Sunday, August 02, 2009

The Secret





















Snehal walked on the sand- barefoot, lost- neither happy, nor sad, just peaceful. Full of sea smell and the taste of humid breeze. She sat on a stone, gazing at the horizon, at the sun that was setting away from her day to rise into his. She felt connected. To him, to the sun, to the unfathomable sea, to the changing sky, to the birds that returned home in flocks, to the empty shell under her toe. She looked up at the lighthouse and noticed two lovers watching the sunset from above, silhouetted in orange, dusky red, and then grey, as if morphing into souvenirs. Souvenirs of the beautiful moments that had slowly, stealthily grown into memories. And now, they were her most treasured belongings- the hysterical laughters, the unembarassed tears, the crazy stories, the fast music, the long drives; life, in hindsight, looked like a fast forwarded reel. Only at some points, it stoppped. Like the day they spent building castles of sand. Like the game during which they exchanged dolls as a promise to be together forever. Like the day he picked up a fight with the bully of the colony for her sake. Like the evening she spent waiting for him in the park, full of anticipation, anxiety, hoping he would come (though she hadn't called him and he didn't come). Like the night of college fest that they danced away. Like that night on the beach when they came close, when friendship crept away from between them like sand from a tight fist, only to make way for something else. Bigger or better was for fate to decide. She smiled at the moon. It smiled back, a mischievous smile, as if it held a secret it wouldn't disclose. She understood. She had secrets too. In her heart and in her womb. She inhaled the scent of wet sand and closed her eyes, trying to listen to the second heartbeat. She wondered if it smelt what she smelt, felt what she felt, if it was aware of the strange pangs of love that she felt for it, love that choked her, engulfed her, transformed her. She did not know the answer. But she was content with the not knowing. She felt complete. She got up to leave. Tomorrow he would be made party to yet another secret of hers. Rest was for fate to decide.

14 comments:

commited to life said...

that was such a peaceful piece.. the peace she found in her pain and the way it was written were both amazing..
i quite liked ur writing style.. the way u hav written readers can actually feel the emotions the pain and the connection

luved it

Rhea said...

well for a person who is being made
to write a favourable comment at 'gunpoint',this might not seem to be a very genuine response.but I will try to be as natural as posible.for starters,i loved the piece.first i felt she is reminiscing her own time but then later in the passage i couldnt be so sure.haha.the course of thoughts engulfing snehal's mind seem to be like of goddess of earth(sand,moon,sun,earth,etc,etc.)[and ya sun amd moon cant be together]but now i must come down to the well deserved appreciation to the article of a dear friend.snehal seems to be an impresssion of the very reader wondering and waiting for the right time for the right thing.the reader is forced to concoct an ethereal image in their minds of love,of nature,of rememberance,of life ....of themselves relishing nature in its full bounty and giving yourself away to the horizon.kudos tulika.

Tulika Verma said...

:) ahem ahem....
thank you.....i mean really....u dont know how desperate i am for comments these days...and u gave me such a long one!! :D
Ok..time to clarify the doubts...the sun has set and the moon has appeared....they are not together at the same time....
anyway, thanks a lot for the ' well written' comment....it contains a lot of thought and effort...:P
i have never seen anyone so excited about posting a comment :P...thanks again... :)

7thstranger said...

nice piece... if only i can write like that :)

thanks for droppin' by my site. :)

Tulika Verma said...

:) you are most welcome....
Thanks for the appreciation.... :)

Anonymous said...

when u commented on mine i was so sure u wanted the same...haha :P
a very well written one. describing nature is the toughest thing for me. you've put it beautifully and the way it has highlighted what snehal is actually going through is amazing. kudos gal. miss ur philosophy so much ;) love ya

Tulika Verma said...

haha...miss you too sweetie...

laconism said...

omg.....very soothing..very sweet...its a beauty . eager for the nxt 1

Tongue Trip said...

appreciate your visit at my blog. read yours and enjoyed the moments and tempo you built around common scenes and feelings, such familiarity is always comforting..if you know what i mean. enjoy writing. tata!

christina said...

you took me by the hand... with your beautiful and inviting words.

Tulika Verma said...

@Tongue Trip
thank you :)

@ Christina
thanks a lot. your words take my heart away...everyday :)

peeksi said...

Though i'm toooooo late for posting comment on dis but better late than never:).Minez resembles d second comment in queue..keep blogging:)

Kartik said...

Lovely...

Tulika Verma said...

Thank you Peeks!
Thanks Kartik!