A Beachy Sunset

The cool sea breeze that ruffles my hair and the sand that sifts beneath my feet just about makes up for the stink in the air. I am on a beach. A beach in Mumbai. It is not very crowded but like any other beach in Mumbai, it has murky grey waters. The monsoon showers were scanty this year but the clouds are a plenty. A feeble sun sets in the clouds instead of the horizon. I remark that the sunset is not beautiful at all and look around at the sand. It is littered with bottles and an occasional empty food wrapper. A few people run on the beach and some women try catching crabs for the evening meal. The darkness closes around me and cops appear, trying to get everyone to leave. Soon, the stalls shut down and the people disappear.  All that is left behind is an all encompassing darkness and the soft rythmic sound of the waves breaking surf on the shore.