Scene V
31st December - full moon night:
(2005..a truth gone by)..

lights..camera..action..

Dreams and wishes; are the two word which liquors the voyage of supremacy, fighting with each other for its dominance, flying amidst all the slogans that were whispered when the night fell. Where here the brightness beholding all its mighty power to raise and rise overshadowing the darkness that misconceptually wanted to rule under the shadow of delight, lingering and languorly whispering a story. A story of an unwanted shrill noise that glommed under my ears surrounding me inside an invisible sphere where I can swing a circle standing amidst it.

The presence of the full moon that night was the only hope to light the darkness, and my shadow, which is black and scared of this, hiding its desire for some other colour, following me as if I am a god for him, eager and waiting for me that I could give him some other colour the other day, but all in disguise, but the moon peeped her light to hide him behind me. It is only hope..that we all know will keep it attached with us, till the time I know when I breathe my last.

It was the same beach on which I last appeared this January, where my story begun, and when I had wished to learn to play the guitar, Sitting right on the same spot since hours, quietly..looking at the sea water which changed colours since evening, who sang for me the entire time, and hoping to be with me the entire holy night, singing for me non-stop, where I stretched my legs and keeping my arms resting on the sand behind me to keep myself warm, and the guitar lying on it, and I looking at the sky with all the stars glittering, where the song of the 'Indian Ocean'- arree rukja re bande..arree tham ja re bande..echoed from extravaganza to my ears, reminding of the year which is coming to an end.

The year 2005..a year which did show me lot of faces, faces of time sculptured to change, but change is the only thing which can and will never change, so I pretending to be bent on it, sometimes, made me feel the radiance of a silent happiness, realizing the illusion of the existence of time, which made me draw a straight line between the black and the white, which did sometimes appear straight, but many a times it made me stretch and hold it, making sure it fits right in the grid, cutting out some more colours to make it appear more beautiful, jus like a painter, sometimes all messy but so clear and bright, blinking and blinding to be explored. I have never experienced life so close.

A lot of things happened, all for the first time. So close that undoubtedly made me learn to feel..feel the music, your heart beat, and certainly changed my entire life with so many gifts which brought different shades of sketches, so fast, which didn't give me time for a thought, clotting so many characters that I faced and played, but the only role that shall remain enchanted on me the entire life shall be the role to share. I heard so many rendering whispers of so many cumulative things, so loud, echoing, asking something from me with stretched arms, where I lay helpless, with an open arm, so that atleast I could embrace it with all the dignity of its possessiveness. Oo so sweat were those tears sometimes when it rolled down my cheeks, when I wished I was a child, so that atleast I could cry aloud, unconditionally. But certainly, time is like a coin, always means two sided. Heads where you start, and tails when it flipped actually meant to end, but there it is a sign of a new beginning, where this night I gloom for a new beginning.

The heat of the burning cigarette butt, made me come out of the enigma. The cool breeze that blew reminded me of my best friend when she opens her hair to breath the fresh air, I wished she was there besides me, I picked up my guitar to dedicate the most precious song for her - 'hum apki ankhoo mai, is dil ko basa de to'..an old hindi number, which we both say is one of our favourite, but it is one that we share. Her eyes speaks more than what she express and her cheeks glitters everything about her smile, which is so natural, we do not have to say much, but even today she looks more beautiful with her hairs tied. We have a bond so pure and so perfectly defined. Just like the water, which is so peaceful and pure, and care just like the raw rice that nobody wants to waste when washed with water.

The smell of the cigarette warmed the air. My faded light green t-shirt reflected the moonlight. I pushed my hands in my jeans pocket where I pulled out the silver lord Ganesha idol, so bright, that it reflected the chill sintering shine of peace and love..it was all the blessings of the lord ganesha that brought all these gratitude. Gratitude of change to grow, and love to spread, which is why is say:

'wakratund hamakayah, suryakoti samaphrabha l
nirwighnam kurumedevam, sarvakaryeshu sarwadah ll'..

A humorous Sanskrit slogan that resembles all the blessings of the universe to make a pathway to reach lord ganesha and help us convey our messages for a new beginning, where the Vedas were spelt to never get wiped out, which endures the tales about you and me, and where it begins and ends for a new beginning. I presume that sometimes our soul speaks more truth than what we really resemble. Like the reality of the music, which was created non other than him.

