Written by Nandini Sethi
Tanned lines and depleting bottles of sunscreen,
The smell of chlorophyll over sugary sweet cocktails,
I’ve come here to live my life,
Sunny Goa.
I don’t remember much from last night,
Trying to recall the events from this flimsy hammock,
All I see is tacky lights and overbearing music,
And a distinctive face.
With thick bushy brows and thin pink lips,
A subtle smirk accentuating his features,
He took my glass and downed my drink,
Or so I think.
For now, I take a walk to the poolside,
Lazily slumped on the tanning bed,
And watch my honey skin glaze in the sunlight.
Still full from wholesome hotel breakfast,
I sit at the lunch table,
And plan my dinner menu.
From lavish pizzas to exotic curries,
At dinner I ponder over drinks.
And what that will lead to.
Not long after,
Stumbling and fumbling over our words,
I found myself amidst tacky pink lights and bitter cocktails once again,
Except today, I kept my eyes out for a familiar face in the crowd.
Looking back,
Again,
On a beach bed somewhere far away on a new day,
I rack my brain for answers on what happened the previous night.
Closing my eyes tight,
Concentrating on nothing but my memory,
I find nothing.
When I open them again,
I’m greeted by endless blue waves and sandy shores,
A cooler by my side and fruits to cure what only painkillers could.
I stand up too quick,
Holding my head in my hands,
Promising not to repeat whatever it was I did last night,
All that I couldn’t remember.
I turn to find a familiar face,
The one I had been looking for,
So deeply that I almost convinced myself I was imagining him.
I smiled,
To let him know I remembered him.
He did too, smile, and lift his sunglasses,
Smoothly taking the cooler from my hand,
Gulping it down in one go.
In the golden sun rays,
Skin glowing hazel,
The cooling touch of the icy glass,
The magic never ends here –
Live my life,
Sunny Goa.
