We all have loved the ocean ever since we have set foot on the sandy beaches and felt the humid air brushing past our hair. The never-ending sound of the waves, would keep my mind captivated in the most relaxing way possible. I would sit there rubbing my foot on the fine sands of the shore and listening to the waves, all along lost in thoughts. Every time I sat and walked along a shore, I felt like the ocean was calling out to me just like she calls out the shells on the shore as she brushes past by with her frothy white tides. I was engulfed with curiosity to find out the secrets she is hidding deep beneath.
My longing to see the paradise below the great blue, introduced me to the world of scuba diving. I was inspired by the movies like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Life Mein Ek Baar, which have portrayed the beauty of the underwater world; bookmarked as a must to try in everyone’s bucket list (even mine).
I always thought that as a fantasy until one day I decided to take a plunge and go dive deep deep below. And this happened especially on the same day on which I first set foot upon land. I was the child of the land so far who got adopted on this special day to also take up the title as the “child of the ocean”. This, I call, a gift to myself to add a new interest and new experience to my life, the experience of an astronaut hung by the negligence of gravity on outer space. It felt like I was hugged by the ocean and hung out of nothing but miles of water stretching on every possible direction.
“No wonder, Scuba Diving is a great sport to get out all our stress and bring back peace despite the unending chaos!”
Scuba Diving is all about embracing the pressure that we have never experienced upon the surface. Patience is the key to a calm and peaceful day under the water. There is a lot of silence involved, believe me it’s easy. It’s all in our minds and perspectives.
It is in my heart to tell everyone that, this feeling cannot be experienced anywhere upon land and not even get close to the feel of floating along a coral reef besides the vast variety of beautiful fishes that live there. I was a guest in their world. I was happy I decided to indulge in scuba diving and add another life changing skill to myself.
The ocean is very fragile and that’s how I saw it. It should be well cared and respected. The world under water is a neutral territory. No politics at that depths, no fights and arguments to win, no thought of bills to be paid and no ego to quench, it’s completely serene.
It’s all about breathing. Every breath matters, every second you are reborn in this new world and every dive is as precious as the day you were born. Just you, yourself and the beauty around!
“It is okay to outgrow people and places, and sometimes the person you used to be.”
– Tanvi Mona Deshmukh
Of course, every skill has to be learned to be enjoyed. With your buddy system around and a good dive school and good dive instructor, it is a fun filled experience to learn the sport. It is not just about the sport; it is also about making new friends along the journey.
My most favourite poetry lines written by Javed Akthar, is from the movie, “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” (you will not get to live again) which is just beautiful and made the moment more inspiring when I dived.
“The moment flows by like molten sapphire and there’s deep blue silences. No earth below, no sky above, the rustling ranches, and leaves are saying that only you are here, Only me, and my breath and my heartbeat, Such depth like this, such loneliness and all by myself, and I now believe I exist .”
The feeling of eagerness and curiosity in your heart, makes you alive and if you carry sparks of dreams in your eyes, makes you alive! Learn to live like the free waves of the wind, learn to flow freely like the river! Embrace every moment with open arms, see a new horizon every time with your eyes. If there is an element of surprise in your eyes, you are alive!
It haunts me to think that nearly half of the coral reefs are missing. We have passed on the pollution to the blue heart very ungratefully, even when she has welcomed us into their beautiful habitat. Mother Earth is being stripped off of blue and green. We have fed our greed and lost our pride along the way. We should be supporting to have clean oceans and defend the world beneath.
I felt free and weightless, that feeling and caring all geared up and made me fall in love. I never fell in love with anything before as much as that ocean, which I call, “pure blue heart” and I’m really addicted to it.
Written By
Tharunya Thimmaiah
