Weekends in Carnicobar

As the golden beams 

of a tropical sun danced

against our window pane

and the roosters of our

Nicobarese neighbours

would join the nature’s 

Orchestra, it was our son

who with his cheery alacrity 

would be so ready for his

weekend morning at 

Kinyuka village’s beach 

where silver sand stretched

like whispers in the breeze

and the shades of cerulean,

cyan, teal and turquoise 

made the homogenous 

azure skies so envious. 

As our young one fought

the imaginary sea monsters

and defended valiantly 

the loyal subjects of 

his shell-adorned sand fort, 

we would sit on the warm 

white sand to soak in the 

calm and appreciate the 

rhythm of this slow

sweet life and watched 

for hours in an unhurried serenity 

as the Nicobarese men 

leisurely fished just enough

for their family’s need 

from their arcanely decorated 

single-outriggered narrow canoes. 

  

The noon arrived unassumingly 

with a glistening sharp sun 

and the lazy wind that refused

to blow inwards,

playing hide and seek instead

with the shore based 

casuarina trees. 

And after many small naps 

and reading and re-reading 

of previous day’s newspapers 

and having filled our tummies

with the Bengali, Rajasthani, 

Nicobarese and Tamil food 

from our potluck lunch 

in an isolated isle without 

a single restaurant 

and after singing to our 

heart’s content 

often tunelessly with 

with homely karaoke mics, 

we would drive down 

the narrow serpentine road 

which traced along that 

wondrous shoreline to witness 

the tangerine sunsets

when a riot of fiery orange, 

vermillion and scarlet 

against a gang of exotic

purples, mauves and lilacs

painted the beach of Passa

like God’s own canvas 

making it now the turn 

of the velvety sea 

to turn dark with envy. 

The twilight lasted just 

long enough 

to appreciate the Cicada’s 

mournful song. 

And as we drove further 

the night deepened in 

its inky glory. 

No light pollution veiled

the cosmic dance 

witnessed by us 

as we lied supine on 

Pandanus-leafed, handcrafted 

Nicobarese mats near Kimious bridge

And as these myriad stars 

filled the inverted sky-bowl 

like hordes of fireflies, 

we closed our eyes 

to etch this memory 

deep within forever.