The night was chilling, but my short hair and a little grown beard made me feel warm, or maybe I am getting used to this lance look. I bent down curling my wrist to see the time, surprisingly it was quarter to six in the morning, time moves so fast, and I guess it wants me to open a new door of 2006 soon. But I embrace the year gone by with all the dignity of its reality, which is so real like you and me, it taught me to walk and gave me a time that shall remain always ticking in my heart the entire life. Now it was time for some tea at the usual tea stall a little ahead on the beach. The cool breeze of the early New Year morning drove an utter delight inside, an eager hidden desire of happiness to spread and share. I pulled my guitar up, hung it to my back, and walked with both the hands in my front jeans pocket, humming a tune by Eagles called "it's another Tequila Sunrise, staring slowly across the sky, to say good bye", for a new resolution this New Year. I saw the chaiwala in utter delight too to see me there in the early hue of the morning; and I with a camouflage smile wished him good morning and a very happy New Year, and being the first customer for him he prepared the best tea for me.

Slowing sipping the tea, there I saw the sun waking up from his sleep, colouring the horizon and the sea water and asking the birds to sing a good morning song for him, and asking everyone to wake up for a new beginning. I slowly sipped my tea and admired his glaciness; I never realized how beautiful and lively it could make me feel. Just then I saw a familiar shadow running hurriedly towards me from a short distance. I was glaring at it patiently with my eyebrows twigged watching who could that be. Hey wait..she was my best friend, and she was running as if she was agitated with something. She came and stood right in front of me huffing carrying an angry but weepy looks, and I called her "hey how come you are here!!..", at first she took two heavy breath inside and then she said yelling at me "surjit just keep quite, where the hell were you the whole time, I waited for you since last evening, I asked all yours friends about you, but they didn't knew where the hell you were!!" I hesitantly said "I was aa..i was..", "you expect me to wait for your call and you switched off your mobile too, what the heck, do you think I am bothered ha, and what were you doing here the whole winter night on this beach, are you nuts, didn't you feel cold." I said, "ya it was a little bit cold but listen I am very sorry", "what sorry and now you say sorry, I don't understand your behaviour at all". She folded her arms and showed her back at me. As usual I was numb with no words to apologize, and I said again, "listen, I am really very sorry and I apologize for that, please forgive me, you mean a lot to me".

For a few moment it was stillness, and she then turned her back slowly with the same holded arms and with her head slightly tilted and with a forgiving looks she said "you should have atleast told me that you want to be alone for some time, don't you know how worried I was". "ya I know, but I wanted to spare some time for the year gone by, I was just thanking him the whole night that he gave me you". She was quiet for sometime, but this silence was long. It drove away all her angriness, and a drop of tear ran down her cheeks intrinsically from her tired eyes, I bent down and caught the precious droplet in my palm and told her "hey spare this for some other time, it is very precious." "surjit I just wanted to wish you a happy new year" "ya me too, and I prey for all your dreams and wishes to come true". Then she asked, "so what were you doing the whole night here, were you composing some song with the guitar?", I said, "ya..sort of..I was talking and singing an uncomposed music of time that took a whole year to whisper.", then as usual with her shoulders shrugged she said "what was that you just said !! I did not understand". I with a hugh laughter I said, "its better that you don't understand, those were just few things that was spared for me, to share it with you". Then she said "HMM..ok..alright..Now will you not ask me out for breakfast its already 7:00 in the morning, you mustn't have had your food since last night, and listen I am really hungry". "oo I was about to ask you the same, what will you have for breakfast", "anything that suits the new year morning". "How about some cheese sandwiches with some hot milk, and doughnuts", "hmm..that sounds good, but lets walk on the beach for some time, the air is so fresh" was the reply that she hummed.

The sun now was already shinning bright above who had shown his hue morning delight, with the breeze still blowing, tainting a slight and mild cold of the new year winter morning all flavoured with emotions and all the expressions that were hidden to be blessed for a new beginning. We walked on the warm morning sand of the beach hand in hand and she took the guitar tugged to her right shoulder as if it was hers, and the sea waves now singing for both of us, peacefully.

To be continued;