Page 39 - You Only Live Once [BooksLD]
P. 39

Have  you  ever  heard  the  phrase  lull  before  the  storm  ?  What  kind  of
                storm could be on its way?

                   ‘How  would  you  describe  the  spirit  of  Palolem?  What  brings  all  the
                guests together?’
                   ‘As you can see, the entire coastline is dotted with multiple shacks. After
                all the good food we serve and the allure of the sea, music is what brings

                our  guests  together.  During  evenings,  the  entire  beach  is  lit  up  with
                beautiful candles that are tactfully placed on the tables arranged right at the
                beach  next  to  the  Arabian  Sea.  Every  weekend,  we  have  live  music
                performances and stand-up comedy acts.’

                   ‘What is the most special thing about Goa?’ she continues in a hurry. It
                seems as if the sunrise and sunset are the two most important timings for
                them.
                   ‘When you land here, you experience freedom and peace as you never

                would have before. After touring around the world for 20 years, I came to
                settle three years back in this one place I could call home. I was born and
                raised  in  Goa.  You  would  think,  why  is  he  trying  to  be  cool?  Old  fellas
                always retire to their hometowns. While a lot of people dream of owning a
                beach shack when they retire, I finally do have one. I named it after myself

                as  I  haven’t  met  a  better  person  than  me,  ever.  Okay,  I’m  not  that  self-
                consumed,  it  is  only  a  joke!’  I  slip  into  a  broken  laughter  and  continue,
                ‘But, to be honest, it was not always the plan. Exactly 23 years ago, I left
                Goa believing in my heart that this is one place I would never return to.’
                   I was young, heartbroken, and lost! The only love of my life, Elisha, had

                left  the  country  with  a  rich  and  successful  businessman.  She  probably
                married and settled down with him in Europe. I never kept contact, and a
                year later I heard in the media that she had died.

                   I could never even tell her how much I love her. Oops! ‘Loved’ her.
                   Maybe, ‘love’ her is correct. I don’t know. Maybe I did tell her as much
                in bits and pieces but she never reciprocated. That’s the worst part of life.
                You can’t make someone who doesn’t love you, love you!

                   As  I  answer  my  guests,  I  realize  that  much  has  changed  in  these  past
                years. The sea is almost the same, but the coastline feels different now and
                then. Back in those days, on weekends, Elisha would sing and I would play
                the drums at the famous The Hippie Trails Cafe.
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