An Evening Beauty!

An evening I spent noticing the beauty in Visakhapatnam, a city in Andhra Pradesh, India. 

As I stepped out of my room checking the clock on my mobile phone for some work I had in town, I noticed that there was a huge patch of dark cloud in the west. I prophesied that it would rain and so took my hooded jacket along with me as the day I don’t take it, is the day it rains heavily. I got into an auto rickshaw as we can’t rely on public transport always. As I was sitting on that tiny seat towards my right with lot of effort for comfort, I could see the sea. It looked like dawn. I suddenly saw that the moon had risen and was more beautiful than before if that’s an apt adjective. It reminded me of Pranav who says and believes that I have a great obsession for the moon and the sun as I always take photographs of them.

I heard a girl sitting opposite to me say to her friend, ‘today’s beautiful.’

I pointed out at moon saying, ‘if you didn't notice it.’

She had to peek outside to look at the moon. ‘Wow! It’s nice!’ she said. She was getting married in a month or two and she was telling her friend that her wedding day too will look the same. Who doesn't want the weather to be like this?

June to February is my favorite part of the year in Visakhapatnam as there won’t be much humidity in the air relatively.

So let me describe you what I felt that evening. As I said before, it looked like dawn. But no, it was evening and the sun was about to set in a few minutes. I felt bad thinking that this beauty of nature can be experienced only till the sun sets which is trying hard to give all its light before earth turns her back to it for the day. It seemed to me that earth made a deal with the sun and moon to face them during the day and night respectively. I was enjoying the marine drive and the sight of hills with fog near the shore which was clearly visible from distance. There are three hills on the way from my college to MVP colony on this beach road.

I got down near Lumbini Park which is neglected by GVMC (greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation), though that didn't matter as hardly anyone goes there. I had to catch another auto from there. I couldn't see the sea till I reached where I should. By that time the sun had set and it was still bright. The dark patch looked like it slowed down to enjoy the moon’s beauty.

Source: Internet. Remember! I didn't have a camera

I was wrong, the beauty existed even after sun set. I searched for a good vantage point to enjoy the shore and moon. I sat on the beach boulevard, made by the Municipal Corporation which is the only good thing at beach, viewing and experiencing the scene. I saw a ship at a distance through an arch with dolphins on either side of the park’s path holding a globe with GVMC carved on it which seemed like they were preventing it from falling. The ship lit with lights looked like it was on fire but then it wasn't, because I know if it were, there would have been smoke. The moon was now brighter and was exactly on the top of that ship. I wished I had a camera while watching a person trying to capture the moon in his mobile phone camera which, in vain, turned out to be just a dot in the picture. It reminded me of myself trying the same at one point.

Source: Internet. This is how the place looked where i sat.

The sea was now gleaming gold in the dark covering the portion I could see between the arch. I imagined that there would be some wireless connection between the moon and the ship, the latter unable to hold the amount of light transmitted by the former, leaking into sea like oil spill which reached shore. But that’s just a reflection. Ufff my engineering mind!!!

I realized I was away from civilization though the road was just behind me which I ignored. No electronics and no mechanical materials were visible except for the ships which were more of beauty as they didn't make noise. But I had a task to complete and I had to go. If it was not for this work, I wouldn't have enjoyed this evening. So I had to let go of the beauty feeling satisfied with what I enjoyed.

It reminded me of these famous lines from Robert Frost’s poem:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I've promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

P.S: The dark and huge patch of cloud covered the moon and it didn't rain too.

I was humming ‘chaand chupa Baadal mein, sharmake meri jaan…’ (oh! It’s an Hindi song which means ‘moon hid behind the clouds out of shy, oh my love’)

Originally posted here!