The ocean and her shore

Photo credits- Jim Patterson Photography

They walked along the sea shore,

with their arms brushing one another's every now and then.

They were laughing and cajoling each other,

It was just the night she thought.

So she let the storm come,

She let the waves hit the shore as they pleased.
He listened, as she poured her heart out.

It came naturally to him, to listen, to let the waves hit the shore

as he had no intentions of letting them stranded in the middle of the ocean.
He preferred it better how it cleansed her of emotions,

so he let her be.
Every single night he would swallow all that came along with the tides.
The dirt, debris and the sea shells along with it.
He would treasure them like a true pirate.
But he was unaware of the spell that was cast upon the ocean that night.
The moonlight didn't help much with it's sorcery,

So she came filled with innocence.
Pleading for him to embrace her forever.
to be one with her,
She fell to her knees.
He looked at her,
He could see the promise of the moon in her eyes.
And that very moment told him, that this wasn't meant to be.

So he held her by her arms and picked her up.

And they walked along in silence,

still with their arms brushing against one another,
Unanswered, was her answer.
And so she went back in,

In an effort to leave no trace of the sand on her soul,

She receded as far as she could.

It's been years to that night by the bay,

The Rocks that line the shore still have the marks

that were left from that tragic night.

Yet,

Even today when the tourists see the rocks

they come asking,

As to why the tides don't turn up to the shores anymore.

Vishal Talavanekar

०१

"ते काय आहे?", ताईने पुस्तकातून डोकं बाहेर काढत विचारलं.
"I am quitting." अनय हात उडवत म्हणाला.
"okay?" तिने त्याच्याकडे सबबीप्रित्यर्थ कटाक्ष टाकला.
त्याने खांदे झटकले.
ताईने पुस्तक बाजूला ठेवलं व उठून सरळ बसली. खिडकीतून रस्त्यावरचा गोंगाट आत येत होता.
त्याला तो गोंगाट सहन होईना. त्याने खिडकी बंद केली. ताई स्तब्ध बसून होती. खोलीत फक्त पंख्याच्या वाऱ्याने पुस्तकाची पाने मागे मागे जात होती.
"हं! तू quit करतोयस, आणि??" ताईने बसल्या जागी विचारलं.
"आणि काय. . एक महिन्याच्या नोटीस वर आहे." अनय सरळ आतल्या खोलीत शिरला.
"ते नोटीस केलं रे. . मूळ मुद्दा सांग." ताई चढ्या आवाजात म्हणाली.
"मुद्दा वगैरे काही नाही. करिअर जम्प घेतोय." त्याने आतूनच आणखी एक लेटर समोर केलं.
ऑफर लेटर होतं ते. कोणा एका दूर गावच्या कंपनीचं.
"काय आहे हे म्हणालास?"
"जम्प! पॅकेज मध्ये पण आणि पोस्ट मध्ये पण!"
ती ताडकन उठली नि आतल्या खोलीत शिरली व त्याला कोपराने हिसकावून समोर उभं केलं.
"जम्प??" तिने तिडीकीने विचारलं.
"हो जम्प" तो तिच्या रोखाने म्हणाला.
"अनय!! अरे सुसाईड आहे ही! कंप्लिटलीss प्रोफेशनलss सुसाईडss म्हणतात याला!!!" ताई त्याच्यावर कडाडत होती.
"ताई काय म्हणतेय तू?" त्याने उडवाउडवीच्या स्वरात म्हटलं.
"तुला चांगलं ठाऊक आहे अनय की मी काय म्हणतेय ते"
"You are unnecessarily complicating it!" त्याने हात सोडवत म्हटलं.
"मी कॉम्प्लिकेट करतेय? अरे प्रत्येक गोष्टीचा अवाजवी अर्थ लावत फिरणारा तू!! आणि गोष्टी मी कॉम्प्लिकेट करतेय?? हा??"
"मला नाही बोलायचं काही, माझं ठरलंय, मी चाललोय."
अनय तिला बाजूला करत किचन मध्ये शिरला.
"मी नाही देणार जाऊ तुला! not untill you tell me why?" ती त्याच्या पाठमोऱ्या अंगावर पुन्हा एकदा खेकसली.
ती तशीच तिथे स्तब्ध उभी होती. आतून फक्त भांड्यांची उचल ठेव करण्याचा आवाज येत होता. तेवढ्यात त्याचा फोन वाजला. तो फोन घ्यायला बाहेर आला व पुन्हा आत गेला. पुन्हा तीच उचल-ठेव. इकडे खिडकीबाहेर दाटलेल्या ढगांचा अंधार आता खोलीत शिरत होता.
ताई निमूटपणे जाऊन डायनिंग टेबल पाशी जाऊन बसली. तो दोघांसाठी जेवण घेऊन आला. पुढचा अर्धा तास मुकाट्याने गेला.
जेवणानंतर तो खिडकीपाशी उभा राहून रस्त्यावरची वर्दळ पाहत होता. बाहेर पाऊस चांगला तासभर पडून थांबला होता. पण इकडे चाललेला गडगडाट अजून काही निवळला नव्हता.
ती दुधाचा कप घेऊन खिडकीपाशी आली. काही न बोलता तशीच निमूटपणे उभी राहिली. त्याने एक नजर तिला पाहिलं मग पुन्हा बाहेर उंचावर काहीतरी शोधत तसाच उभा राहिला. कदाचित शब्द सापडत नसावेत.
खूप वेळ जुळवाजुळव करून शेवटी त्यानेच विषयाला हात घातला,
"तुला सगळं ठाऊक तर आहे, आणखी काय सांगू नव्याने?"
"कारण नव्याने काहीतरी घडलंय, होय ना?"
"नवीन नाही गं.
तेच ते. तेच सारं. .
त्याच गप्पा, तीच गाणी,
तोच रस्ता, तेच वळण,
तोच पाऊस, तीच आठवण,
तेच भिजणं, तेच हसणं,
तेच तिचं साऱ्यात असणं . . "

