Letters I
Hey Neha
Nice to see you. Come down here. I’ve got a surprise for you. Watch your step. There’s always a snake or two resting among these dried coconuts. But take off your shoes first. You can leave them here. There’s nobody around for miles. I ask you to walk barefoot through the sand because I do not want you to disturb my memories. You see all these footprints? My friends like to come in here often. They say that they love the weather. They love to spend some time in the sunshine when inevitably winter closes in on them. They like to run like little children. All over the place and all over the place they leave their marks. And even though my friends number only a few, they make up for it in enthusiasm. My beach looks like it has been visited by hundreds of people. At times when i get lonely, as all of us do,I walk around.Tracing their paths. For a moment I feel as if they are just up ahead. Lost among those palmtrees. looking for a fresh coconut. The tides comes in every night and smoothes out the sand. Wiping out some of the memories. But the majority of them remain. Higher up on the beach.
Check this out. It’s the trunk of a tree that died. I’ve hollowed it out. I’m building a canoe. When I was out at sea, I splashed around for so long ahnging on to a piece of driftwood. All that was left of my boat that capsized. I braved the storms and sharks and when I caught sight of this island, I swam. With every ounce of strength left in me. I intend to cast off again. Only this time I want to be better equipped. I long to see the whales again. And feel the salt spray sting my chapped lips each time they spout. Sometimes when I’m down, I wade into the water at night. The jelly fish come out then. To feed. I tried to catch one once. But it was so delicate. The more I tried to hold on to it, the more it seemed to slip out of my fingers. Threatened it stung me real bad. I let them be now. I dont bother them and they dont bother me. Once in a while I get stung but I dont mind anymore. They are just that way. I like to watch them floating around like ghosts.
Sometimes I write in the wet sand with a stick. I write about my troubles. And every morning when I wake up, I see the slate clean. I pretend that the tide has washed away my troubles to the bottom of the ocean where they shall succumb to the water pressure, break down and lay the foundation of a coral reef. The tide brings in curious things. Most of the time it is only smelly weed. Sometimes parts of my old boat. My old stuff washes ashore. At first it used to sadden me. Fragments of my life coming back to haunt me. I would sit brooding but now, I ve come to love these odd surprises. I even got a message in a bottle once. I take the things that are in good shape and use them to decorate my fireplace. That’s the surprise. Look out there. To the left. You see it? I built my house by the sea. the one in all my dreams. I took all of the stones and pebbles that I collected from my travels.
And I built a house. It has a fireplace and a chimney too. It looks good. All of these stones. Each of them a different colour. A different texture. Jagged, smooth. So different and yet all together, they make such a beautiful wall. I couldn’t do much with the boulders though. You can see them behind the house. I left them there hoping that the forces of nature will weather them down to a more manageable size. Maybe then I will do something with them. There are barnacles growing ont hem now. And crabs hide in the cracks. Not to mention the occassional sea snake. A miniature habitat.
I wonder if you’re hesitant Neha. Come over sometime. As much as I like being by myself, company is welcome. Bring something for the fireplace.
This beach is as much mine as it is yours. come and go as you please. But I have one condition. Leave your footprints behind.
Someplace where I can find them.
Ciao.
Aseem
Dream Neha. Dream those beautiful dreams of yours. And wake up to a reality more beautiful than you had ever imagined.
- Aseem
Tags: letter, love letter, beaches, cabins, shipwreck, whales, footprints
Kunal Goel says:
you can never get a girl by writing such letters.
January 13th, 2006 at 01:19 pm
neha says:
Maybe he was not trying to get a girl.
January 13th, 2006 at 01:26 pm
Dolphin says:
i have no words to write…
i bow to the man who wrote it….
and i hope i get to walk on his beach and swim among his coral reef
Beautiful
January 13th, 2006 at 07:54 pm
Anusha Mujumdar says:
Hey Neha!! I’m straight, but willing to be a lesbian for you. I love you. Will you marry me?
January 14th, 2006 at 04:42 pm
Kunal Goel says:
Anusha don’t be stupid, neha did not write this letter.
January 14th, 2006 at 07:22 pm
Isaiah says:
Oh! neha dint write this letter.:shock:
January 15th, 2006 at 01:25 am
Neha says:
hmmm. Aseem. The name’s Aseem.
January 15th, 2006 at 01:08 pm
anirudh says:
ppl have gone crazy……
January 15th, 2006 at 08:07 pm
DeEp says:
i have the same reply as dolphin ! but hey aseem , are couples allowed on ur beach ??:lol:
January 18th, 2006 at 11:36 pm
angel says:
gud one aseem…….could imagine…..the beach must be so beautiful….wid all duh memories and foot prints
January 20th, 2006 at 05:35 pm
ER@sUrf3R says:
Thank you for posting that beautiful peaceful letter…I was drowsy as I was reading it..now I’m going out cold…*yawn*
January 23rd, 2006 at 01:29 am