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Srishti-2022   >>  Short Story - English   >>  The City of Pearls

Jerin D Joy

Siemens

The City of Pearls

"The City of Pearls" - How often does an illustration literally meets perfection? Well..for me, it does.

 

Love at first sight is no exaggeration. How do I know? I started loving her at the first sight itself. She carried me, nourished me from her own body, wounded herself for bringing me to this world, fed me from her own body, taught me patiently, loved me more than anything else in this world. How could I not love her then?

 

The sea of Time, the only resource and power man has not yet been able to harness,  flowed by with all its might tearing against the hull of my Life's boat,  trying to capsize it. I rowed with all my might against it, trying not to drown. I held on to the sides of my boat,  watching her drift away, helpless, and numb in the harsh cold waters and wind.

 

As the storm subsided and the seas calmed down, I crawled into my  boat and watched her being saved by another ship far away.  With a vexed heart, but a relieved mind, I watched them sail away as I started to sail towards my destination. I was in the pretention that I could still reach my destination alone.

 

Oh God, how wrong was I ? The destination which I was so sure of seemed to be so obscure without her. The days which I rowed without her where the most longest and the nights where the most darkest. The compass that guided me this long has been lost in the storm. I sailed helplessly, with despair through all of those days and nights, in hope I would see her.

 

I frantically sailed now, hoping to reach the shore fast, where I was hoping to meet her. Toiled and bruised, I was washed up ashore. There she was, my most precious Pearl, making me falling in love with her again. I, being stubborn, eventhough my mind was at its highest peak, failed to show her my happiness. She, all knowing, all enduring, just wrapped her up in her arms. I understood that I loved her at every sight, not just the first one.

 

I came to know from the stories of the sea that the sailors who saved her, had their own toll of sea and storms to fight against, with their boat's fullest capacity, yet was ready to accomodate my  box of treasure, without even the expectation of a single stone from it. Eyes and mind filled with gratitude was covered by a lip of smile on seeing them, the pearls which added to my box of treasure.

 

Everyone finds their treasures in the seas. I found my pearls in this city, of light, of stark contrast and of hope. Leaving my pearls on this shore, hoping them to be in safe custody, I set sail again...

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