Summer Evenings

The cool waves lapped the tripod encrusted beachy shores of grainy sand that was home to thousands of crabs and creatures that took shelter in its warmth, darkness and concrete comfort. The gulls swooped down onto the baked rocks that sat tirelessly on the chrome sands like buffalos basking in the waters to hide from the summer heat. The sun was just about the set as countless people strolled across the mortar, some with places to reach, others with people to meet. The hustle and bustle of young ones hurrying to catch the big, red 108, eagerly etching to get home for an early meal only added to the tamasha of the evening. Tea and coffee cups lined the railing of the side-walk as onlookers swallowed the beauty of the setting sun, tired, waiting to take its place at the bottom of the cool blue waters of the Arabian Sea. Not too far away, sat Kishore and Rachna. Just done with a hard day at work, Kishore was tired of his silver-haired, horn rimmed spectacled boss, Mr. Kumar who took sadistic pleasures in seeing Kishore struggle beneath the weight of this job. Mumbai had promised a lot more to Kishore that box files and eleven year old, flickering computer screens. Mumbai had promised Kishore a life. Mumbai had found Kishore Rachna.


The warmth of the evening didn't keep Kishore from passionately embracing Rachna as they reconnected on this moist Monday. He held her an arm's length away and his eyes drank in the heavenly image that stood before him, distinctly accentuated by the rays of the setting sun. Rachna wasn't tall, just over 5 feet. She had been seeing Kishore for sometime now, but between work and the strict deadlines her hostel warden laid down for her, the city left Rachna with little space and time for love.

Marine Drive is rightly called one of Mumbai's beauties. Not only does it allow Mumbaikars to enjoy nature in its true glory, but it also gave Rachna and Kishore a place where they could be themselves. The sunset only added to the moment as the two filled each other in with the day's happenings; playfully teasing and cuddling each other. As time passed by, the sun sank further into the waters and Rachna and Kishore moved on from just tea and a packet of chips, to a more mature place in their relationship. Whether it was the fat, pseudo health-conscious businessmen who paraded across the promenade with his new iPods and Nike's or the chikna eunach who insistantly made it a point to carress each one's rear end, Marine Drive's hopefull romantics found a place for themselves. Not only in the city, but more importantly, in each others' hearts.

The summer was here. And here to stay.