A Bend in the River of Life

by Budh Aditya Roy

  Keka and Rana were about to embark on this restatement of commitment made to each other. On their flight to Bombay Rana told her about his plan for honeymoon in Goa. He said, “Keka, on reaching Bombay we would check into the hotel right opposite my office for a couple of days, have a look at the apartment and meet with the CEO and the colleagues I am supposed to work with next few years. Then we would check out of the hotel and proceed to Goa for honeymoon.” He also said, “Upon our return from Goa after a week we would check into the hotel again and stay there till our apartment is fully ready for our occupancy.” He continued, “I would make sure that before I resume my work in Bombay, you are totally comfortable in the new place, for once the work began I would be too busy even to die.”

  Keka was extremely happy to hear about honeymoon because she was not expecting it. As mentioned earlier, honeymoon was still not in vogue in that part of the world. So she asked him out of sheer curiosity, “Could I ask you a question?”

  Rana replied, “Keka, you may ask me a thousand questions, why only one?”

  Keka asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about the honeymoon before?

  Rana laughed and answered, “Keka, I am surprised that you asked me the question even after knowing me very well through our five years of courtship. You know I love to give you surprises. Don’t tell me that you are not pleasantly surprised to learn about the honeymoon now.”

  Keka said, “Of course, I am delighted to hear about it and can’t thank you enough. I did not expect it because honeymoon is not yet well-accepted in our society.”

  Rana said, “Keka, you know that shattering the unreasonable tradition is our business. In the last five years we have broken many traditions. Even our marriage was not strictly according to tradition.” He added further, “I will continue to ignore the traditions that are meaningless, that have become antiquated. I do not know what you think about it.”

  Keka said, “You know I have always supported you. But I am not as forthright as you are. I have to admit that I am a little timid.”

  Rana said, “Timidity is not bad. Sometimes I will use your timidity as my weapon to circumvent the tradition that is out of date.” He added, “By the way, talking about your surprise to learn about our honeymoon, I may add that effective immediately your life will be full of surprises. I only hope that you can handle them all.”

  Keka said, “I hope so. I may also tell you that I have found a new name for you, like it or not.”

  Rana said, “I am rather intrigued by that. However, unless I hear the name how can I say if I like it or not.”

  Keka was deliberately tantalizing, making Rana more curious. She asked, “If you do not like the name, will you be angry with me?”

  He responded by asking her, “Keka, have I ever been angry with you? So why are you even asking me the question?”

  Both were smiling and the atmosphere was light. Keka said, “Since I am not modern enough to call you by your actual name, I have found a new name for you. Effective immediately I will call you Mr. Surprises.”

  Rana burst out into laughter and said, “I am glad that coming out of our narrow confines you have begun to open up.” He saw this as an opportunity to push her to call him by his actual name also. To seize the moment he said, “However, I will be upset if you call me only Mr. Surprises. You will also have to call me by my original name alternately.”

  Keka was glad that he did not dislike his new name. She said exuberantly, “Okay Mr. Surprises, I agree with what you said.”

  Rana asked, “What do you agree with?”

  She replied, “To call you alternately by your other name also.”

  Sensing that Keka was caught in her own trap, Rana asked, “What is my other name?”

  Keka swallowed twice and then said with visible shyness, “Rana.”

  Rana almost fell off the aircraft having accomplished the unthinkable by making Keka utter her husband’s real name! It was like moving a mountain! He kissed the back of her palm in joy. He could not kiss her lips because kissing in public was prohibited by law. Now he got ammunition to tease her. He asked, “Keka, what has happened to you? You have not reached Bombay yet, even so you have started calling your husband by his name! I am really astonished to see your audacity!”

  Keka also began laughing. She knew Rana was only pulling her legs. But she said shyly, “Please don’t tell it to my mother. She will not be happy.”

