is no price on it. Free?" he sought a confirmation.
"Yes sir!" she said firmly, the irritation was showing up on the lady's face.
And then the window seat guy gobbled the snacks in no time. A thought crossed my mind that maybe I should ask him to speak in a language he is comfortable in. But then he stayed silent for five more minutes, so I let it be and continued reading the novel.
"Excuse me, which way is the toilet?" the voice spoke up again.
I told him that he should go towards the back of the plane since the front side didn't have one. Without waiting for me to get up, he rushed through the narrow space between the seats inviting a glare from the businessman in the aisle seat. The distribution of snacks was not yet over and the food trolleys were still in the aisle. He stood behind an air hostess impatiently.
"Sir, can you go back to your seat for a few minutes. Please let us complete the service" I heard the air hostess address the guy at the back.
And so he came back and rushed through the narrow space hurting our legs one more time into his seat. And he sat there in silence.
The snacks service was over and the trolleys went back to their parking area. But the guy didn't leave his seat. Maybe he felt insulted or maybe he didn't wish to go any more. My concern was that he would stand up any time soon and then he would rush out hurting my legs again. I contemplated if I should ask him if he wanted to go out again. A few minutes later, the air hostess came up to our seat row and informed the window seat guy that he could use the washroom if he wished to. Was there a little ounce of guilt on her face, I would never know.
"Excuse me ..." he said but this time, I stopped him midway raising my hand.
"Wait." I told him. I got up. The aisle seat gentleman followed. Both of us stepped into the aisle to make way for the guy.He said his thanks and walked towards the washroom at the back.
A few minutes later he was back and we followed the same process till he was comfortably back in his seat.
"Excuse me, what time is it?" he asked.
"1.30pm" I replied. It surprised me that as a student he didn't have a watch. Some people don't like wearing one. Maybe he was one of them.
"Is that Kolkata ?" he asked in excitement looking out through the window pane.
"No, some other city." I replied.
"How much long to Kolkata?" he continued.
By this time I was absolutely annoyed with his questions and antics. I ignored him and tried to read the book.
A few minutes later, the flight finally landed in Kolkata airport. As the plane taxied into its designated parking area, my little neighbour was getting anxious. When the plane finally came to a halt, he was in a hurry forcing his way towards the front deck. I was absolutely pissed off.
"What kind of a student are you? Do you have any common sense?" I blasted at him.
He looked at me apologetically but didn't say anything. The people around were looking at us.
Gradually, he disappeared into the crowd. I got down from the plane as the queue of passengers gradually started moving forward.
When I reached the conveyor belt to collect my luggage, the little guy was present there. A gentleman beside him walked upto me and shook my hand. He said that he was sorry on behalf of his aide. I got to know from him that my neighbour throughout the flight was not a student but a helper of the gentleman I was talking to. He was seated in the front rows while I had the company of the little guy. He was an orphan and had been with the gentleman for a few years now. Perhaps, it was his anxiety and his self-esteem that made him react the way he had.
Apologizing once again,the gentleman walked away while the little guy followed him with the luggage trolley. He looked at me one last time and nodded his head.
I collected my luggage and walked towards the parking lot. Somewhere, the anger had turned into remorse, maybe a little guilt as well. I tried to reason with myself. I was angry with his behaviour but the apologies from his master had made up for it. And then the realization that he was not an average student but a teenager trying to learn a new language on his own effort made him a little different from the initial perception. A little window seat guy trying to create his own identity !
Phew ! That memory stays with me for sometime.
"Dada, please make a halt at CC2. I need to get a few things." It was time to get ready for a new challenge at home.

Pencil Sketch (Kristen Stewart)

Subject: Kristen Stewart

Medium: HB Pencil on A4 paper,

Duration: 5 hours

The Night Jasmine

"Life is such an amazing blend of hopes, aspirations and realizations !" I thought as I made my way through the evening clatter of people. The erstwhile municipal block market was a few hundred meters from my abode that I have been trying to call home for sometime now. A park adorned the pride of place between these two terminal points of importance in my daily life. And incase you are wondering, the answer is 'Yes' for the market is important - this is where my groceries come from and occasionally my dinner when I'm not in a mood to exercise my culinary skills. Well, tonight turned out to be such an occasion.

