The Rowing Boats

Cindy was lost in deep thought as she found herself in the beautiful city of Goa, attending a conference about mental health and well-being. She was a well-known psychologist and therapist. Throughout her journey as a life coach, counsellor, and therapist, Cindy had experienced various moments professionally and personally. Some brought a smile to her face, while others left her feeling morose. She often sportively admitted that she, too, needed counselling.

As she sat on the hotel balcony, Cindy observed the boats rowing away and fishermen busy searching for a big catch. Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a fisherman attempting to row two boats simultaneously. This reminded her of a small couplet she once heard: "Shells sink, dreams float. Life is good on our boat, but never row at a time on two boats." Reflecting on the wisdom of those words, she opened her diary to check her appointments for the day. To her surprise, there were only two entries on the page. While flipping through the pages, she came across an old entry from about a year ago, where the name "Roger" was written. It triggered deep thoughts about her counselling sessions with Roger.

Meanwhile, Roger sat on the balcony of his home in Cochin, gazing intently at the sea and its waves. His body language clearly indicated a desire not to be disturbed. Although he was alone at home, this had been his routine for the past few months. Roger had been seeing a lady dressed in white, gliding past his windows and through the garden. Whenever he approached, she would vanish into the nearby woods, leaving him perplexed. Strangely, nobody else, including his room boy and servants, seemed to see or hear anything unusual. Roger felt tormented by these events, along with recurring memories related to rowing boats. However, his efforts to recollect the details proved futile, as they remained submerged in his troubled mind. Observing the boats rocking in the waters, he gave up on trying to bring these memories to the surface, along with other recollections of his past life and incidents.

On this beautiful and lively spring day, Roger woke up to the chirping of birds, signalling the start of another day. After having his first coffee, he got distracted by ducks preening themselves on the waves near the shore. These simple pleasures helped him gather the energy to face the day. Roger had established a set of rituals and habits based on advice from his therapist, Cindy. She explained that maintaining a routine and practising regular habits could improve mental health and reduce anxiety. However, Roger remained anxious about the recurring presence of a woman dressed in white frolicking in the garden wherever he stayed. He often witnessed her in a rowing boat accompanied by a man who appeared to be strangling her. What troubled him, even more, was the fact that he seemed to be the only one who could see this haunting scene. The laughter of the woman and the constant rowing of the boats echoed in his mind, day and night.

As Roger prepared for the day, he heard laughter coming from a rowing boat. However, preoccupied with his appointment with Cindy, his counsellor, he didn't dwell on the sight of the woman and the rowing boat. He yearned for a cup of hot coffee to help him relax. As he sat sipping his coffee and settling into a chair, he glanced out the window, only to be met with a shocking sight. There, in the middle of the lake, was a rickety rowing boat rocking violently. The laughter he heard was not joyful or cheerful but rather a mocking and taunting sound that filled him with fear. Peering closer, he spotted a young woman in the same old white dress, gripping the sides of the boat tightly. Intrigued, he reached for his binoculars to get a better look. The woman's fair hands and white knuckles betrayed her fear as tears streamed down her face. The man accompanying her seemed to derive amusement from her distress, laughing and mocking her. He appeared dark and imposing.

Roger was petrified and rushed outside, shouting at the tall man to stop whatever he was doing. He yelled, "Stop! You dare not harm her! Stop rocking and rowing the boat!" The more loudly he shouted, the more violently the boat rocked. The tall man briefly paused, seemingly sensing the danger Roger posed as he frantically tried to intervene. However, it was too late. With one final violent push, the boat capsized, taking both individuals down into the dark depths of the muddy water. Roger, still in shock, wondered if the woman was innocent or guilty of something. What was the reason behind the tall man's punishment? How were they connected? Why was the woman always dressed in white, and why were her knuckles so unnaturally pale? Roger grappled with these questions, seeking answers that seemed elusive. He realized that finding the truth would be a challenging task, one that he hoped Cindy, his counsellor, could guide him through. The whole experience was murky and sensational, filled with mystery and unanswered queries.