  Rana was very happy to see this paradigm shift in Keka. So continuing to tease her he said, “I will tell this not only to your mother, but also to the entire world that coming out of Calcutta you are completely out of control; that you are now an ultra-modern woman, calling your husband by name against every acceptable decorum and tradition; that you have gone totally berserk.”

  Keka’s transformation with the blink of an eye proved once again that man is the product of his surroundings. What appears absolutely impossible in one social environment becomes easily achievable in different surroundings only with a modest nudge.

  In the next couple of days they were happy to see their beautiful apartment in a new sky-scraper by the Arabian Sea. The spruce-up work was progressing very well. Rana felt that they might be able to move in immediately upon their return from Goa if by then their consignment from Calcutta would arrive in Bombay. While Rana was busy next couple of days meeting his CEO and the colleagues with whom he would be working in the next few years, Keka had the opportunity to visit along with her aunt Dipa the specific areas of the city their lives would revolve around. Looking at her eyes before leaving for their honeymoon, Rana got positive vibes that she liked what she saw thus far. Then she opened her heart without being asked, “I want to let you know that I am happy to be here. I like the apartment. It’s ideally located. Your work, Dipa’s house, Nariman Point, Marine Drive, the markets and everything else is just round the corner. It is going to be very convenient.”

  Rana said, “Keka, I am relieved to hear that directly from you. You know that your convenience was my first worry. I am delighted to know that you are happy.”

  With a good feel about his new work and the apartment, they took the flight to Goa to enjoy their honeymoon. It was the second week of February. Though at that time of the year the northern India would still be at the tail-end of winter, the other parts of the country would be in the middle of spring. Especially, the west coast would be very pleasant. Goa is a small state on the west coast of India approximately four hundred miles southeast of Bombay. About four centuries earlier it became a Portuguese Colony. In the early sixties of the twentieth century India regained the control of Goa. From then on Goa had been gearing up as a tourists’ paradise.

  Beaches were synonymous with Goa. Out of a total coastline of about seventy-five miles, beaches accounted for fifty miles or two thirds of its length. Since Goa was ensconced between the western slopes of the Western Ghats Mountain Range and the Indian Ocean, the topography of Goa was substantially hilly. Due to the fact that Goa was a Portuguese Colony for four hundred years, the architecture and layout of the villages and towns were mostly Latin. Despite the forcible conversions to Christianity at certain times of the four hundred years of Portuguese rule, 60% of the population still remained Hindus. The Christians constituted 30% and other religions 10%. The religious tolerance was exemplary in Goa. People of one faith participated in the celebrations of another faith in the spirit of the event. Though Portuguese was the official language in the Colonial past, due to the contiguity to India, English and the local Konkanese were also widely practiced. People in Goa were simple, family loving and friendly. Though it was not well publicized, some upper middle class families in Panjim and few other big cities converted a part of their homestead into lovely restaurants with a family touch, serving typical sea food, rice and Portuguese wine.

  Rana and Keka were scheduled to stay at the Fort Aguada Beach Hotel for the first three days and then move north to a hotel at the Calangute beach for the rest of their stay. By air Goa was just a
short hop from Bombay along the west coast. At the time of their visit there were only two Indian Airlines flights daily between Bombay and Goa. The flight time was about forty minutes. Because of the short distance the flights used to maintain a low altitude. Keka and Rana took the morning flight to enjoy the view in the tranquility of the morning. The afternoons could be mildly warm at that time of the year though normally with lots of breeze, making it very pleasant. The sky was spotless blue and the sea turquoise. The visibility was endless. Since the aircraft was flying at a low altitude right along the shoreline they were delighted to see from above the foam-crested waves crashing on the shore with never-ending succession. It was an absolutely beautiful sight which Keka had not seen before. She kept her head fixed on the window in order to absorb everything she saw.

  Suddenly Rana felt that they were really in the thick of their unpublicized honeymoon. Since the flight took off they were silent. Rana broke the silence by asking, “Keka, what happened? Why are you so quiet? Are you angry with me for something?”

