• Second Chances •

31. Sunny Hearts

"This is..." Ram whispered as he looked at the majestic waterfall blowing over their tiny heads and couldn't complete what he was saying. 

Priya couldn't complete Ram's train of thought either. In 32 years of her walking on earth, she had never seen anything like that. They were on a ship that was leisurely cruising across the incredible Milford Sound. Surrounded by the lush peaks, the blue and green water underneath, the slight drizzle; Priya was staggered by the sheer beauty of the place. She had so far seen a few seals and a group of dolphins too.

She let out a sigh. Everything with Ram was a first for her. Her lips quivered as she managed to speak, "I have never seen anything like this."

Ram's eyes looked into hers. Priya unknowingly held her breath. The colour of his eyes resembled the murky, green and blue water beneath them.

"Me neither!" Ram grinned. 

Their ship had stopped near a waterfall and Ram stared at the white, gushing water falling down from the cheeky peak. "The journey from India is worth it. Just for this."

Priya clutched at the windcheater she was wearing. This water felt different to the Mumbai rains. Strangely, she didn't mind this. She had to agree with Ram. "Indeed."

Then Ram raised a brow. "Any poems in honour of this gloriousness?"

"There is one. But I prefer to keep it private..." trailed off Priya, knowing it well that Ram was going to whine now. 

And he did. He made a face and asked, "Really now?" 

Thoroughly enjoying teasing him like that, Priya turned to walk inside the ship's belly where Aditya and Brinda were having lunch. But Ram caught her hand and stopped her. "Wait. Let me click a picture of you. Come stand here." 

Priya tried to snatch her hand back. "No. I am awkward."

"Really? Why?" Ram asked instead. 

Throwing her head back, Priya explained, "Because cameras capture the truth and then that version remains for prosperity. Unless a flood or something washes away your phone or photographs." 

Ram clicked his tongue. "So in that case, why be awkward in front of the camera? Be natural. It catches the truth so let it catch your best version. Isn't it?"

He had a point but Priya complained, "Yeah but I am not photogenic. I don't photograph well. All my freckles, small eyes and fine lines show in the pictures. And my extra weight. I don't like it."

"Really?" Ram's face hardened. "I didn't even notice anything until you said it. I still don't. All I see is a radiant woman with a warm smile; a slightly shy but beautiful woman whose heart is as big as the sun."

Something fluttered in Priya's heart. Her heart was as big as the sun? No one had ever told her that. Most of the time, her family said that she was too hard, too angry. She awkwardly looked away. 

But Ram remained adamant. "And then again, photographs are merely for us. For us to remember how we felt in that particular moment. They don't have to be perfect."

He slightly pushed Priya in the direction of the waterfall and motioned her to stand there. "Now go and stand there. I want you to remember this moment too. I want you to remember how you felt now."

Looking at his insistence, Priya gave up. She held the ship's powder-white railing and stood there. Even though she was surrounded by heart-aching beauty, her eyes remained on Ram as he tried to click her photographs at the best possible angle.

Ram sat down, crouched, almost laid down on the ship floor to capture her. Priya inhaled sharply. It reminded Priya of that happy family from the other day. That father was also going out of his way to photograph his children. Her father never did it for her. But now her husband was doing it.