My First Love

She is probably the most I have missed ever since I decided to leave the shores of Singara Chennai in pursuit of a different challenge and the ever increasing desire to make more money. I have known her for close to 20 years and there have been few things in life which have given me more joy than sit and stare at her. She is by no means the prettiest of them all but there is definitely something about her that makes me feel better about myself however bleak the situation looks. I don’t think there have been too many weekends with me not spending atleast an hour with her. I have even been crazy enough to go and see her at half eleven after coming home from a soul sucking day at work.

Anyone who has read my last 5 web entries should have known by now that I am not talking about a woman- I am referring to the “Marina Beach”. Despite living in a country that prides itself of having a beach which ranks in the top 100 beaches of the world, I still believe I would give my “right arm” to spend an hour at the Marina than the beaches of Bermuda. As appealing as blue-green water and sand as soft as a new born child’s skin are there is something about the Marina –the ambience, the milieu, the… I don’t know what, that is missing in the other places. I know I sound outrageously ridiculous but it’s just like every guy (ok most guys) who think that their wife/ girl friend is the most beautiful lady to walk god’s green earth! Forget that my mom thinks I am handsome and intelligent – Can you beat that?



It’s probably the memories that I carry from my salad-days, the countless hours spent with my dear friends discussing the rights and wrongs of Indian cricket (or as my friend D says- We would have bought BCCI if only we had the money to just run it the right way) / the family problems / hours spent with T sitting and discussing this cynical world. It gave me an avenue atleast in my head to right all the wrongs of this world, perfect the imperfections. Alas what would the world be if everything was perfect, if Marina was not strewn with the garbage and the stench of dead fish every time you go near the tireless waves each trying to better the previous one?


It would take a dozen rounds of vodka (as heard from my good mates in Bermuda who drink as though god has given them 5 livers and as if the world wouldn’t exist tomorrow) and a severe bout of amnesia for me to forget the time when I woke up at half five to get a glimpse of the sunrise (when did I care about sunrise???- I went there coz B wanted me to go), the havoc created by the mighty Tsunami (very proud that Marina bravely bore the brunt) and the zillion times I enjoyed the panju mittais/ molaga bajjis/ north indian chat with a strong South India flavor (yes it happens only in Marina!!)- Absolutely priceless!

Where ever I go what ever I do, I will always miss Marina- My Marina

Cheers
S.

PS: My friends R & J celebrate their wedding anniversary next week, here is wishing the couple a happy and wonderful anniversary and here is to many more!