I got sand on my feet

Saturday morning at 8, we set out on a drive to Digha, a small beach town, couple of hours away from Kolkata. It was essentially a family bonding getaway for us - mum n dad needed a break from their schedule, and I, well I'm on a gap year to explore places, people and me.

Sometimes, you need more than perfect planning to make a trip cross the threshold of good and make it brilliant - and that variable in most cases in 'destiny'. For us, it appeared in the form of a cloudy, damp morning. After a smooth 3 hour drive down the highway, we reached our destination - an old favorite for most Calcuttans.

There is something about the sea - no matter how many times you've sat on the same beach - each time the waves have a different story to tell. Every tide has a new sandcastle to wash away. The relentless, crashing surf, is so certain, so reassuring against your life's ever-changing canvas.

The sun was on vacation too, so we spent the better part of the day, just staring at the endless blue. In the evening, the seaside turns into a carnival with tiny shacks transforming into colorful shops that sell shell lanterns, glass bangles, vibrant jute handbags, and everything typical of an Indian beach market. Of course, I can't skip the roadside delicacies, from Jhalmuris to kulfis, spicy Cajun pops to yummy sweets - you get it all. Unfortunately, the uncontested flavor of authentic India is most definitely marred by - litter! Everywhere you looked, people dropped plastic packets, ice cream cups, paper bags, without a care! Can we not do our bit in preserving our environment by disposing such junk in a a dustbin?

Sunday, we woke up to a grueling sea, sweeping wind and torrential rain.

It looked impossible to step out, but we took a chance. And like they say, you take the risk and you get returns. We drove down to the mohona (where the rivers meet the sea), which also has the biggest fish market I've ever seen. Fishes are auctioned here! One experience that will be stuck in my mind forever, is the walk down the pier alone, in the middle of a thunderstorm. When you come back to the shore - you are a changed person.

The highlight of my trip, however, was meeting Shibu, a sweet kid of around 10, who loved going to school but sold bead necklaces to tourists in the evening to make a living.

We headed home that afternoon. It was still raining.