It is the early morning of our third day. I wake up thinking its still night when light shines through the tiny window of our room in the boat. I smile, a smile deep to thank the sun god. I am a morning person. I come out of our room. I’m spellbound. The orange and blue of the sky mix so perfectly to create a new shade – lavender-like. I spot a tiny red canoe and a fisherman, a flock of blue birds, a duck with the most delicate neck, dead fish caught in the net laid by the fishermen at the side of our boat. I click pictures, I can’t stop.
Every direction I turn around, there is a picture to be clicked. Mandar is here now. He spots two fishermen drawing the nets that have been laid the night before. They dump their catch into a basket. They are amused at us. One of them smokes a beedi. He seems so experienced like he has caught fish all his life. I tell him in broken English that the fish is small. He nods. I ask him “no karimeen?” he grins and says no. Freshly made tea is served to us by Seju who stayed with us overnight. Santosh stayed at his home which is near to where the boat is parked. His home is a small hut in the centre surrounded by the lake and coconut trees. Yesterday after the boat was decked around six thirty in the evening, we plunged into water. I couldn’t figure out the colour of the water in the dim light. The moonlight came upon us. I panicked as I jumped into the lake, I do not know why may be the fear of the unknown, I regained my calm when Mandar also jumped along. The lake was pleasant and serene, with fishes popping, the only sound heard was that of the crickets and toads. As we were enjoying the peace the water brings to you, we spotted a canoe at a distance. It was Santosh. He remembered we wanted to ride a canoe. I was so humbled by his gesture. In jumps Mandar and rides along with Santosh. My turn next – Santosh hands over the oar and we ride into neverland. I cant spot Mandar from the distance, only the faint light of the houseboat.
Back to today, Mandar and I chat, I do not know why but I remember childhood and my grandmother. Mandar clicks a picture of me with a purple flower he picked for me from the lake. Its beautiful – the flower and his gesture. Mandar was fishing sometime back. And was elated thinking he caught fish. His rope seemed heavy till he realized the rope got stuck in the fishing net laid out in the night by the fishermen. Seju and Mandar tried to untangle the rope without any luck. We spotted the fishermen collecting their nets. We called out to them. They untangled the rope from the net with ease. As I write this, I remember the tamed eagle. Then fish stall owner from whom we got prawns yesterday had tamed an eagle. When I first spotted the eagle on a branch sitting like an old grandpa, I instantly clicked a picture thinking how lucky I could get to spot an eagle so close. That’s when Santosh tells me its tamed. The wings of the eagle are cut. It looks like an owl sitting on a bark. Another sight I wouldn’t forget.
Seju cleans himself in the lake. Santosh is here too. Breakfast of idlis and sambar is served. We eat and are ready to sail after clicking numerous photographs. Its half past seven. We take a shower and are dressed to leave. Seju tells us we will reach the jetty in an hour. The air around us gets morose. Mandar and I look at each other. We have the same feeling – we do not want to leave this heaven abode. But we have miles to go before we sleep…and our next stop is Cochin.
Every direction I turn around, there is a picture to be clicked. Mandar is here now. He spots two fishermen drawing the nets that have been laid the night before. They dump their catch into a basket. They are amused at us. One of them smokes a beedi. He seems so experienced like he has caught fish all his life. I tell him in broken English that the fish is small. He nods. I ask him “no karimeen?” he grins and says no. Freshly made tea is served to us by Seju who stayed with us overnight. Santosh stayed at his home which is near to where the boat is parked. His home is a small hut in the centre surrounded by the lake and coconut trees. Yesterday after the boat was decked around six thirty in the evening, we plunged into water. I couldn’t figure out the colour of the water in the dim light. The moonlight came upon us. I panicked as I jumped into the lake, I do not know why may be the fear of the unknown, I regained my calm when Mandar also jumped along. The lake was pleasant and serene, with fishes popping, the only sound heard was that of the crickets and toads. As we were enjoying the peace the water brings to you, we spotted a canoe at a distance. It was Santosh. He remembered we wanted to ride a canoe. I was so humbled by his gesture. In jumps Mandar and rides along with Santosh. My turn next – Santosh hands over the oar and we ride into neverland. I cant spot Mandar from the distance, only the faint light of the houseboat.
Back to today, Mandar and I chat, I do not know why but I remember childhood and my grandmother. Mandar clicks a picture of me with a purple flower he picked for me from the lake. Its beautiful – the flower and his gesture. Mandar was fishing sometime back. And was elated thinking he caught fish. His rope seemed heavy till he realized the rope got stuck in the fishing net laid out in the night by the fishermen. Seju and Mandar tried to untangle the rope without any luck. We spotted the fishermen collecting their nets. We called out to them. They untangled the rope from the net with ease. As I write this, I remember the tamed eagle. Then fish stall owner from whom we got prawns yesterday had tamed an eagle. When I first spotted the eagle on a branch sitting like an old grandpa, I instantly clicked a picture thinking how lucky I could get to spot an eagle so close. That’s when Santosh tells me its tamed. The wings of the eagle are cut. It looks like an owl sitting on a bark. Another sight I wouldn’t forget.
Seju cleans himself in the lake. Santosh is here too. Breakfast of idlis and sambar is served. We eat and are ready to sail after clicking numerous photographs. Its half past seven. We take a shower and are dressed to leave. Seju tells us we will reach the jetty in an hour. The air around us gets morose. Mandar and I look at each other. We have the same feeling – we do not want to leave this heaven abode. But we have miles to go before we sleep…and our next stop is Cochin.
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