Anand stares at the waves hit the rock and bounce back over-and-over again. He wishes he had the same zeal to go back into his monotonous life. Birds fly over the sea in a flock, forming a symmetric shape. He wishes the time could stop for a while this one time. For the first time he perceives that time can never go back and people never come back. His eyes moisten. He looks down to hid his tears, now rolling down his cheek. He fiddles with the sand writing something. He contemplates changing the past, just once…
Pain clogs his chest, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He swallows hard to make it go away. He looks again at the setting sun and the silent sea as if telling him something. He becomes conscious and realizes someone sitting beside him. He begins to wonder how long had it been and why had he not noticed this man. The stranger, an elderly person, places his hand over Anand’s head and smiles. Anand stares blankly not knowing what to say. He hands over a small cone with groundnuts and walks away. A strange sense of comfort fills Anand, as if every single unspoken emotion were heard – more than that he could express in words. Silence does speak a thousand words!