". . Oh Come on Anay! stop that! you are as bad a poet as you are at making decisions!!" ताई त्याला मध्येच तोडत म्हणाली.
"मी पूर्ण कंट्रोल मध्ये आहे."
"खाक कंट्रोल!! अरे लाईफ आहे रे, गाडी थोडीच कि तू कंट्रोल मध्ये ठेवणार?
अरे सुटतो ताबा, होतात चुका. shit happens !! आता आयुष्यभर भोगणार काय?"
"मला तरी हेच solution दिसतंय"
"तुला वाटतं हे solution आहे? तुला वाटतं हे असं शहर सोडून गेलास कि सगळे धागे दोरे सरळ होणार?"
त्याच्या चेहऱ्यावर खोचक हसू फुटलं. गेली किती एक वर्ष हा प्रश्न त्याची सोबत करून होता, पण त्याने उत्तर ना देणं पसंत केलं.

'बेवक़्त बरसते बादल
खिड़की में बैठे परिंदों को भिगोने का फ़न ख़ूब जानते है।

तुला वाटतंय तू हे शहर सोडलंस कि तिचा पिच्छा सुटेल . .
तुला कळणारही नाही आणि कधी साहिर ची एखादी गझल
तुझ्या खिडक्या सताड खोलून आत घुसखोरी करेल,
तू ऑफिस मध्ये किबोर्ड वर बटणं खटखटवत असताना
तिच्या आवडीचं गीत अगदी चोर पावलांनी येऊन तुझ्या ओठांना बिलगून जाईल,
तू त्या पासून लांब पळायचं म्हणून गाडी काढशील,
हायवेला भरधाव सुटशील,
पण सिग्नल पाशी आल्यावर
त्या चिमुरडीने दिलेली दस्तक तुला घायाळ करेल,
तिच्या हातातली लिली तू अनिमिष नजरेने पाहत राहशील,
त्या बंद खिडकीतून ती हळूवारपणे आत शिरेल,
मग
ती,
तिची आठवण,
तिचं शहर,
सर्व काही तू हात फैलावत सामावून घेशील.

जानी...
ये ऐसा शहर हैं, जहाँ हर घाँव नीला है,
कुरेद कर न देखो, यहाँ हर जख़्म गीला है।'

"AND THATTT SWEETHEART?? WAS POETICC!!!" तिने जुगलबंदी जिंकल्याच्या आवेशात हात उंचावले.
"OHH! SHUT UPP! that sucked too!" असं म्हणत त्याने खोडकरपणे उशी भिरकावली व सरळ बेडरूम मध्ये गेला.
". . आणि तू रिजाईन नाही करत आहेस! अनय!!!!. . . ." तिच्याकडे दुर्लक्ष करत त्याने खाडकन दार ओढून घेतलं.

