Juhu Beach

I am very happy today. The childhood dream is about to be fulfilled. I got a place to live in Mumbai, the world of movies. I did not believe that everything would happen in this crowded city so fast. That's why when I reached Juhu Beach, tears came into my eyes.

A year ago, I came to Mumbai to see "What sort of a city is Mumbai …?" And I saw the ocean from a distance because that day I was wearing shoes. On that day I had prayed "Hey Ocean ... You have a large heart, you have preserved such a big city like Mumbai.. Give me too a small dwelling in this big city. Hey Ocean! Get me a job in Mumbai so that I can fulfill my dream. "

And today when I came strolling to the ocean, I could not control myself. Today I was wearing sandal. I did not have to go anywhere to give an interview today. Today I was satisfied.

I asked, "Hi Ocean! What kind of good things did I do for which you gave me everything so early? You got me a job in Mumbai. You gave a house to live. That too in my most favorite place Andheri (West)?"

I was talking to the ocean when a man collided with me. He was a worker of the Tourism Police, who was instructing people not to go too far into the water. Perhaps someone was drowned; he was being searched with a helicopter. He did not tell me anything because I was only on the edge.

When the water of the ocean touched my feet, I felt as if I had come to heaven. I cannot explain as to how happy I was.

My dream was to live in a city where there was an ocean. And today I am in such a city. For this, I was thanking the ocean. For the first time, I had kept my foot in the water of the ocean. But now I was not willing to come back from there. The waves of the ocean were fast. The waves were bringing small round stones with them. I like these small round stones very much. Staying amidst all these things, I think that I am in the world created by the lord above.

I was picking up the stone which looked good. After walking a little distance, I saw a lot of stones together. I started sorting out the stones of my choice; just then a raging wave came and went back and leaving something in front of me. I saw, that was a statue of Ganesha, which came floating to the shore along with the waves. I sat there and started looking at Ganesha lovingly. The lower part of its stomach had been broken already, but the back was still intact.

I picked it up and asked the ocean, "Hey Ocean ...! The people had sent it to you, but why did you send it to me? What am I to do now?" Once I thought, "Let me set it afloat again in water". But then a thought came to mind that, "Even before, this was what happened. "The people had submerged it in the water. I did not understand, "What to do?"

Then I thought "I cannot leave them in this situation." And I picked them up with the intention of taking them with me.

People were watching me meddling with the idol of God. But no one told me anything. The complete idol was smeared with sand. With the intention of getting the idol washed by the next wave I placed it into the water. The wave was so strong that a part of Ganeshji's head remained in my hand and his shoulder got broken.

Now I thought, "There was no point delaying. Let me take it home."

I moved a little forward and saw a brown stone. By going near, it was found to be a small idol of Lakshmi Ji. Lakshmi Ji's idol was made of solid clay; hence it was not broken, but only wet. Ganesha's idol was large and was made of hollow plastic or plaster of Paris (POP) or perhaps gypsum, hence it was broken.

This time I did not think of anything. Lakshmi Ji's idol was picked up and placed inside the pocket and said, "Hey Ocean! I do not know what I am doing. Right or wrong? Sorry if I am doing something wrong by taking them home. Bye, See you...." Now there was a problem before me to hide the idol of Ganesha. Someone could have asked me, "Why was I taking back home the idol immersed once?"

I took myself out from the crowd and stopped before a juice parlor on the pretext of buying water. I asked the shopkeeper for old newspaper. He was looking at broken Ganesha in my hand first and then was looking at me. Now I was a little scared that nothing should go wrong. "There is no old newspaper" the shopkeeper said. I was seeing the newspaper in his shop.

"There I find the newspaper. Give me. I want to wrap up Ganesha.” I said, pointing at Ganesha. The shopkeeper said, "It's not old, but today’s newspaper." I said, "May I get any polyethylene?" He said, "It will cost two rupees." I said, "Give it." In my mind, I said, "What are two rupees for God?"

Now Ganesha had come into the polyethylene. I also kept Lakshmi with him. Anyway they both stay together. Now my fear had diminished.

I just stepped towards the bus stand. There is a police booth on Juhu Beach. Now I had to cross that booth. I saw that a policeman was checking a woman's luggage. The woman sells maize corn on Juhu Beach. She was saying, "There is nothing Saheb. Only maize corn.” Then he said something to that woman and went to his booth.

My attention was on Ganesha. I had to get him out from there. But seeing the security check, my throat got parched. Without glancing at him, I moved forward. I thought, "If I see the policeman, he will definitely ask, " What is it? "And my answer will not be understood by him. He will either think me crazy or do not know what.”

I heard the voices coming from behind me. A policeman was saying "Hey ... from here ... from here ..." I emboldened myself, closed my ears and said to myself, "You just keep walking, you are not being told." Everybody who came my way looked at that white polythene hanging in my hand. Due to the idol being wet and due to the color of the polyethylene being white, it was known as to what could be inside it.

I kept moving in fear all the way I was feeling as if I was not carrying an idol of God but was carrying a bomb. "But by God's grace nobody interrupted me and I just reached home taking a bus. Due to fear and haste I left the water bottle inside the bus.

After coming home, finding a high place, I placed Ganesh Ji and Lakshmi Ji. And the stones which I had picked up were also kept by the side of both as in the temple. Now I do not know anything much. I had just picked them up by listening to my heart. Both are looking very good.

Now I am thinking that, "I got saved from the police and the people, but what would I tell my family? When people ask me," Why did I bring Ganesha and Lakshmi idols? I am a Muslim! "

It's a translation of https://storymirror.com/read/story/hindi/vsmeus3t/juhuu-biic written by Qais Jaunpuri