           The small iron gate creaked in protest as I swung it open to let myself into the park. With every footstep, the halogen street lamps cast shadows of altering dimensions that followed me through the gravel path. A cool breeze from across the playground brought in a pleasant candor and caressed the face with unrestrained affection. Somewhere wrapped within the layers, a familiar scent held onto the senses; it was the smell of a world lost in the mundane activities of a seemingly busy life. The fragrance of old memories led me to a corner of the park - the sight of a blossoming night jasmine tree filled the famished heart with pure delight. I picked up a couple of the small white and orange colored flowers and walked down to a battered concrete bench nearby. At a distance the thunder rumbled; the clouds had gradually started to envelop the starry night skyline. It was going to rain in a while.

          Nearly eighteen years ago, life in general was a lot more simple and enjoyable; responsibility was just a farce in the face of innocence. On a cold November morning, a little boy would wake up at the crack of dawn overcoming the comfort of the warm quilt and the urge to sleep late on a Sunday morning. Throughout the week, he had been looking forward to this day - a day when he needn't get ready for school and instead would accompany Aaita (grandma) on her morning walks. Dressed in a single layer of woolens, a monkey cap and his 'Action' shoes, he ran to the room across the dining hall to wake up Aaita.

          "Oh, you are ready" she said, opening her sleepy eyes and smiled at him though the veil of the mosquito net.

          "Aaita, get up quickly ... we are getting late" he pleaded.

          "I'm coming dear. You go ahead and unlock the gates" she replied. His face glowered in joy as he collected the keys on the table and ran outside to open the gates. On the way out, he called out to his sleeping mother, "Ma, I'm going out with Aaita". He didn't wait for a reply. He knew that it would be followed by an order to put on another layer of woolens and that could just delay the little adventure.

            It was a beautiful morning. The sun was not yet up and a blanket of mist covered the sleepy neighborhood.Crystal drops of dew hung from the leaves of the trees. The little hands struggled to open the lock even as he smiled at his grandma carefully treading the steps on the front porch. She had wrapped herself in an eri chadar (an Assamese shawl) to fend of the cold and walked slowly towards the night jasmine tree beside the gate. It was blossoming in its peak season and the sweet fragrance of the jasmine flowers pervaded the cold morning air. She picked up a few flowers from the ground and handed it to him. He held the flowers close to his nose and chuckled with delight. "Keep them in your pocket dear" she told him, "we will pick up some more on our way back."

          The road ahead was shrouded in an atmosphere of mist that lent to it a mysterious, fairytale effect. The little boy hopped around his grandma as they slowly went on their way ahead. "Hey big boy, out for a morning walk, huh?" a busy Purnima pehi(aunty), sweeping off the fallen leaves in the courtyard with a bamboo broom, called out.
         "No school on Sunday!" he grinned back at her.
         "Let's walk to the bridge" she said cheerfully and joined the troop, leaving behind her broom resting against one of the pillars of the gate. The ladies soon became busy chatting about the daily happenings around the neighborhood. The little boy broke into a sprint and enjoyed the chilly current of air brushing against his face. Running on the asphalt road was an opportunity he didn't miss on their morning walks, especially when mom was not there with her strict directions. The sun brought in the first magical rays of light streaming through the canopy of tall trees. He reached the wooden bridge and glanced over the wooden beam, unmindful of the shouts to be careful. In the last few months approaching winter, the stream had transformed into a small brook and the gurgling waters sparkled in the warm rays of sunlight.
           Aaita and Purnima pehi spent some time enjoying the warm sun, while the little boy tried to put into use his newly learned skill of skidding pebbles over the water surface. He was not yet perfect, the stone managing to jump just once over the surface and then deciding to sink itself into the water. But he was getting there, he thought. The long siren of the nearby tea garden broke the silence, announcing the formal arrival of the morning at thirty past six.
          On the way back home, Purnima pehi said, "I'm coming down to your place in the afternoon. We will beat your grandpa at carrom today, okay buddy?" The little boy nodded and smiled, "We won't let him cheat again, would we?"
          Reaching home, he hopped around the night jasmine tree. The small flowers coated with dew covered the ground beneath like a soft white carpet. The fragrance carried through the air to create a mesmerizing effect. It was beautiful he thought, as he got to the task of helping Aaita to collect the flowers. He still had half an hour in hand before Rangoli started and then he would have his breakfast and get ready in time to watch Mowgli, Baloo and Uncle Scrooge. This was his day, he thought and he would enjoy it.

