It was a day which was already on a high. There were very few things that could have topped the day for us. For a friend, as part of her birthday celebration, we had arranged a surprise visit from her younger brother, and her shock and sheer pleasure had to be seen to be believed. The entire two days were a blur of saas-bahu serial type moments with a lot of awwws and sniffles and acts of a similar sort.
And yet, Manipal, refused to be fazed and gave us this: yet another lovely, breath-takingly beautiful treat.
Camera: Canon EOS 1000D
Time of Day : 6:07 pm
Lens: 18-55mm
Focal Length: 18mm
Exposure: 1/1250
F Number : f3.5
ISO:200
We had planned to hit a couple of spots as part of making sure that the youngster got to see the real Manipal, ( more a pretext for us to see the real Manipal, to be honest :p ) and as often happens with our crowd, this wasn’t on the list. A gracious friend lent us her car and the person driving the car used to own a beach-house , just metres away from the beach. So , she just decided to take us here when we were told that the ferry service to St. Mary’s Island ( our original plan) has been terminated for the time being and my very first thought was , “Why weren’t we here from the beginning itself???”
It was jaw-dropping beauty. Adjectives like ‘virgin beach’, ‘painted sky’ were explained. When we came , there were hardly five people on the beach. And to imagine my friend owned a beach-house here and sold it off. I sometimes, simply do not understand human beings (sad nodding of head).
Taking into consideration, my recent spree of bad-luck, I docilely stayed back on land and watched my friends frolic in the water. There was a sand bank a brief swim away and once the guys reached there I managed to collect a rich repository of snaps.
It’s places like these, that you get the inclination to just lie back, and gaze up at the world before you. You don’t have vendors, or tourists or raucous lads expressing their freedom with their energetic actions. It’s just you, and the sky and the sea. The clouds in the sky spinning out incredible tales, only if you are willing to see, the waves playing a hauntingly beautiful tune, if only you are willing to listen and the ever-present breeze cajoling and caressing you. There is something about vast expanses that calms a mind down. And also makes you understand how insignificant you are and how insignificant are your problems and how, like every other event in your life “this too shall pass”.
I stood, camera in hand, reluctant to bring the mechanical device to my eye, reluctant to even move or bat my eyelids as I just stared at the sky, at the billowing clouds, the waves, the island in the distance and the solitary birds flying away to the most enviable of futures: freedom.
A Brief Respite: Manipal never fails.
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