बेड वर पडल्या पडल्या त्याचं काळीज जोरजोराने धडधडायला लागलं. पूर्ण दिवसात पहिल्यांदाच घेतलेल्या निर्णयाच्या गहराईचा थांग त्याने घेतला. तिच्या सोबतचा क्षण अन क्षण त्याच्या भोवती घिरट्या घालू लागला.
कुठेतरी ताईचं बोलणं योग्यच होतं.
पण शेवटी तो ही हट्टाला पेटलेला. त्याच्या नजरेत हीच पळवाट रास्त होती.

'मेरा दौड़ना जायज हैं,
राहत मिलती हैं,
गली मोहल्ले से. .
उन्हें पिछा करते देख।'

क्रमशः

-विशाल तळवणेकर 

The takeaway

               It was Valentines evening, Vaidehi was placing her order for coffee. And from the corner of her eye she could see a man staring at her. She had a quick glance and turned abruptly in a vivid surprise. She kept staring at him till she realised no one had said a thing.

'Vighnesh! Say something damn it! How have you been....? And will you just stop staring at me. what is it?' Vaidehi's surprise turned into a giggling blush.
'I was just paying tribute to our horrid break up, so I thought a two minutes silence would be appropriate.' Vighnesh joked with a wide grin.

            They both looked full. Vaidehi in her black one piece with a red waist band and a silver pendant necklace. She was oozing Valentines. Whereas, Vighnesh was his usual unaware self, in his 'characteristic big day shirt' which meant white! and a blue jeans ripped around knees with an edifice watch and a bracelet. Briefly, he ticked all the styling boxes for a man.

'You look stunning, Ved!' he complimented her as he gave her a warm hug.
'Thank you. and Happpy Valentines day' She replied as she picked up her coffee for takeaway.
'Who wishes that way? with hands full of coffee?' He never lost
'Isn't coffee all that a man needs?' she winked.
'Bad comeback!'
'You started it.' she really didn't have a comeback this time.

Vighnesh moved swiftly to get in front as Vaidehi moved aside. He placed his usual 'Coke and burger-two of each-Take away'
Vaidehi made a quick note to herself, 'he had company'.
'So, How have you been?' he asked her as he paid the cash and paid no attention to the girl on counter pitching him for adding extra fries to make it into a meal.
'Good. better than ever. you?' she was still feeling a bit tinkling in her stomach. Vighnesh always had that hold on her. Even today.
'Usual. You say.' as he checked the screen one more time for his token number while he waited for his order.
'Umm, Coffee and burger for two? You would never buy food for a guy. And it's valentines! I can see two girls out back who are checking you out, so I think that cancels them out. I am guessing the girl on the outside with her mind wandering someplace else in that black one piece. She must be your girl.'
A beaming smile appeared on his face as he watched her narrate her deduction to him.
'Spot on. like always.' he was genuinely impressed.

'Not bad!' she remarked while checking out the girl on the outside.
'Not good!' He countered.
'What d'you mean?' she asked, her face filled with confusion.
'Clearly you are dressed up for the day, And what sort of a man makes his woman get him coffee from such lame ass of a cafe?' he blurted out without even noticing the frown on her face.
'Well, you too are here.' she hit back with a raised brow.
'You know me. I prefer the balcony over restos any given day, this is just for the drive home.' he explained as he grabbed the bag and turned for the exit.

Vaidehi knew it was time, She gave a parting smile as she put down her coffee in order to excuse herself for washroom.
'Well then, She looks the calmer of the two of us but I wouldn't want to make her wait.' as he took the baton of excusing himself to distance the two of them.
'Yes, sure. See you around. And it was lovely seeing you.'
'I know. Let's meet up someday.'
'Definitely.'
'See you Ved.' He waved his hand with love.
'See you V. Take care.' She said and started for the washroom while watching him go out the door to that girl waiting by the car.

            As he left, she rushed back swiftly, picked up her coffee and walked over to those two girls out in the back. Both of them had a mischievious grin on their faces. Both dressed up for some fancy party. She handed one of them a coffee. And waved off their quizical giggles as they all got in.

            Vaidehi adjusted her rear view mirror, and looked into the mirror for something that was closer than it appeared. Then she steadied herself, turned her key and drove off.

-Vishal Talavanekar