A splendid view

Ma & me inside the submarine

The other tourist passengers inside

Blue Safari Submarine – An Underwater Voyage In Mauritius


I always had a fascination for Mauritius. I remember how the country with its quaintness appealed to me when I saw glimpses of it in the TV serial, Sea Hawk, on air during my college days. Since childhood, seas & oceans, their vastness, the roaring of their waves and the softness of the sands in the beaches have been my fascination. I still remember the beautiful evenings that I & my family used to spend, sitting, playing & walking on the sandy beaches of the Atlantic during my school days in Sierra Leone and The Gambia in West Africa.

Well, towards the fag end of the year 2008 in the month Of November, Ma & I visited this beautiful island of Mauritius and we devoured its beauty galore to the brim of our souls. It was a magnificent place with many wonderful sights and sceneries. However, today I would like to narrate a very novel experience that we had during our stay in Mauritius. It was our underwater voyage to the depth of the Indian Ocean.

Wow, marvelous as it sounds, it was indeed a journey to marvel at, observing the
aquatic ballet of colourful fish, the grandeur of marine life and the beauty of the coral reef. It was indeed an unforgettable and splendid journey for us onboard the Blue Safari Submarine. For me and ma, it was our first experience to dive deep in to the ocean onboard a submarine.

We gathered in the office of Blue Safari Submarine at around 9 am, situated in Royal Road, Grand Bay. Grand Bay is in Northern Mauritius and the office of Blue Safari Submarine was only 15 mins walk from our Hotel in Trou Aux Biches. We already had our tickets with us and on our arrival at the reception we were taken to the lobby of the office. Some more tourist passengers were also sitting there. We were then briefed about the submarine tour and we were given to fill out certain forms. They even explained about the health & safety procedures. After that they escorted us to a speed-boat which took us towards the middle of the ocean where we all landed on to the surface vessel called 'Betty of the Mascareignes' . Our guide till this portion was Caurine, a Negro lady, who was very cordial & informative. She let us know about the service of Blue Safari Submarine. It had started its activities in September 1998 and is the only operator of real submarines based in the Indian Ocean. The fleet of Blue Safari Submarine consists of two submarines, the BS 600 & BS 1100 (BS is abbreviation for Blue Safari). The passenger capacity for BS 600 was 5 + pilot & BS 1100 had a capacity for 10 + pilot. That day we were 7 passengers in our group and therefore, we were to travel by the bigger submarine, the BS 1100.

Standing on 'Betty of the Mascareignes', the surface vessel, we could catch a glimpse of the submarine which was submerged in the water. It seemed as if it was a whale whose back was leveled with the surface of the ocean. The other submarine, BS 600 was kept on board the surface vessel. Caurine briefed us about the size and technical specialties of the submarines. BS 600 was 6.5m in length, 3.4m in width & 4.2m in height whereas BS 1100 was 10.05m in length, 2.8m in width & 3.5m in height. The maximum depth & weight of BS 600 & BS 1100 were 50m & 12 tonnes and 80m & 27 tonnes respectively. The speed limit for BS 600 was 2 knots whereas BS 1100 had a speed limit of 3 knots. We were also told that the submarines were well-equipped with oxygen regulators, air regulators, oxygen analysers, ultrasonic telephones etc. The surface vessel "Betty of the Mascareignes” had two ultrasound phones with which the ground staff were communicating with the people on board the submarine.

We were then introduced to the pilot of the submarine, a white gentleman, who very cordially invited us onboard the submarine. One by one, we all moved towards the entrance of the vessel. There was a round opening at the top of the vessel and as we entered one by one, we were asked to sit a while and pose for photographs. By then I actually had borne a nerve-wrecking feeling inside my heart and as I was there posing for a snap, an evil feeling crept in to my mind, “Are they clicking us fearing some probable future peril so that those would remain as our last photographs while living?” God, what a terrible feeling but it was already too late to retreat. The fair was paid and the journey was half taken. So shedding off all those unwanted thoughts it was wise and brave to proceed adventurously.

Soon afterwards we were seated in our comfortable cushy seats onboard the submarine. We were already beneath the surface level and we could see through the windows the water level over us. I remembered the famous lines by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner",

"Water, water, everywhere,
and all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink."

Remembrance of these lines was not at all soothing to my heart and it rather sent a chill down my spine. The pilot briefed us about the journey & told us that we would be diving 35 m deep and it would be a journey of approximately 40 mins. There was a very different kind of feeling inside the submarine. So far I had only read of submarines in books and papers, in science fictions or war stories and then I was inside a live submarine in person for real. It was very beautiful inside, small individual round windows all around and a big and wide frontal window. The outside view was meticulously clear.

