A LESSON BY THE BEACH

It was the summer of 2016. I had gone to holiday in Mumbai along with my family. We visited a number of places there like Prince of Whales museum, Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Boot House, the famous streets of Andheri and Film City. It was evening and we were left to visit the Juhu Beach. We had to go to Pune the next day and so only went to some of the most famous places in Mumbai. Mom, dad and me were very tired and decided that Juhu Beach would be the last spot.

We got down from our taxi and in front of us was the Juhu Beach, clustered with people and food stalls behind which was the setting sun and its reflection on the water. There was a cool breeze, and in the background was the shouts and cries of people. We slowly walked towards the beach. How cinematic it was ! 

I folded my trousers till my knee and tied my hair for we would be going in the water. I held my parents' hand and walked in the moving water of the beach. The water cooled my feet which were tired from walking all day. There was a breath of freshness in the air around. I played in the water for some time and enjoyed to the fullest. This was followed by a must-have photo session. After a while, all of us went to the nearby stalls to have some snacks. May it be the bhelpuri or cotton candy or the ice cream, everything tasted a hundred times better in the Dream City. 

We were done having our snacks. Father bought a big bottle of Bislery water and we sat in the bleachers which were pretty vacant. All three of us took turns and sipped the water slowly. There was just another family sitting above us and so, there was less noise. Just then, two little girls came near us. Most probably they were sisters. They wore oversized clothes which were dirty and their hair was a mess. They held hands and walked as if they were searching something. They passed by us and found what they wanted - A BOTTLE OF WATER. It was thrown along with an empty packet of chips. Only half the bottle was full. Both of them sat down and took turns to drink the water. After they were done, they THREW the bottle in the dustbin as well as the empty PACKET. They ran away.

This made me realize something. Most of us take things for granted. Here we are wasting food and water and there are millions who are starving and thirsty. We can't throw something in a dustbin and keep the surrounding clean but we want our houses to be clean. We don't realize the value of something until we no longer have it. A half filled bottle of water could quench the thirst of two little beings and get a smile on their faces. And here we are not able to realize the value of water nor money. The girls might have been 'Uneducated' but they are more responsible and intelligent than the so called 'Educated'.

A bottle of water has taught me an unforgettable lesson in life.