           The ringing of the mobile brought me back to the halogen lit park. A look at the display showed "Mom calling..." I got up from the bench and slowly walked towards the marketplace. "Hi Ma..." I spoke into the mobile. A smile broke onto the lips as I heard her voice over the earpiece asking about my day in office. The first few drops of rain came down in a steady flow and gradually increased in intensity. I glanced back at the night jasmine tree as it swayed in the wind. "Ma, I'm coming home for a few days" I heard myself say, "It's been a really long time!"

Badmaa$h Company(Bollywood flick) - a review

Badmaash Company ! Catchy title for a hindi flick. A set of fresh faces, a story of four friends, a movie under Yashraj banner... hmmm interesting I thought, but not good enough to entice me out on a hot and humid May weekend. And I didn't want another weekend spoilt by a lame story, the pathetic movie called 'Houseful' still haunted me. And yet, against all reasoning, I went all the way braving the sun to the nearest multiplex in City Center for a matinee show. Some decisions happen just on impulse. I am glad though that it was worth the effort.
        Badmaash Company is a story of four friends out to change their fortunes and make some quick money. When I saw the promos of this movie, it reminded me of the hollywood flick '21'. Another inspired bollywood version I thought, after 'Teen Patti'. The similarity ends with the idea of making quick bucks though, the means of doing so are different and one of a kind. And that is what held my attention thoughout the span of the movie. Someone did put in a lot of thought while writing the script. Shahid looked refreshing as the main protagonist with a gifted sense to discover loopholes in the business world, outwit the average brain and make profits. Apart from the dubious and ingenious ways of execution of marketing concepts, the story is on predictable lines as we proceed through the graph of need,aspiration,arrogance,retribution and finally redemption.
       Anushka Sharma looked awesome as the only lady member of the gang and a complete turnaround from her character in 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'. Somehow, she managed looked younger and more appealing than she did in her previous venture. Her witty line "Ye baat nahi karte" managed to fill the auditorium with whistles and laughter.
       Chang(from Indian Idol Fame) and Vir fit the role of the other two members of the Badmaash Company convincingly.
       As a whole, its a good movie and left me amused with its innovative plot. Go and watch it - you won't be let down :)

A New Year and 'A Sincere Effort'

The new year is finally here. Wishing all of my readers a warm and relaxed new year 2010. And yes, I keep on forgetting that it is 2010.Few of my cheque leaves found their way into the waste paper basket yet again. During my school days, the first week would always inadvertently start with dates red-marked for correction in my classnotes. But then, there are many beautiful memories that have been weaved in with the new year nostalgia. The excitement of starting a fresh session in school was unique. The pleasing smell of new books, a new pair of uniforms and a new classroom brought in a sense of joyous anticipation to the heart. In between, a picnic would be just about perfect to spend a cold January weekend. Besides, there would be a series of new year resolutions that are almost always meant to be broken within a week. Over the years, I have found a more comfortable and acceptable way of replacing resolutions. They aren't resolutions anymore... they are now my 'Sincere Efforts'!

Anyways, I would be starting this new year's 'Sincere Efforts' with a series of short stories on some special moments of college and hostel life: 'The College Diaries'. So, watch this space for some interesting and funny true incidents !

Shells, starfishes & a bunch of friends: Part 3

Midnight nuisance

Around midnight, everyone went back to their rooms with a tough task at hand. I took to the comfort of the sofa bed in the ground floor relishing over the events of a day well spent. I smiled remembering CK's joke about renaming Papori's starfishes as alpha, beta and gamma. Gradually, sleep got better of me as thoughts changed to dreams. I wondered why Ina, Mina and Dika were taking a motorcart ride while I sat down on the beach resolving official issues on a strange laptop. Somebody was shouting at me from the cottage asking me to come back.
“Partha... wake up!” somebody shook me up. I sat down trying to figure out where I was. Upasana's scared face told me something was wrong. “There is something up in our room.” she said.
“Ok... don't panic. Let's check it out.” We went up to the second floor and heard some strange chirping somewhere in the room. The silence of the night made the noise scary. Finally, we concluded the noise to be coming above the thatched roof. Common sense told us that it was perhaps a bird although we couldn't rule out a snake. But then, snakes don't make that much noise on rooftops. The chirping finally stopped after sometime.
“Don't worry! Go back to sleep” I tried to convince the girls, “It's just a bird and it won't harm you……just a little frightened to see your faces.” Upasana mumbled something as I stepped down the stairs back to my sofa bed. “Call me up if you feel too scared.” I shouted back from the ground floor.