Finally our journey towards the depth of the Indian Ocean started. It was water all around us and as we dived deeper the sunrays became gradually dimmer. The lights in and out of the submarine were then switched off as it would frighten the marine lives. As we were descending we could see the colour of the water changing as the infra red rays of the light were filtered out by the water. The transformation of the light was a mesmerizing and spectacular sight. At around 20m depth, red became brown and then violet and yellow and when it was around 30m deep yellow turned to green, then blue. Blue was the dominant colour at the deepest part of the ocean. At last our submarine touched the bottom of the ocean with a jolt. There were multi coloured fish swimming all around. We started taking photographs. It was magnificent and a marvelous picturesque story to each of the onlookers, such a unique and exhilarating experience amidst the island's underwater fauna and flora, the majestic reefs and the sprawling exotic corals and the spreading blues all around. It was so awe-inspiring to know that there was such an aesthetic world beneath the waters. Some of the fishes were swimming, some were poking there snouts into the corals as if were searching for some hidden treasure; some were still and meditative as if planning out something for the day. Oh! How wonderful it was, a world grand and opulent by itself. Suddenly we came across a strange creature. Yes, it was an octopus that was spreading out its tentacles. After remaining in that particular spot for sometime, our submarine geared ahead on its onward move. It was then that we saw the wreckage of a huge ship through our window. The pilot announced that it was the wreck of a ship, “Star Hope”, a Japanese ship that met an accident some 10 years ago. A very strange feeling crossed my mind. Unknowingly I felt sad for all those who must have lost their lives in that mid-ocean disaster. A myriad of colourful fishes were swimming in & out of that wreck, may be they have made it their home.

Finally our ascending journey started after spending more than half an hour beneath the seas. I bid the lovely fish and the other marine creatures a silent farewell. Leaving them in their colourful & jolly world, it was time for our retreat. Once again floating with the different colours of the ocean water we gradually came up. After around 20 mins, we were on the surface. One by one we disembarked from the submarine and came and sat on the surface vessel. We were offered cold drinks and also our diving certificates signed by the pilot. The photographs that were taken when we were entering the submarine were there on exhibition and also for sale for those who wanted to buy. Ma and I bought the two snaps of ours (Rs 450 each) as a memento of the life-time experience.

Apart from the two submarines, Blue Safari also runs the two-seater Sub scooters, a very unique & adventurous activity. They were officially launched on the 15th November 2005 and they hold the invention and patent rights of them. The scooters are driven by the passengers themselves using a steering wheel and accelerator pedal. Well, that doesn’t mean, however, the rider has to be a virtuoso diver or navigator to drive the sub scooter. The passengers have to seat one behind the other, the way we pillion ride on a scooter on land, and then can breathe in the natural way in a broad transparent and panoramic cupola. A guide diver accompanies during the half an hour of the underwater cruise. Each sub-scooter is attached to a life buoy on the surface for identification of location. It gives the unique experience of steering and navigating your own underwater sub scooter up to 3 meters of depth at a maximum speed of 4 knots. This two person sub scooter has a steering wheel and an accelerator pedal and as the divers dive deep in the crystal lagoon, the fish of varied colours come to eat the food right from the rider’s palms. I didn’t have a first hand experience of being on a sub scooter but I could very well feel the live thrill of being surrounded by fish all round and feeling their soft touch as they would come to nibble at the morsels from the palm of the hand. Though I felt a penchant for diving in to the oceans steering my own sub scooter I chose to board the submarine instead as Ma would not have really found it a comfortable ride. The Blue Safari staff also recommended the submarine rather than the sub scooter for someone of Ma’s age.

So that was our magical adventure in to an exotic world underneath the Indian Ocean. The picture of the fish and their spectacular jubilant world would ever remain in my mind and so will remain afresh the journey on board the Blue Safari Submarine. It was indeed a million buck’s moment that my heart would cherish ever till its last breath.

RECHAUFFE OUR LOVE

On the eve of my life
When the crickets stridulate,
I am sleeping on the lap of memories,
With a hope to soar once again
Still with that by-gone verve,
In the fair of mixed reveries.

Together we sang, you and I
Sometimes on the plains and then up the hills.
The valley echoed our mellifluous song,
Wearing our youthful souls we hopped around
And the purling streams moved along.
Everything is still afresh in my mind,
The false and the shred of truth,
The good and the ruse, since long long time.
Your laughter, your sobbing,
The promises you uttered.
The blissful moments we shared.
Where the shore shelved down to the sea
Our lives were running carefree,
Offering each other the delightful ambrosia.
Under the ivory moonlight and the twinkling bright stars,
The soft, gentle breeze and your golden hair,
Didn’t they often fight the wars?

But then like a windstorm
Came the horrible parting,
When the tides of love receded gradually.
You behaved so strange,
As you turned away from me.
The spring was no more
And no more its melodious song,
But I could never ask you,
What went wrong?
My love was true and never a show,
With dreams being shattered and hopes extinguished,
To my fate, I mournfully bowed.

Now only an empty space.
My heart - a castle of solitude,
My soul - a cascade of nostalgia,
As I walk down memory lane,
Only to find the fallen petals of the withered Petunia.

