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We settled near a stall selling coconuts, watching the sea in its playful mood and the morning breeze carresing us gently. The place was still in slumber, about to be woken up on that lovely morning. We were fascinated by the magic of earthy landscapes created by waves, strewn on luminous sand. There was a soothing quitetude of freshly washed shore, an enchaniting journey of the senses!
Hardly an hour must have passed when a boy barely ten, emerged with his horse cart, requesting us to try the ride. We were a little reluctant as it was bit early but his hopeful eyes melted me and we agreed to take the ride.
Whenever I visit a new place, I love to know about people I come across there. And it has always been very enriching experience, making me look at life from different perspectives! I tried to talk to Sumedh, the boy with the horse cart but he was extremely shy. All answers to my questions were monosyllebic, wrapped with a genuine, sweet smile ! All I could learn about him, was his name and that he studied in fourth standard and wished to study to become "big man "! I asked him if he was happy since it was weekend and he would have more customers. He answered with a deep sigh, " didi, paisa to milta hain par log beach ganda karte hain " ( meaning, he gets good money but was not happy about people spoiling the beach ). The pain in his voice and eyes was difficult to miss when he said this.
After we reached one point, the cart stopped and we got busy clicking pictures while Sumedh ran towards the sea and grabbed a plastic bottle, the wave had just thrown out. He tucked it in a gunnysack beneath the cart. I learnt that this was his daily ritual, performed with utmost dedication. Everyday, when he was at the beach, he collected all the garbage and put it in a dustbin. I was bowled over by this gesture ! I had hardly exchanged a few sentences with this kid but he left a very profound impact on me with his responsible behaviour. A child of that age with hardly any educated background was showing maturity, that many "educated people" fail to display ! He was so much part of his surrondings and so sensitive to nature that he walked his talk with great elan.
As our ride got over and we started walking on the beach, I felt elated ! Sumedh had touched my heart deeply. I was very proud of him and I planned to catch up with him again the next day and know him a little more. Our silent conversation with this angel was a lovely start to our weekend. I knew there was a lot of beauty about to be discovered...