A confusing morning – scores settled

The morning brought in a new confusion. I woke up to find that we had apparently missed our appointment with the rise of the Sun God. A look at the hands of my wrist watch indicated it was already six in the morning. “Traitor!” I cursed my mobile alarm. An investigation into this crucial failure showed that I had messed up while setting the day of the alarm. Lazily though, I got up and limped to the entrance to draw away the curtains. And lo.... surprises never cease to amaze me. This one was more of a shock. The main door was open. “Did I forget to lock the door last night?” my heart skipped a beat, “I think I did or maybe... I didn't...” I looked around to see that my wallet was still on the table. Further scrutiny confirmed that nothing was stolen from the room... everything seemed to be in its place. Mixed feelings of relief and confusion shrouded my lazy morning brain as I stood at the doorway thinking over the incident.

“Good morning Partha !” a familiar voice rang through my ears. Surprisingly, the voice came from outside the cottage. A familiar lanky figure came jogging towards the cottage. “You missed the sunrise!” CK said with a smile. “Oh!” I said, still trying to come into terms with what was happening. “It was you, not me!” I smiled back. It was his turn to be confused. “Don't worry! You left the door open and I was just concerned as to what happened.” I added, in an attempt to explain the situation. CK nodded, then as an afterthought said “You guys didn't budge an inch when I tried to wake you up, so i went alone.” I felt angry with myself and then with Mani and the girls. “It was beautiful... and there were lot of people on the beach to witness the event,” he added, while I swallowed back my anger. I looked out from the door towards the blue sea. It was still early and worth taking a walk down the beach. We missed the big event but then it was still a beautiful beachside morning.
“Get up lazy bums! It's morning and you missed the sunrise.” I shouted from the ground floor. Mani grumbled. Upasana's voice came ringing from the second floor, “What is the point of waking up if sunrise is already past?”
She always has a logic ready however wild it may be. “Maybe because it would be worth it”, I shouted back.


Fifteen minutes later, the troupe of sore eyes and yawning faces finally assembled together for our beach venture. It was an enchanting sight at the beach. The sun was warm and a cool breeze brushed our faces. The horizon was filled with quite a few small boats; early risers out for work unlike us. A group of noisy teenagers played Frisbees nearby . “Dhat dhat dhat.... dhatdhatdhat...” a motorcart came to a halt beside us and the driver looked at us expectantly.
“This is fun!” Upasana shouted over the din of the engine. The motorcart of dangling legs and excited faces raced along the beach while the morning sun lifted our spirits. On the way back, Mani decided to take on the driver's job. It was an amusing scene with the driver and the girls trying to give directions to Mani in their own way. While the driver's instructions were concerning the clutch operation, the girls went all out shouting at Mani to give back the control to the driver. Five minutes later, we landed safely in front of a tea stall and there were sighs of relief.

The morning passed on and before we realised it was time for us to leave Mandermani. A morning breakfast of maggi and coconut water at the seaside stall was just about perfect to celebrate the end of our stay in this coastal village.
We went to the reception to clear out the last of the formalities and the payments.
“It was an owl, Sir.” the receptionist said when we inquired about the noise last night.
“Ahaa...it was an insomniac one.” I replied, much to the amusement of a few tourists checking in.

“All done!” Mani said, putting in his final signature on the register. It was noon when we finally boarded our Sumo. A few minutes later, we were back to driving on the beach on our way back. There were people enjoying the waves in the afternoon sun and new tourists were still pouring in. As the Sumo climbed onto the tarmac, it picked up speed. All of us were tired. The girls had already dozed off. But this tiredness was refreshing in a kind of way, breaking the monotony of office life. The music from the stereo player hummed on a sweet melody. Much as I wished to stay awake, the eyes refused to do so. We drove past a milepost which declared that we were still 116 kms away from Kolkata. “We would need another.... mmmmnnn... two hours... maybe less....” I couldn't remember much after that till I woke up amidst the blaring horns of Kolkata traffic.
Welcome back Home!


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Shells, starfishes & a bunch of friends: Part 2

Destination Mandarmani

“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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