moon and the sea

They say that the time and tide wait for none. If only they had known the truth…….

Like every story worth listening to, this one also starts with once upon a time. And if you wanna know about that time, you’ll have to go way back……….

So once upon a time when nothingness prevailed and the world as we know it didn't come into existence, there lived the mighty sea. The sea was immense, eternal and ethereal. The sea knew everything, the sea could do anything and yet the sea was at peace with himself. The closest thing that could compete with might of sea was the sun, but the sun had a duty, to roam the sky during the day, but the sea didn't have to do anything he didn't want to. He was free; after all he was the sea.

But as it happens, things have a way of falling apart, even for the mightiest of beings. One day while roaming freely, the sea encountered something that was totally new to him. He saw a woman, a woman glowing so brightly that is almost blinded him. The woman’s face was ancient and serene and yet her smile had the hint of pure joy of a small girl when her little wishes get fulfilled. The very beauty of this woman seemed to affect everything around her, somehow giving them a share of her joy, somehow making them believe that it’s not that bad after all.

The woman noticed the sea’s presence and she seemed delighted. She called the sea to come up to her and the sea obliged. Instantly she started a conversation about how she was all lonely and how glad she was to find someone to talk to, that how she’s heard all about the sea and she always wanted to meet him. She told him about all the places she had been, all the people she’d met. But the sea was oblivious to what she was saying; standing so close to her was casting a spell so strong on him that he was completely lost from reality. In fact he hadn't listened to her right after she announced to him in a very pompous manner- hello, my name is moon.

Moon, the name was like music to his ears. For the sea that have always roamed the world on its own, defeated the mightiest of giants without any second thoughts, this was something unprecedented. He just wanted to keep looking at moon, wanted her to be with him, wanted to spend eternity with her.in that very short time , for him it was like he couldn't imagine his existence without her, It was like his whole world was falling apart. In short, it was love at first sight.

The moon, unaware of the tempest raising inside sea’s mind, continued for a while. The sea just kept looking at her, listening to her sing song voice. After a while the moon said she must go and then the sea asked her if she’ll come to see him again. The moon giggled in the most girlish way and told him that she will. The sea’s heart’s joy felt no bound. The next day he waited impatiently for the moon to arrive, and when she did the mighty heart of sea skipped a beat. In her white dress, she looked nothing less than an angel. Every step of moon towards the sea was of such elegance that the whole world seemed to stop and look at her. And the sea, well the sea was still in awe, every single time he looked at her, she seemed only more beautiful. In that few moments the sea made every plan about how they’d live together for ever.

This continued for a while, everyday the moon would come up to meet him, every day he wanted to tell her how hopelessly he was in love in her but he couldn't ;for even the mightiest of mighty fail when it comes to the matters of the heart. For sometimes the fear of rejection is greater than the fear of death itself, or at least for sea it was so. But today he had made up his mind, today he’ll ask the moon, today he’ll stop living in fear, today, with moon at her side, the world will truly be his. He couldn't wait for the moon to come.

But if only the matters of heart were so easy and the sea was going to experience this the hard way. That day when the moon arrived she looked a little tense, like her beautiful face was hiding a pain, maybe if the sea had noticed it before he could have saved himself and the moon from an eternity of suffering. But he didn't and when the moon came near him, he gently took her hands into his and asked her simply, without artificial words or fancy gimmicks that he loves her and wants to be with her for all eternities to come.

Moon didn't say anything to him, but stared at him with her eyes wide open. The sea repeated his question and the moon came out of his trance but still looked utterly overwhelmed and unable to answer. The sea sensing trouble stopped talking and waited for the moon to say something, and when she was finally able to speak she said the last words the sea needed to here. She said that she really liked the way he treated her and how he was there for her when no one else was. But, her father, the heaven, had already found a partner for her, and she has a responsibility she must fulfill, and that it would've been great but she doesn't love him because she couldn't love him.

Crestfallen, the sea asked her who is that partner and she replied that it’s the sun and that from now on she will be taking his place in the sky at the night. The sea begged her not to go, but the moon just calmly replied that she promised her dad and promises are meant to be kept. She also told him that today she came only to tell him that and that she must leave now.

The sea watched in disbelief as moon moved away from him. He waited for her to come back but if only that was possible. And then one night the sea saw the moon in the sky at night. Grieving for his loss and enraged by anger the sea let out a wave that would destroy everything in its path, and the god in the heavens knew that they had to do something. So the heavens came up with a brilliant solution, the moon will be fully visible to the earth for just one day in the month. And so was the way of world from that day.

Millions of years have been passed since that fateful day. But still, even today, whenever the moon shines brightly in the sky in its full grandeur, the sea would go crazy at the sight of his long lost love. The sea tries to reach the moon every time she appears; knowing fully well in its heart that however hard he may try he can never reach the moon, they call it tide of course, but actually its restlessness of someone destined to doom.If only they had known the story of those tides, they’ll surely stop using that saying. And the moon, what is to be said of her, every night she looks down on earth from the heavens, how things could have been different if only she had the courage to be with whom she wanted and not with whom she was told to. Till this day, the moon continues to haunt a generation of unrequited lovers, their fate but a mirror of what happened to her.