Faces with Stories

I always find travel inspiring. For a short while you're thrust into the company of people you've never met but who make the same journey as you. There is no exchange of words or greetings and they get on and off at some point without a hi or bye. Sometimes there may be the occasional conversation - about the weather, the traffic, the slow driver, the destination you're headed and so on. But at the end of it all your fellow traveller would remain a nameless stranger. So on a long journey when no urgent matters worry the mind one sometimes can't help sitting  back and wondering what their story was... What brought them here? What is their life really like?

In school, when I took the city bus home every afternoon, there was a college-going girl who took the same bus and got down two stops before me. She had a brace on her leg and everyone used to make way so she could go in first and sit in the front seat. One day I happened to sit along with her. I'm sure she noticed me as much as I did everyday so I decided to make conversation. In my innocence, I asked her how she hurt her leg. "No I didn't get hurt, I have polio," she smiled and replied. I realised my mistake and said I was sorry. But I went on to ask her where she lived and what she studied and we talked until she got down at her stop. And from that day on, we smiled at each other whenever we met and bid goodbye when she got down the bus. Eventually due to extra classes or some other reason I used to arrive late at the bus stop and didnt see her for a while. Then a whole year passed and I decided she must have left college and settled elsewhere. I don't remember what her name was but I wonder about her sometimes... if her life changed as much as mine did..

Another thing that I always try, especially in a train (when I'm not dozing off), is 'guessing the story' - the clothes, luggage and scraps of conversation often provide sufficient detail. A chattering family off to a wedding or piligrimage, a gentleman with light luggage wearing a leather jacket and checking his phone every few minutes is obviously travelling on business, a girl with her anxious parents going to attend her first day in college in a faraway city (deja vu :P) and rarely, a couple of very cooperative students on a holiday tour. The others like the chai-wala, moori-wala, the woman selling bananas.. their 'story' seems obvious on the outside but one day of their life would be so.. different.. and detached.. from ours. And yet here we are, on the same journey and we will not see each other again.

There are no limits to human curiosity.. And after going through my ramblings above, I wondered.. There are strangers whose stories we may never know. But sometimes even people we are close to surprise us.. So much so that we are left to question if we ever knew their 'story' at all...

Forgotten Things

The other day, while searching for a bottle to keep my collection of shells, I remembered that it might be in the box that contained all my playthings. With help from my mom, I located it in my dad's room where it sat in a corner below the cupboard, forgotten, and collecting dust. I opened it, and there they all were - a chessboard with pieces (that was really old and probably belonged to my grandfather), a Ludo and Snakes & Ladders board, Scrabble, coins for the carrom board, a ring to play catch with (like frisbee), a pack of cards and a set of marbles (to play that brainteaser game in which you are supposed to have one marble left at the end). And of course there was the empty 'Gems' tube, which seemed apt for my requirement (now when I think about it, its probably more than 5 years old! - I have the habit of leaving such odd things lying around...).

I sighed... They brought back so many memories. Those were the treasures of my school years -  every summer vacation, when it was too hot to step outside, me and my sister would enjoy many hours playing indoor games. Snakes and ladders was a favourite (it was especially fun when playing with 'sound effects', whenever one went up a ladder or was gobbled by a snake). Those wonderful days seem so far away now... Its been years since I've actually played or even touched any of those games!

But I did not let my find that day go to waste... And now I can say I've become re-addicted to Scrabble ;)

A Lesson in Fishing

I consider myself lucky to be living on the coast. For me the sea is a wonderful friend, tranquil and breathtaking, but unpredictable, even fearsome at times... Its magnificence and fury both add to its alluring nature.

Today was a good day to be out at sea (being a weekday there was less chance of noisy crowds) and that's just what me and my buddies did. The pleasant weather and the cool-but-not-chilly water were perfect for our evening picnic. Just as we ventured into the water near a couple of precarious looking rocks, we noticed two small boys - one with a polythene bag and the other with a plastic bottle, running farther into the sea, not far from us. It did not take long for us to figure out that they were catching fish. Our curiosity was fulfilled when we asked them.

"Emi chestanuru?" (What are you doing?)

"Chapalu patukuntunamu akka! (We are catching fish, sister!) " one of them replied. "Chusthara? (Will you see?) " he volunteered. While Subba and Rajeev sat on dry rocks to keep themselves from getting wet, me and Anu followed the two boys to get a closer look at their seemingly interesting hobby. When the waves came in, they would wait in places where water got trapped between the rocks. Sometimes, one or two tiny fish would also be trapped, and thats when one of them, polythene  bag in hand, would take his chance. If they were lucky, they would transfer the fish into the plastic bottle.

They had caught only one fish today, a small white one with black stripes. What will you do with them, I asked. "Penchukuntamu, akka (We will keep them as pets)," the boy replied, grinning. Climbing the rocks quickly and with agility, they led us to show other pools among the rocks where they caught fish. And while exploring, we came to know that they were studying in a school nearby. One of the boys, who was the more talkative of the two, didn't seem to understand why I was collecting pebbles and shells nestled in between the rocks. I think he obviously thought it silly to collect inanimate objects like shells and a duller hobby than collecting fish.

Later, noticing our enthusiasm, they asked us if we actually wanted the fish. Now, Anu already had a fish bowl at home and I am going to leave Vizag in a week, and there really is no other person in my household who may be interested in taking care of the fish (if I got them). So we declined the offer and asked them to take care of the fish, even though they pestered us (even whispering to one another whether to sell it to us for 5 or 10 rupees :) ). They were still there, running among the waves, after we played in the sand for a while and decided to leave when it was getting dark.

I despise those two boys and their freedom, but I'm also happy for them... For these would be part of their many lovely memories of the Sea that would remain with them as they grow up.. And so this would be for me too..

The Ocean, mighty and full of life, never fails to enthrall.. :)