The Trip (click to read more)

"If time is a circle and someone has written everything, then do you think that this meeting would have some significance in the coming few years, or it will be the same as it is pre-defined in a circle if at all we meet?" I could not process the question, but I managed to reply, "It will have some significance." The person- in a wheelchair; and wearing an off-white t-shirt with navy blue pajama, having trimmed beard and mustache, French beret hat on the head, and aviator goggles with a very light shed of blue, alone, maybe in his mid-forties laughed at my confusion.


I was not fond of solo trips but had to take one out of peer pressure for self-discovery, as they say. They say Goa has a lot more to offer for solo travelers, and we Indians have tarnished its image just for the sake of alcohol.

I planned a solo trip to Goa for five days and rented an apartment near Vagator Beach. Thalassa Restaurant near the beach was my go-to location of the evening. On a fine evening of my last day, I spotted a man at the edge of a restaurant, sipping Budwiser and staring at the sea hopefully- as if it was coming to get him.

Before the start of the trip, I had decided to speak to at least five strangers daily. Well, this person was my sixth on that day, but I was already enjoying it.

"Hi, my name is Raman, and please don't be confused about the location I am at or the rubbish talk I do. I am a Goan and live nearby, passionate about solo bike travel and on a fateful day- met with an accident, now the wheelchair is a part of my life... Now, I drink and read," I nodded nervously and introduced myself. The view from the edge of the restaurant was mesmerizing; as he asked me to join him, I grabbed a chair and ordered red pasta along with cold coffee.

                          

"What sweet do you like and why?" as I was adjusting myself, he spoke again, balancing the hat.

"Kajukatli, because it's not too sweet but gives the feeling of completeness," I replied.

"Well, that is my favorite too. But, I like it without silver coating."

"Why?" I asked intriguingly.

"My life has been like of silver coating. When I understood it, I was already in a wheelchair. In life, if you want to be successful, pretend to be in complete control of the situation that you are in, and the people in your surrounding will assume that you are. Otherwise, you end up becoming a useless and tasteless sparkle like the silver coating. I ended up waiting for the things to arrive but never fought for them," he was speaking as if he understood the essence of life.

As the pasta was getting served, I replied, "Well, I would not agree to this. I believe the essence of life is in what you are deep down. It is always better to accept the mishap that has happened rather than living in complete denial."

"Life is a race, my friend. Yes, you must be true to yourself, not necessarily to the people around you. We live in a modern era- you want something, pretend it is already yours and fighting for your rights, you show any weakness, and you are lost already." he replied, looking at the sunset behind the sea and waves that the setting sun was releasing. It almost seemed that the Budweiser was talking. However, I was enjoying the conversation and his tone.

We sat quietly for a while, then I asked uncomfortably, "I have been taught and experienced that success is a destiny. You will not have it even if you enter the rat race. A person needs to go by ethics to achieve it. If it is in your destiny, you will have it, or else it would be an experience for the lifetime."

He smiled as if he was mimicking me while cleaning his goggles and said, "humans have found a nice way of blaming God or destiny for the failure. There are no gods in the universe, no nations, or no money outside the common imagination of human beings. On the one hand, we have the objective reality of rivers, trees, and humans; and on the other hand, we have the imagined reality of gods, nations, and corporations. Today, imagined reality has become more powerful, and the very survival of rivers and trees depends on the grace of imagined entities such as temples, destiny, and capitalism. For the sake of it, let's call this imagined reality a revolution- our forefathers were happy with hunting and living just for survival, then the revolution happened. Revolution can keep more people alive under worse conditions. In the name of revolution, we have fallen prey to capitalism. Destiny won't tell you anything. It is a part of imagined reality. Remember, winners always define their own rules and create their destiny."

                    

The Greek-themed Thalassa Restaurant is on the shore of the Arabian sea- providing uninterrupted sea view and has a blue and white theme just like the sky which offers a visit to Greek culture with the ambiance, menu, hosts and, live performances. Surprisingly, the crowded restaurant- in its pick hours had a very mild crowd on my last day in Goa. It was indeed a discovery for me along with Raman, the man I just met. His words were not convincing, but somewhere, deep down- I wanted to believe in him. We, the people, are so busy in the race or to win the bread or to impress someone that we often fail to realize the legacy we have been following.

Raman, who was busy staring at the sea, I disturbed him, "don't you feel that this race is not our legacy. For example- as you said that our forefathers were happy with hunting and living just for the day. What happened to that then?"

"You see, an agricultural revolution is the biggest scam that our society has ever witnessed. With the revolution, we started to demand more. As we had farms, we had to have a permanent house. We started to produce more babies and invented medicine, and that is how it became a race. Today, we enjoy the legacy that a few years ago was the nightmare. For example, the Tajmahal- Shahjahan chopped off the hands of workers. Sure, it was a nightmare at that time, but we enjoy the beauty of Tajmahal now. British ruled us- they taught us when we were not ready- to produce and farm tea. The Britishers taught us about the legal system, and with the exposure they gave us- we learned the word 'Human Rights,' the point being- we have fallen prey to the legacy with revolution," Raman replied with a blank face and beer in one hand.

               

Raman was constantly staring at the ocean- as it was singing lullabies to him, bypassing his chattering mind. Indeed, the human mind can not deal with infinity, and staring at the ocean gives the impression that things could go on forever. It's a visual cue to consider eternity or the big picture. At least, my recent experience with Raman said the same thing.

His reply was indeed thoughtful, and I could not speak for few moments. To be very honest- I am tired of the race that I play with myself. Maybe, this trip had given me a gateway to have a different perspective. As I gathered my thoughts, I asked him again, "what if I want to go back to the era before the revolution? How would it happen?"

He smiled and replied, "we will have to convince everyone on this planet to leave everything and behave that the revolution never happened. It seems impossible, but that is the only way. It has to be the collective effort if we want to avoid more divide in the society."

                      

Me- speechless, wandered in my thoughts, ignoring surroundings, and enjoying the breeze that nature was offering; Raman looked at me, and with another quirky smile, reminded me to eat the cold pasta I had ordered. I think this mysterious man who reads and drinks- understood my silence as we enjoyed the view that this restaurant had to present until it was dark and we could hear only the noise of waves.

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This piece is inspired by the book- 'Sapiens- A brief history of humankind,' by Yuval Noah Harari.