Anirudh- The Story Of A Misread Barrister

Chapter-26: Waves And Seashells

After packing our books, we moved from library to the beach. This time on Bondita's insistence we boarded the tram. After a long time it dropped us near to the most beautiful place of the city, the beach. During the initial days of our stay here, we once visited the beach when kaka came to see us and had a great time. We had spent nearly half of the day until we were asked to leave the place by the police. However, that was Elliot's beach while this time we came to Marina beach, the busiest one with so many visitors. I was just recollecting those memories, when Bondita too spoke about it. I couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes, I wonder how we think about the same things at the same time. We are probably like the sea and sky that never meet but reflect each other in every possible way. I can see glimpses of myself in her while I carry all the shades given by her in these three years of our journey.

The pigeon blue water rising and pushing itself forward, then melting into white froth and retreating back, is not just a beautiful sight to watch but a meaningful message that Mother Nature wants to convey. Exactly that was why I brought Bondita to the beach. I wanted to teach her some life lessons today. I turned to look beside me for her, but she had long ago withdrawn her hand from mine and started moving forward towards the sea. Then all of a sudden I remembered hearing that the water in this sea is turbulent and it is not safe to bath or swim.

"This girl is becoming highly unpredictable day by day. She never cares for her safety.", I thought and rushed behind her but halted seeing her stop abruptly.

She turned around to face me and said while twisting her lips in displeasure, "Sakha babu, I think I can't go and play now."

"Why?", I asked.

"Don't you see that I wore a white dress? If I go into the water, my dress will become sandy and dirty.", Bondita replied sadly.

I smiled before bending to meet her height, "So, for this simple reason, you don't want to play? That shouldn't be the way, Bondita. It's just a dress and we shall instruct Lakshmi kaki to wash it well. Even after that if the dress doesn't get cleaned, then I will get you a new one. Okay?"

"Shotti?!! (Promise?!!)", she screamed pinching her throat.

"Shotti (Promise)", I assured her reciprocating her act with a wide grin.

"Yet, you have to be very careful. You shouldn't leave my hand as long as you are inside water. Is that okay? And we won't be going much forward into the sea, but will have fun where the waters are shallow.", I warned to which she happily agreed.

Saying this I extended my hand to her but not before folding my pants up to my calves and she placed her palm in mine. Holding hands, we walked towards the waves while I took the bag that clung to her shoulder and hung it across my torso.

"Sakha babu, what are you doing? That is a girl's bag you know. People may laugh at you.", she whimpered in protest and tried to pull it back from me.

"Come on, Bondita. Already I am struggling a lot to remove the gender bias existing in human beings. Now please don't assign genders to things as well. Tell me, what happens if I carry a girl's bag? Haven't I told you numerous times that there is nothing a man can do and a woman cannot? It implies the other way too.", I reasoned with her.

"Moreover, from when did you start thinking about what people would say, Ms. Bondita Das? I thought you are my student who walks in my path.", I uttered pretending to be disappointed.

"I am still your student and will forever walk in the path laid by you, my shikshak babu.", she said, before both of us burst into laughter.

As we progressed further, we saw the waves approaching us. We looked at each other with a mischievous grin and that was all; we knew what we want to do next. We moved back as if we were challenging the waves to drench us if they can. When the waves retreated we moved forward as if we were chasing them. In this game of chase and tease, ideally the waves won, when a strong wave of salty water hit our bodies, drenching us from toe to abdomen; thus proving again that man cannot overpower nature.