Silo- A Storehouse for Threshed Musings

A morning walk along the coastal line of Kerala, on a breezy day, turned out to be an exceptional day for me. I was expecting to be greeted by the roaring waves pulling me towards them and effusing their loud secrets. However, the waves were extremely cordial towards this unexpected guest. They bowed their heads in unison and played good hosts.

Was there a specific reason for this gentle demeanour? A closer look at the shores helped me to see through the facade. The shore was all set for a ‘starlit’ day! It was decorated with diamonds and crystals. No, not to receive me! The waves put on its best behaviour for their date with the stars. I was just an intruder, and had to be tolerated!

I decided to be a passive observer, idling my time by taking a closer look at the decorations, not listening into their amourous conversations. Light feet. Tiptoeing along the shore, not to crush these decorative pieces, led me towards the discovery of their identity; a rather saddening discovery. These display pieces were the shattered pieces of shells and conches, the waves aggressively carried forth to set the stage for the date! The broken pieces of the fragile shells! The shells that concealed their secret stories in layers. Each layer rich with its own story. The things they carried so far-the sounds of the waves, the songs of the mermaids, the sighs of the sea- were hidden in each fold. And they were destined to sacrifice these memories by shattering themselves on the sand. Scattered around the shore, each glittered piece seemed to delicately implore the waves, “Please, please don’t forget our stories…. please don’t forget us!”