Some years back when I had just started working, I got my first posting in Mangalore. A beautiful place close to the sea and the newly found freedom made for a magical concoction. It was the first time I was staying away from my parents and the protected life that I had always led. The 'no deadlines', 'no parties', 'no boyfriends' rule had been relaxed and I wanted to make the most out of it as did the others in our group.
Beaches, ports, a nearby fort, city malls, we visited everything worth seeing. But Mangalore being a small place, we felt that we had seen everything within a span of two months and were hungry to explore more. Hence on an extended weekend, we planned a trip to Goa. Even though the hotel and bus reservations had been made, I was scared to mention anything about the trip to my parents. I was scared that they might stop me.
I called them around an hour before boarding the overnight bus and made some excuse about having a late night call. I told them that I might not be able to call them after getting back from office as it might get too late. We boarded the bus and some of my friends fell asleep almost immediately. But sleep kept eluding me all night as I thought about my parents and the lie that I had told them. It being a full moon night, there was much scenic beauty to be enjoyed. The bus took us through a hilly area and then along a road that was almost parallel to the sea. The rising waves looked ethereal in the moonlight but I could not enjoy the sights.
It was a glorious morning when our bus finally reached Goa. A short trip to the hotel was followed by a quick shower and breakfast. We set out immediately to enjoy the famed beaches of Goa. For some time atleast, I forgot about my guilt. After splashing around the water for a few hours, all of us were hungry. We made it to a beach-side restaurant near Baga beach for a sumptuous Goan meal when one of the waiters inquired if we had tried out any water sports. The owner of the place owned some speed boats, banana boats and some parasailing stuff, and offered us a good bargain. But since we had just had lunch, he told us to roam around on the beach for 1-2 hours and do some shopping to burn it off before trying anything adventurous.
After all of us had done a few rounds on the speed boats, we decided to go for a group activity. Zeroing on to a banana boat, we were feeling a bit skeptical but decided to go ahead anyways. Though it was tough to balance the boat at first, all of us got a hang of it and had ventured quite deep into the sea. It was a magical ride with clear blue water, cloud dotted skies and the fish jumping all around us. That is till we encountered an unusually big wave which overturned the boat. As I fell into the water, my first thought was that my parents were in the dark about this trip. Though I had a life jacket on, morbid thoughts filled my mind as I realized that they would be shocked to no end if anything unfortunate happened to me in Goa. It stung more than the salt water which had gotten into my eyes. I made a silent resolve that I would call my parents immediately after reaching the shore.
With the help of the men in our guide boat and the nearby boats, all of us made it to the beach. I had ingested some salt water as I did not know how to swim. But once I had thrown up that stuff and had some fresh water, it felt good. I immediately called my parents and told them about the trip. At first they were upset but when I broke down while narrating the banana boat incident, they chided me for behaving like a naughty child. Their scoldings made it clear that they had forgiven me. A heavy load had been lifted off my chest and I enjoyed the rest of the trip with a clear conscience.
Do check out this touching video which talks about the power of 'Sacchai' -
Beaches, ports, a nearby fort, city malls, we visited everything worth seeing. But Mangalore being a small place, we felt that we had seen everything within a span of two months and were hungry to explore more. Hence on an extended weekend, we planned a trip to Goa. Even though the hotel and bus reservations had been made, I was scared to mention anything about the trip to my parents. I was scared that they might stop me.
I called them around an hour before boarding the overnight bus and made some excuse about having a late night call. I told them that I might not be able to call them after getting back from office as it might get too late. We boarded the bus and some of my friends fell asleep almost immediately. But sleep kept eluding me all night as I thought about my parents and the lie that I had told them. It being a full moon night, there was much scenic beauty to be enjoyed. The bus took us through a hilly area and then along a road that was almost parallel to the sea. The rising waves looked ethereal in the moonlight but I could not enjoy the sights.
It was a glorious morning when our bus finally reached Goa. A short trip to the hotel was followed by a quick shower and breakfast. We set out immediately to enjoy the famed beaches of Goa. For some time atleast, I forgot about my guilt. After splashing around the water for a few hours, all of us were hungry. We made it to a beach-side restaurant near Baga beach for a sumptuous Goan meal when one of the waiters inquired if we had tried out any water sports. The owner of the place owned some speed boats, banana boats and some parasailing stuff, and offered us a good bargain. But since we had just had lunch, he told us to roam around on the beach for 1-2 hours and do some shopping to burn it off before trying anything adventurous.
After all of us had done a few rounds on the speed boats, we decided to go for a group activity. Zeroing on to a banana boat, we were feeling a bit skeptical but decided to go ahead anyways. Though it was tough to balance the boat at first, all of us got a hang of it and had ventured quite deep into the sea. It was a magical ride with clear blue water, cloud dotted skies and the fish jumping all around us. That is till we encountered an unusually big wave which overturned the boat. As I fell into the water, my first thought was that my parents were in the dark about this trip. Though I had a life jacket on, morbid thoughts filled my mind as I realized that they would be shocked to no end if anything unfortunate happened to me in Goa. It stung more than the salt water which had gotten into my eyes. I made a silent resolve that I would call my parents immediately after reaching the shore.
With the help of the men in our guide boat and the nearby boats, all of us made it to the beach. I had ingested some salt water as I did not know how to swim. But once I had thrown up that stuff and had some fresh water, it felt good. I immediately called my parents and told them about the trip. At first they were upset but when I broke down while narrating the banana boat incident, they chided me for behaving like a naughty child. Their scoldings made it clear that they had forgiven me. A heavy load had been lifted off my chest and I enjoyed the rest of the trip with a clear conscience.
Do check out this touching video which talks about the power of 'Sacchai' -
My only son goes out and feels offended , where to & when will you be back.. I can feel the story of girl parents.. Advert you quote is Hindustani Sanskar is essence..
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