  Keka smiled and said, “No, I am looking at the wonderful sight.”

  Rana said, “I hope you are enjoying the flight.”

  Keka responded, “I am enjoying every moment of it.” And that was vintage Keka. She would never discourage Rana by saying something negative. She would rather adjust herself to his position to make him happy. She said further, “Let me tell you the truth now. When you said we were going to Goa for honeymoon, I was simply happy that we were going on honeymoon. For in our society even today not many think honeymoon as a natural concomitant to wedding. I knew Goa, but was not sure where exactly it was located. However, I did not want to show my ignorance immediately to discourage your high spirit. So I did not say much about it.”

  He said, “Keka, it is not your fault that you know little about Goa. I think when I said we were going to Goa, I should have given you a little background of the place. To many it is not especially an important place. I know Goa because of its history; it’s colonial past. About four centuries ago when India was not a unified country but a conglomeration of princely states, Goa fell victim to Portuguese naval supremacy at that time. India regained its control not even a decade ago in an armed action that raised furor among ex-colonial powers. Even before that Goa was in the news because of the freedom struggle of the Goanese people who revolted against the continuation of the colonial rule in the aftermath of Indian independence. In any case, I read many nice things about this beautiful coastal province with spectacular beaches. Besides, quite a few of our employees in Bombay and Calcutta are Goanese and naturally, they keep talking about it in glowing terms.”

  Keka asked, “Did anyone suggest Goa as the place for Honeymoon?”

  Rana answered, “No, I never discussed our honeymoon with anyone. Goa just came to my mind because of its proximity to Bombay and by virtue of what I knew about the place. After gaining freedom, it has been shaping up as a good tourist resort. We would know more about it only when we go there. I hope you will not be disappointed.”

  Keka said, “I am already excited looking at those lazy-looking waves crashing into the sleepy coastline. I cannot wait any longer. I am curious to know where exactly we are now.”

  Rana answered, “As you now know, we are off the west coast of India, which is at our left. That means we are flying to the south. The plane took off from Santacruz Airport about thirty minutes earlier. Supposing our Boeing 737 is flying at 600 miles per hour and considering that the distance is about 400 miles we should be reaching Dabolim Airport in about ten minutes.”

  Keka smiled looking at Rana but did not say anything. He asked, “Keka, have I said something wrong that you smiled?”

  Keka said, “No, you never say anything unless you are pretty sure about it and when you say something it is with so much authority that it has to be right.”

  As they were exchanging these words they heard the voice of the Captain announcing that he was preparing to touch down in ten minutes. He instructed the crew and the passengers to get ready for the landing. For the benefit of the tourists he announced that the weather was going to be wonderful.

  Keka again smiled at Rana and said, “That’s your time.”

  Rana returned her smile, saying, “Many thanks for your confidence in me.”

  In about ten minutes the plane touched down at the Dabolim Airport. But where was the terminal building? There was just the landing strip by the Indian Ocean. However, they were led to a large shack made of bamboo strips and thatch. Perhaps that was the terminal building in operation since the Portuguese rule. Obviously, they did not want to invest in the infrastructure since they determined that their days were numbered. Keka and Rana laughed at each other. They were actually thrilled at that small Pacific Island atmosphere. They thought it was the perfect honeymoon setting. A little later, when they were waiting outside for the hotel van to pick them up, they saw on the other side of the sugarcane field the new airport under construction with its terminal building, control tower and other paraphernalia. A thought flashed through his mind and he gave vent to it by saying, “Though Goa was late to be liberated from the last vestiges of colonialism, it has been catching up fast with the rest of India.”

