Cruising through .. Part 1

(PS: This is fiction and all charaters and incidents are fictitious. If any incident or character resembles reality its purely co-incidence.)

The lamp was steady on the table but the flame was waving in different directions indicating that the wind was strong and rain was anticipated any moment from now. Weather forecast being reported on a transistor said - " Alert everyone on the shore , a thunderstorm may hit us South very soon". The signal was weak and so was the voice from the reader. Captian Sheperd was at the olive wheel and he was busy deciding on adjusting the ship's rudder causing the vessel to change its course in the direction of the nearest shore. Chief Radio officer made an announcement regarding the condition and asked everyone to be co-operative and not to panic.

Kshama was shivering as the announcement went by and Parth was holding her tight. Nightmares were common but this was in real. They were in the middle of the sea and watching Captian do his bit. The ship hosted about 2000 people, few newly-wed couples , some singles on a business trip and some families on a vacation to the Cape. The journey started a day before the storms hit the north shore. The winds were strong and was chasing south faster than expected.The ship was expected to arrive at the harbour at 10 am next morning and....

Back home 2 weeks ago on a Monday evening Parth returned home early to spend the beautiful day with his beloved. It was Kshama's birthday and he had surprised her with this wonderful cruise tickets to Cape Pouch. She was so thrilled on hearing the news and ran crazily all over the apartment pulling things into her 3 huge suitcases for a 10 day vacation. She held the cordless phone in one hand talking to her best friend,venting out her excitement , picked the cosmetics and accessories from the cupboard using the other hand. Parth had to literally bring her back to composure. Kshama had packed the best of her outfits and she made sure Parth matched her style starting from watch to his boots. On the day of departure they reached the harbour at the wee hours when the traffic was under control. Ship was set to depart at 7.00 am. Kshama was all the more excited when she saw the sea and Parth joined her in all the amusement. They were first timers on the cruise and that added wide smiles on their faces. They looked like tiny little kids who had discovered something new.

They enjoyed the cold breeze and the lovely scenary as they crossed the harbour. Kshama kissed Parth on his cheek and whispered "Thanks for this gift,its the best I've received so far in life". He acknowledged with a smile and a hug.

To be continued...