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Beach Beech mein...

Most theories in life boil down to one pattern. This is my theory so far. I have learnt it is all a vicious circle. It syncs with our tradition too-vicious circle of life and death, lies and sin, love and desire, hope and despair... the more I know, the more I want to know…

It has been nearly 50 days in the city. I do love it for what it is loved for the most-Sea. I have already spent multiple evenings on sea faces and beaches and they would easily be the best times amongst all the big clubs, binging, drinking and even theatre. Bandstand, Juhu, Worli, Marine drive, Carter road, Chaupatty, Haji Ali and girgaon…Bliss

There are few main categories of people one can see there- lovers, thinkers, joggers. Then there are sellers on sea faces-additional category of families on beaches…and few others who I am not sure how exactly fit in there, or anywhere…looks like they aren’t sure either.

I mentioned vicious circle because one thing that hits hard on face in Mumbai is the stark disparity between affluence and poverty. Only beaches are places which dilute it almost to equivalence. I wonder when i walk on Carter road look left towards the sea and then right to beautiful bungalows... Even if i reach anywhere on right, I'd still come and walk here I will still feel that juhu beach pao bhaji is better than any 5 star buffet.

Life-poverty and life-affluence is also a vicious circle-people break out of it rarely and with much difficulty. Technically speaking everything in nature dilutes this disparity as it is open for everyone alike but only beaches and sky probably drive it in deep. The vast endless openness in front compels you to believe that this is like a confession box. Sink for everything, all bucks end there... without being a witness or a judge.

Which is why one would notice many people sitting alone. Depressed or introspecting-whichever- eventually they are trying to think seamlessly. We all have such things in life but mostly not pressingly urgent-but on beach the vastness compels the mind to delve that way. It is more like a realization that this setup is perfect for a thinker-

Then there are lovers. They are there because no one is looking. More like a cinema hall. Everyone is interested in the picturing running in front. Or of course, they can be a niche category lovers who are thinkers-thinking together-you know how it is-love comes with million thoughts billion worries and trillion solutions.

It is a common practise to just sit and observe people- railway stations, airports are best bets for this exercise-followed by the beaches. I am sure if you make a candlestick pattern of decisions in lives made by people against the visit to beaches, one would find clear correlation. (Pardon my technical chart reading lately)

Surprisingly I was introduced to the beaches first in Bombay itself. I was 11 something when i came here to attend a wedding. Its been 15 years! I can't recall anything except that Bhelpuri at Chowpatty was too spicy for me and that i was mesmerized when the tides would rinse away sand from beneath my feet, no matter how firmly i'd keep them.

Low tides, high tides, moon and gravity, sand and pebbles, water and fishes, sun's rise and set, fast movers and amblers- Beaches!

They have a magical power to set up a whole new world around them...

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