Blue Lagoon

It was not until today, that I realized that the Blue Lagoon ice-cream that tasted heaven to me a few months earlier, didn’t speak the same words to me, when its chilling surface touched my tongue. I was shocked to come across the way, the ice-cream just did not want to melt in my mouth, and the blue jelly inside, wasn’t the jelly, I had known. I was watching some short film on YouTube, when this unintelligible scenario took place. I stared at the ice-cream stick, which looked the same, astonishingly, glittering like ice, and blue, like the sky. I knew that it was the same ice-cream, I had consumed in the scorching hot month of May, in Haridwar from a small ice-cream stand, on an evening. The company wouldn’t have changed the ingredients or its recipe in this short span of time, and so, I pondered about what was missing. I looked at the ice-cream again, chewing my cud, forgetting about the YouTube video that was moving across the screen of my phone. Lifting up my head, I beheld the crows that were standing under the shed, moving their small heads in various directions, constantly, not maintaining the rhythm. The small piece of sky that I could see from my window, was turning darker. I attempted to recall that day, when I longed to buy two more Blue Lagoons. We had gone to see the ‘Har Ki Pauri.’ As I grew up, I was never into these spiritual things, but that day, I felt something different. Sitting at the side of the ghat, my eyes followed the waves which went on and on, till they disappeared. Some parts of the river were tranquil, while some were filled with wrath, gushing forward with an immense speed. Even the sky seemed more beautiful that day, with the rosy hues, that commenced to envelope the blue colour. The ghat always remained crowded with people, some of whom had come to simply witness the pristine beauty, while some wanted to wash all of their wrong deeds with this holy water, some had enough hopes to cure their diseases with this water, which doctors couldn’t, some lived on the ghats, some had stepped out of their houses again to go to the temples which were here, to pray, and some like us had come on a vacation. Whoever went there, would step down to let the cold water touch their bodies. I don’t know how to swim, and even if I did, I wouldn’t have dared to swim in such turbulent waves. I mounted down the stairs till, my feet were under the water. I could see my tiny fingers through the clear surface of the water, which would just not cease to flow. Looking up, I saw the birds flying across the orange sky, and then, my eyes were set to see the river as far as my vision went. The water was cold and chilling, however in some way, I sighed in pleasure. A certain kind of peace touched me. At that moment, I could actually let go of all the worries that had consumed my brain day after day. I could halt worrying whether I’ll get into a proper Engineering college, or if I would turn into a failure. It was like, I could breathe, and live, and smile. My eyes weren’t tired, my soul was not exhausted, and my wounds were mended. The river went on and on, and I kept standing there, till my sister asked me to come up. Reluctantly, I mounted up the steps, with my wet, cold feet. I was away from all the chaos that had been left behind at my city. I was relieved to feel for once, the serenity, that was lost. For once, after decades, I could smile, without having to work my brain for anything, and just behold the unending beauty. I so yearned, that I could stay like that for the rest of my life, but I knew, that it would last for a few minutes more. No sooner did it get dark, than we started to bid goodbye to this whole experience, that I would never trade for even a million bucks. Somehow, that place has become so close to my heart, which I had thought I would loathe at first. After floating one last earthen Diya, which had some flowers in it, which astonishingly went a long way without being blown out, unlike the first one that had a hard time making its way through the railings and chains, we got up and climbed another set of steps, to the bridge, that would lead us to the road.

While walking slowly on that bridge, I knew that that would not be the last time, I’ll be seeing the river. I knew, I would come back. After a few more steps, we reached the ice-cream stand, from where I tasted the Blue Lagoon for the first time. My sister, mother and father had a Blue Lagoon after getting mind-blowing reviews from me. It was summer, and we were weary. The instant that ice-cream touched my tongue, it melted and the jelly which was inside was so scrumptious, that I devoured the outer covering fast to get the jelly more and more.

But, today, it wasn’t the same. After a long time of thinking and pondering, I got the equation clear. Would the ice-cream have tasted so incredible, if there wasn’t anyone to share it with? If we weren’t as exhausted as we were, after a long and blissful journey? If there weren’t as many memories as I have made that day? If there wasn’t my mother sounding like a seal while having that ice-cream? If my sister hadn’t dropped that one coin while paying the ice-cream seller? If my father hadn’t disappeared at the right moment again, to do something else? If my sister hadn’t complained about the incident, I had just mentioned? If there hadn’t been such a beautiful panorama that would always be captured in my heart, the sunset to please my eyes, the cold water to calm me? I don’t think so, that it would have.
I knew, then. And, till the next time, I have such a day, I will wait to have that Blue Lagoon, again.

Have a great life.
Love,
Touchwords

*Feel free to give your views*

PS. Have you ever felt that way? Lighten me with some of your stories.

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