Her Beauty and My Bravery in India
Stood there before me was this ancient piece of architectural wonder.The Gopuram(tower like structure of Hindu temples),erected in the shores of this, once bustling port city,Mahabalipuram,in Tamil nadu of South India, would make anyone gape with wonder of how the people of 700AD, with no engineering advancement and technology, could build such a monument of awe inspiring height.
Walking along the shore brought back vivid memories of my school days.I have been there many times before, but it was the first time that I was there after I chose this life of a traveler.
Her name was Kavita which means ‘Poem’ in the regional south Indian language Tamil. She was an epitome of elegance. It may sound as an exaggeration if I said ‘she was the desire of every hormone raged teenage boy and the envy of every insecure teenage girl’. But, to me it was a fact not an exaggeration…
We were all standing around the tourist guide. I remember her standing opposite to me. Behind her was a wall fully sculpted with Hindu dieties.The guide was going on about how that city was a great port city under the king Narasimavarma;about the mythical tale of how Lord Vishnu came out from the stone walls in the form of lion to kill Hiranyakasipu,the king who insulted him;about how, that place once had seven Gopuras and then how that only brave Gopuram withstood the wrath of the sea. But, at that time these stories failed to fascinate me as much as Kavita did.I exchanged some shy glances with her.I always wanted to tell her how beautiful she was and how I wanted her by my side. But,growing up in a dysfunctional family,confidence was never my strong trait
My mom and dad,I remember,would fight like tom and jerry.Sometimes my mom would say good things and some days she would spit venom from her mouth.The typical feature of growing up in a dysfunctional family is that you have to walk on egg shells. You would never know how you will be responded. I was neither bullied nor pampered rather just neglected. So at a very young age I started finding comfort amidst nature. Now let me go back to Kavita. We were all then standing in the beach,clad in our school uniform-mandatory dress code so that it would be easy for our teachers to spot us if we were ever lost in the crowd.Kavita and I were fooling around in the beach. We were good friends for a very long time.There were times when she preferred to be me with me rather than her other friends.But I did not want us just to be friends.’But why would she want me as her boyfriend? She was too beautiful.’I thought
I know not if it was the wind or the sand or the mythical tales that the guide told us gave me courage.
“I love you Kavita.Would you be my girlfriend?” I stuttered.
To my surprise she hugged me and said”why did you take so long to say this?”So,what I always wanted also wanted me, just that we were seperated by a chasm of my insecurity and fear.
And thus I had my first girlfriend at the age of 17 in this same place.At that time, to me, it was the bravest act that I had ever did.
Now that I have traveled a lot and experienced a lot,I would say insecurities are a sure sign of having a big ego and real bravery lies in losing your ego.
In my opinion a man,who never forgets to smell the roses along the path and one who breathes without any worry of the past and any fear for the future is the real brave man.
After all those travels and experience,if I’d have to suggest one act of bravery to anyone,I’d tell them to live the moment,for it is all that really exist.
LIVE HERE AND NOW.
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