The Boy With Head Full Of Stars

The Evening

It was almost evening. I just got finished with all my classes. It was a big day, and it’s still day one. I exchanged like two or three sentences with my bench partner in the classroom in my entire college day. He was so focused on what the professors were teaching. Not just him, everywhere I looked, every bench I looked towards, they just looked forward towards the board, making notes of everything written on board by teachers. So I kept quiet too. And soon juggling between the lectures and practical the day was over. I got to know the name of the person sitting next to me. It was the only name I got to know of, Sachin. His name was Sachin. By the Time College was over it was early evening. I started walking, exiting the gate, going towards the main road. I was about to plug earphones in my ears, but then someone from back tapped my head. He was the guy who is roommates with me, Amar. He was a year senior to me. He knew this place more than me, well I am new to the place so, anyone living for more than a month in this place knows more than me.

“So where are you heading towards?” Amar asked.

“Umm… Nowhere. The room. I guess” I said. Where else would I go?

“You like the beach? Do you drink?”  He asked, raising one eyebrow.

“No, I don’t drink” I replied.

“Yet, you don’t drink yet.” he said. Laughing at his own joke. “What about the beach? Wanna go? It’s in walking distance from here?”

“Yea sure” I agreed. I have never been to a beach. I looked up, towards the sky. This day still might end up good. I read the ocean was the blue color due to the reflection of the sky. If ocean really is the reflection of the sky. I think I will love it.

We started walking on the footpath, with vehicles rushing past beside us. The noise of the people, the vehicles, the honking. You can never get rid of them. No matter which part of the world you are in, cities are always the same. That’s how cities are built. That’s how cities are defined, by the rush. Still, so many people come running towards them. Building their whole life around cities. Buying expensive houses, bikes, and cars, getting stuck in traffic, honking. Even with these hundred things which normally people won’t like, they kinda get used them after a while. Everything just shifts into the background. As we grow in the city, the city grown into you. After my few intial days, the city grew in me too and now all these sounds don’t affect me anymore. It’s like they run in the background for me too.  The closest I can relate to this situation is a room full of students without a teacher. Everyone is talking, some in groups, some just to each other. And you are talking too, but even though you listening to everything everyone is saying, that just goes into the background.  And you can listen to your friend, whom you are talking to very clearly. Maybe that’s how life is in these cities. Even with all the noises, all the distractions, one focuses on what he wants from the city, everything else just goes into the background. Maybe this city will numb everything else for me too, and tell me what do I really want!

We kept walking, Amar kept telling me about his day. How he accidentally punched his friend in the face. And his friend got angry and punched him back in his chest. He swore his heart stopped beating for a second. I kept nodding, smiling when he smiled. I did not want to offend him. He was good enough to ask me to accompany him. He just didn’t stop, kept talking, now about his big friend, who is in his class too and how his hands are big. He was a talker, so he didn’t notice my silence. he talks a lot. about anything and everything. I wonder what gives his heart peace. what fills his heart making him speechless.

Just before crossing the road. He said ” wait here, let me grab a beer! You sure you don’t want one? ”

I moved my head in a no.

“Cool!” he said. And he jogged towards the shop.

He was back in 5 minutes. And tapped my shoulder from the back.

“Let’s go” he said.

We crossed the main gate and entered the beach area, walking through the sand, we sat near a big rock. He sat near me, trying to open his beer can.

“You know why I drink here? It’s because of these winds, rushing against my skin, rushing against my face. These winds make me feel alive. The alcohol makes the head a little light. Makes me forget about the assignments and submissions, and from the moment when these winds strike against my face. I feel alive. I feel free.”

Maybe he is not that bad. I nodded. these waves, these winds, do make one feel alive. It was almost evening and the sky was yellow. The ocean, it looked yellow too. reflection of the sky, sky which is moving towards me, with each wave, trying to get closer. Amar stopped talking, he was just looking towards the ocean, drinking his beer. he looked happy. Maybe ocean is his best friend like the sky is mine. I looked up, and I smiled. This was indeed a good day. I met the reflection of the sky, trying again to reach me. Maybe I should try too, to be someone I would want to be. what do you say the reflection of sky?