Farewell, Bay of Bengal

The above is a telephoto view of the Bay of Bengal from my office room, at the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences.  

It was Dr. Satish, the then the deputy Medical Superintendent, who handed over the key of this room to me. Ever since, I was privileged to have this window view of the Bay of Bengal every day. I watched the sea during its still and rough seasons. There are days when the sea is not visible due to humidity or cloud. There are other days the sea is in its brilliant blue adorning the skyline. I have gone through scores of photographs of the sea, taken on different occasions through the last two years, and I find no picture being a replica of the other. 

The sea changes each day in its surface level from being quiet to high tide. However, Sidharth, our neighbor, who is a scuba diver, reminds me that, that beneath  five meters or so, the sea is still and remains so most of the times, except when there is a earthquake or a water storm underneath.

I have been challenged by this metaphor during these two years, when I watched the sea through my binoculars each day. The water surface has varied, but beneath it  was always  still.     

I say farewell to the sea as I leave Pondicherry to live in Kerala. But the call of the sea to stay still inside, shall remain with me.It is a call that reminds me of the verse from the Bible, 'be still and know that I am God'. I have watched stillness and it is now the longing of my soul to experience it even more.  

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)