This experience... I was thinking of sharing with everyone for so long. It's fixated on my mind so much that even after more than five years I can still remember it as it is. It could be the end of a new beginning, the end of future.
I still get the chills and some sense of pride as well when I recall this.
This memory belongs to the second day of my first solo trip to Pondicherry in June 2018. On my first day I was completely mesmerized by the Rock Beach as it was my first encounter with the vast beauty called the Ocean. I wanted to explore more, and I decided to go to Paradise Beach the next day.
The water was inviting, and I decided to step into the waves. With very few people around I left my belonging at shore and decided to try to conquer my fear of deep water. As I said earlier, the water was inviting, and I was drawn towards its beauty like a moth is drawn towards the flame.
After few minutes my body was into neck deep water, while enjoying the waves. It felt like there was nothing to fear and I forgot about my inability to swim.
Like a leaf separated from its branch becomes a slave to the wind, the same way I was enslaved by the ruthless behavior of the mighty sea. The big sudden wave had drawn me, and my body could not withstand the force of the current.
For few moments I struggled to come back on my feet. Struggling to conquer the challenges presented by nature and my foolishness, I was hit by another trouble as I could feel something sharp entering my sole. Now, I was one leg short.
Soon, the ocean became my master, and I became its slave.
It is said that when it's your final moments you think of your loved ones, your regrets and what you could achieve. But I could not think of anything. May be because it was not my final moment.
When it comes to fight, flight or freeze response many people would flight or simply freeze. Well, I don't know how but suddenly I felt calm. I had to come out of the water.
I looked in which direction I need to go, and I, very slowly on almost one and a half leg, started towards it while adjusting my body with the current. It was a tough task to complete because the current was pulling me back in the deep and the shortage of oxygen was bothering my lungs.
I don't remember for how long I struggled but I remember when my head was out of water, I saw two men running towards me. They helped me come out. My one leg was pierced by some fish bone or something like that and it was so deep inside that it was hard to took it out. One of the guys, used his teeth and pulled it out with force.
Sitting on the shore beside my belongings, trying to stop the bleeding caused by hole in my leg, I was just staring at the Ocean. It looked alive. It's might to consume everything, I faced it, feared it but still survived. Did it let me go after playing with me for some time? If so, I am thankful and to those nameless men also.
I mentioned earlier that I feel a sense of pride when I think about this incident. It taught me that instead of thinking about my inability to swim I focused more on my ability to stay calm.
I am still afraid of deep water, and I still can't swim but I still go in water. It's still inviting like a moth is drawn towards the flame. But I am more aware, and I know my limits and more importantly now I know Ocean's might.
Thanks for reading!
