The Wanderer

The Gateway looked majestic as I stepped out of the cab, shielding my eyes against the glare of the sun. Even in the early hours of the morning, people were wandering in the promenade, gazing at the sea or clicking pictures with the edifice that symbolises South Mumbai. Waves lapped against the ferry boats that were docked in the harbour. Steady drill of the engine could be heard every few moments as the boats slipped in and out of formation along the sidewall, where I stood in line to board my first ferry to the beach town of Alibaug.

We soon slipped away from the city along with the waves. As the outline of the city grew smaller, the hull of the ships grew larger. A flock of seagulls zipped by before a land pocket became visible. We had reached Mandwa. It was up till here that the ferries plied every half an hour both ways.

The bus which would take us to the city stood outside. It took us through small pockets of villages, with brick houses and vegetable patches, before leaving us in the main city.

An expensive auto ride took me to Nagaon beach. Far from the main city, the area near the beach is lined with cottages offering cheap accommodation along with the traditional Malvani food. The beach itself is clean and relatively empty. Some chairs laid out beneath a makeshift roof made it an ideal place to sit and read. I settled in with the Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl, absorbing the wicked genius of the author against the sound of the waves and the unmistakable smell of the sea.

Nearby, some people were riding the water scooter or shrieking as they fell off the banana boat. A horse carriage made rounds as others walked alongside the waves and as the parachute glided softly back to earth.

My afternoon was split between reading, writing and walking along the beach till the sun started its descent, infusing myriad colours into the white and blue canvas. It turned from a rosy pink to purple to peach, with golden strokes. The clouds brought in the blacks and the greys and it steadily grew darker.

As I got up to leave with a heavy heart, I realised that my first solo trip had become a go to destination........