Page 43 - You Only Live Once [BooksLD]

‘My tourists savour a glass of wine with delicious food served in the
shack, as we offer a multi-cuisine menu to choose from, while listening to
their favourite Beatles or Pink Floyd numbers playing in the background.

Every Saturday brings a live performance. Evenings are meant to get
transfixed by the ambience and feel blessed while you witness a
mesmerizing sunset.’
She looks into the camera and says, ‘This is just a glimpse of a day that
can be spent at Ricky’s, but exploring more to land upon new avenues of a

perfect holiday is the key to getting more out of this untouched beach
village. If you are a social person, like me, you can find here travellers and
backpackers from around the world who are willing to share their tales of
travel over a mug of beer.’

‘You’ve mentioned that music brings your guests together. What’s special
about the music here?’ she continues.
‘Music culture across India means Bollywood. But here in Goa, although
only a few miles from Mumbai, we celebrate music spanning across

countries and eras. Nothing touches me anymore except for music and some
comedy.’
Music reminds me of Elisha, and comedy encourages me to look beyond

the tragedy of my life.
I continue after a pause, ‘Summer of 69 played on a radio transistor in the
background when I met the love of my life for the first time at the school
canteen. When you listen to this song, I’m sure you have distinct memories
that surface too. Isn’t it amazing how listening to the same piece of music

takes each listener to a different time zone in their life according to how
differently it touched them? Music is that fine invisible thread that connects
us to the divine. Music is ethereal. Music is God.’

I still regret not taking up drumming as seriously as I should have. And
Elisha, she left an amazing career for nothing! Unlike me, she never
returned. I never played the drums after I heard that she died. My drums are
still lying at my grandmother’s old house in Bambolim.
Elisha chose never to come back, never to keep contact, never to write

letters. While she means the most to my existence, I would never want to
meet her again, even if she is by any chance still alive. I honestly don’t have
the courage. I would tremble like a teenager. All I want to tell you is that I
wish I had never met you, Elisha!