  Their destination was Fort Aguada Beach Hotel and Resort. After about forty minutes drive through the sleepy villages the van came to the ferry of the Mandovi River estuary which was pretty wide. The other side was hardly visible. From there a heavy catamaran would carry the people, the animals, the cars and vans and all else to the northern side of the estuary. While waiting at the ferry, they saw a massive bridge under construction, connecting both sides of the estuary. That was the hope for the faster and smoother traffic in future when crossing the estuary by a car would take maximum fifteen minutes. Anyway, the catamaran came finally and it took about 40 minutes to cross over to the other side.

  The cruise was exhilarating. They experienced nothing like that before. Keka got the thrill of her life, holding Rana’s arm to maintain her balance on the bouncing catamaran due to the rough and swelling estuary in the driving wind.

  Rana asked, “Do you like the cruise?”

  Keka replied, “Yes, I am enjoying it very much. This is a novel experience for me. It is so wide open that the view is simply breathtaking.” With a little pause she said, “I cannot see the other side of the river. Are we on the sea?”

  Rana responded, “This is the estuary, which is basically the mouth of the river entering the ocean. That is why estuaries are so wide and give a feeling of sea. I think the other reason why we cannot see the opposite side is the haze over the water created by the water particles due to the high wind.”

  Keka said, “Many thanks for thinking about the honeymoon in Goa. I have a feeling that we are going to have a great time here.”

  The catamaran reached the other side and they resumed their drive through yet sleepier villages. In about thirty minutes they entered the sprawling property of Fort Aguada Beach Hotel & Resorts. There is significance in the words ‘Fort Aguada.’ As the word ‘Fort’ suggests, in the early colonial days it was actually a fort which was constructed on the hill going down to the beach. ‘Agua’ in Latin means water. The fort had dual purposes: (1) to keep watch on the security of the maritime traffic entering the estuary; and (2) to supply water to the ships traveling long distances from Europe. The tower of the Fort on top of the hill actually used to watch the movement along the shipping lanes on the Indian Ocean and specifically, traffic in and out of the mandovi estuary. The Portuguese ships after a long voyage from Lisbon needed to fill in their tanks for the rest of the voyage to the Portuguese Colonies in the Far East. Fort Aguada was the water supply point. The water supply facility and the original equipments of that era were still preserved at the site as historic relics.

  The hotel was pretty spread out. On the hills there were dozens of cottages well laid out. The main hotel complex was at the swimming pool level about 50ft. above the beach. There was no doubt that the setting
was gorgeous for the honeymoon. Keka and Rana were allotted a cottage at the top tier of the hill about 500 ft. above the main hotel complex. It had both its plus and minus points. On the plus side, the view was marvellous and privacy just right for the honeymoon. On the minus side, climbing up 500 ft. was not easy though the steps were user friendly and the surroundings congenial. However, Keka became so happy with the out-of- the-world view that she turned seemingly negative side into positive one. She impressed upon Rana that climbing up the steps was a good exercise after a heavy meal. Obviously, she was right and making her happy during honeymoon was his goal. So they settled happily in that cottage.

  When they arrived it was already lunch time and they were both weary and hungry after the arduous drive and long wait at the ferry. So they had a leisurely lunch. That day they had no intention to go any where except enjoying the hotel complex and the endless beach. After lunch they huddled with the Travel Desk of the hotel to work out a tour plan for the next few days. They spent the mid-afternoon at the swimming pool relaxing and sipping cool drinks. In the late after noon they decided to go for a long stroll along the lovely white beach.

  It was one thing to look at the sea from above the hill, but quite another when one would actually walk down to the beach and be level with the sea. In general, the Indian Ocean is neither too turbulent like the Atlantic nor too placid like the Pacific, but in patches it could be rough due to blustery wind. When they went down to the beach the wind was whipping up and the sea was roaring. The sun was high above the clear blue sky. The sunset was still about two hours away. So they decided to walk to the north as far as they could. On the left, driven by the strong wind the waves of the Indian Ocean were crashing into the wide clean beach. On the right, there was a wall of tall grasses and heavily wooded area that appeared to be uninhabited. But the appearance could be deceptive.