It was dark.Moonlight was of little help.The two boys made themselves comfortable in the cold sand of the beach.The sea waves were kind enough to not scare them.The two witty boys were the closest pals.They would spend hours in the sand playing during the night.Not a single audacious attempt to get near the sea during the night for a slightly magnified image of it would inundate their minds with fear.Such was the power of the dark.But,their grey cells knew that the beach and the sea were inseparable....and so were they.
Unknowingly they lived within each other.A sweet scent of friendship filled the medium around them.Many visited the beach everyday but none would take a second look at the two spread across the beach selling hats in the melee.By night, they would dump the hatsacks in the godown nearby,grab some food and rush to the beach.At times when the owner snatched huge part of their collection,they would share the meal.Innocence covered their flamboyant faces.Apparently,they would exchange satisfied looks after every meal.
Noon was the time when they would study people and their attires.Sun glasses were always an attraction....Their tired looks screamed of hunger.Their dried throats reflected an unquenched thirst
On a similar noon,Both were watching over a game of beach ball with the huge bundle of unsold hats with them.
One of them started"I like this game Ryan"
"Me too, but we don't have a ball like that" admitted Ryan."May be we can never have" he sighed and turned his gaze towards the pile that sat between them.
It was a huge cry of exclamation that abruptly ended the conversation.The ball had been hit in the wrong direction and now it was on the way to get a peck from the waves.
"I'l go get it" Ryan's friend jumped and ran towards the ball even before anyone one of the beachball chaps started to make a move.With his mouth half open Ryan started to hesitate but could already see his friend running halfway.
The ball would not stop.It raced up to the waves.The boy behind would only look at the ball which was now being hugged by the wavesThe ball slid deeper and deeper...but the boy wouldn't stop.
There were silent spectators watching this until an old lady started screaming when she saw a kid disappearing behind the waves.A few people rushed to the water.There was a sudden rise in the tone of a small yet cheerful crowd which now started to panic.
Ryan had been watching.The time taken for him to react was too expensive........
24 years later
A middle aged man was standing on the beach, his hand clasped with a tiny one.A lady sat behind them.It was almost sunset.
"Its time Ryan,we must leave" his wife spoke from behind.He nodded and smiled at his daughter who stared back into the watery eyes.
P S It was no one's mistake..
