NoT JusT AnotheR MorninG....

It was early morning. The Sun yet to get warm had brought an end to relentless darkness of night. First rays of Sun announced the arrival of a new day. It had just made a grand entry at the horizon. Fine and cold sand beneath my legs glittered as glistening sunrays made the first contact with it. As I walked down the shore, a half crushed shell struck my foot. I bent down and picked the shell. Like the sand it was also cold. I looked around and there were many of those. Some of them were crushed by the Seagulls. They had already started their quest for food.

I moved close to the edge of shore and a tiny wave softly crashed on my foot. They say water in Arabian Sea is clean and clear when compared to Bay of Bengal but it was an exception there. Sea water flowing from Bay of Bengal was clean and shimmering under the effect of sunrays.

I stood there and was looking at the horizon unrelentingly. I was still holding the half crushed shell in my hand.

‘Do you ever put your bag down?’ asked Tanya as she took over the ownership of shell by almost snatching it from my hand. An old habit.

‘It’s my travel buddy’ I smiled.

Barely a month after spending a passionate evening at a sea shore near Manipal I was again at a beach with Tanya. It was a remote beach situated in the islands of Andaman and Nicobar, Car Nicobar. Why do we always crave for foreign land in search of natural beauty when we have so many unexplored locations in our own country?

‘This morning is so different for people on other side of ocean. It is beginning of same busy day at work but for me it is special. Not because I’m at some unexplored water land. It is because you are with me.’ She smiled and tucked her hairs behind the ear.

‘And nothing could be better then looking endlessly into your love-struck eyes on this beautiful morning’ I said as I turned towards her and put my arms over her shoulders.  Even though the rays were not warm, her face had turned red after Sunrays contacted her.

‘Look at them! They are so beautiful.’ Tanya exclaimed looking at a pair of pigeon. They were big and green in colour. Their neck was plum. They were one of the rare species of pigeon known as the Nicobar pigeon. Tanya rushed towards them and one of them flies away.

‘You scared him’ I said.

‘How do you know it was a male?’ she questioned.

‘He was taller!’ I grinned and she burst into a short laughter.

Next few hours we spent sitting on the shore. Sky above had turned grey slowly. It looked like it would rain soon. After some time Tanya moved into the water. She didn’t fear water anymore. I was watching her playing with the water and splashing it over me. She asked me to join her in the water but I ignored her. She screamed my name. I ignore her again as I was busy checking my travel buddy. However, it was difficult to ignore her beautiful voice and when she add child like accent, it became almost impossible to resist. I closed the zip of the bag and went inside the water to hold her in my arms. She was looking like a goddess.

I hold her hand and pulled her near the edge of the shore. I asked her to sit and close the eyes. She followed my instructions. After exactly three minutes I asked her to open the eyes again.

‘Wow!’ she covered her mouth with her hands.

‘I’m glad you remembered but you are twelve hours late’ she said and punched me in my stomach. Another old habit. I don’t like it. It hurts.

‘I wanted.. to give you.. surprise’ I stammered.

It was Tanya’s birthday. Both us knew that we came all the way to Nicobar to celebrate her birthday. It was just we like to play these kinds of dumb games. We are crazy.

Soon, she cut the cake after blowing the candle.

‘Don’t eat it. It was bought in Bangalore more than twenty four hours back.’ I flashed my thirty two teeth’s.

‘You didn’t buy it from the hotel this morning?’ she asked.

‘No’ I said and moved a step back. She again punched in my stomach. I knew it was coming. She loves cakes. I would prefer cakes over you. She had said once. I got up and ran towards the water. I fell as a tide just hit the shore. She came close to me. I held her hand and pulled close to me. I tucked her wet hairs behind with my fingers. We looked into each other’s eyes and smiled. Distance between us lessened further.

‘I have another surprise for you.’ I whispered.