My cheeks are moistened with tears drizzling all day.
Pah!! I lament, I cry,
I know it’s time we say “Good Bye.”
But up above in the firmament
The Sun still shines bright,
Melting away snows of despair.
And this world is for those, who always try.
So though you have bid adieu,
I believe firmly, you are here inside.
Still I am alive with strength in my heart,
And shall find you again,
Before I cross the Styx,
Someday, somewhere, on this desolate earth…

The Contour Of Our Passion

Time stopped, the world stopped
At that moment when we met
That silvery evening when our eyes met
Memories of that sojourn
Still flashes vibrantly in my mind's eyes,
Your smile - an endeavor to hide your tears,
Didn't we re-lived our past in that one moment?
Tell me Melove,
Couldn’t I play in your heart,
The melody of the broken chords in that one moment?
That sweet rendezvous that you blessed me with
Was then to fade away in a few moments
The sun was setting in the western sky
& I saw your smile-
Your smile - an endeavor to hide your tears..
I knew my love we had to part
But see my dear, as we went away
Time stopped, the world stopped.

Will you still be there waiting for me?
At that cross-road where we parted?
I remember how you turned your face
To hide your tears from me.
I will return to you melady
To turn your face back towards me
We will catch that ethereal moment again.
The tears that I have withheld so far,
Would flow freely on your lap.
They say a man should not weep
But the child in me
Wants your caress, your love
& to nestle in your arms in perfect bliss.

We meet often in some serene dreams
But then you shy away with the dawning gleams.
Memories are sweet
Then why do they pain my heart
When they come?
Our love is true, it’s eternal
& it would waft us away towards eternity.
So let’s meet again
- You & I -
& feel the contour of our passion
Where time stopped, the world stopped
At that one moment when we met...

.............By VIJAY SARMA

THE RETREAT OF LOVE

It was 15 past 6 pm & the day was fading out. Everyone in the branch had actually withered out after serving customers & doing the whole day’s job. There had been quite a rush all day .Well; it was just such a usual day in that branch of ICICI bank, in fancy bazaar. The day had been quite hectic & after serving the last customer everyone was just settling down, transferring cash to the vault & almost packing up for the day. Some lights had been put out, giving the interior a rather gloomy look.

It was just then that the guard came in towards the Enquiry counter where Vinay was winding up with his day’s work.

“Sir, there’s a person outside who wants to withdraw some cash. He is requesting saying it’s very urgent.”

“Well, please inform him that we are already over with cash & its not possible now to make any transaction as the End of Day (EOD) has already been done in the system,” said Vinay in a rather exhausted tone.

The guard went away as he understood well that transaction timing had already been over. But as the guard was going out, something crept into Vinay’s mind. “I think I should go personally & apologise to the customer myself for not being able to keep his request” .Vinay called out at the guard, “Hey wait, I am going out to talk to him.”

“Good evening Sir, I am Vinay. I am afraid but our cash transaction time is over. I regret inconvenience but could you please visit the branch tomorrow morning at 9?”

“I understand Mr Vinay, its ok. I saw your shutters getting down yet I gave it a try as I was quite helpless. Sorry If I bothered you.” The man said very politely as he was getting ready to go away.

There was some untold, yet apparently heard pain in whatever the man said. Vinay could very well grasp it though the man never uttered anything more. There was something very deeply genuine that appealed to Vinay at once.

“I am sorry sir but is there something very serious?” Vinay enquired.
“I have a patient in the hospital. I was in need of some cash.”
Now this was something that couldn’t be overlooked. From the voice & gesture of the man it was quite apparent that he was really in dire need.

“I beg your pardon sir for refusing you the transaction. I can feel your trauma. May I request you Sir to please come inside as I am going to get your transaction done?” said Vinay.

A smile got curved on the man’s face as if he got his lost breath back.
“Would it be really possible? I would be ever grateful for that. Thank you so much Mr Vinay.”
“Of course we can do that though it might take sometime as we need to reverse the cash in system, Sir.”

The man entered the branch along with Vinay & in the next few minutes the required amount of cash was paid to him.

The man was a young fellow of around 25, very courteous but was a bit worn out that day, may be because of some deep seated worries in his mind. He was Vinit, an aeronautical engineer by profession. All this information was shared over a chat between the two as the transaction was being processed.

“Mr Vinit, may I know about your patient in the hospital? What is the ailment?” Vinay asked politely.

Vinit looked at Vinay with his dim eyes. Some grief all the time was twinkling in his eyes.
“Well, she’s lying unconscious in the ICU of a city Nursing Home. She met an accident 3 days back,” something choked Vinit’s voice & he stammered.

“Oh I am so sorry. She will recover soon, don’t worry. Well, she’s your….?” Vinay wanted to know how Vinit was related to the patient.

“She’s my wife. We got married only a year back. And now all these…”
“Oh no, it’s really sad.” Vinay could feel Vinit’s pain & patted on his back as a true friend. He never knew Vinit nor did he know the lady, yet there was something for which he felt as if some dear friend of his was in pain.

“Thank you so much Vinay for your gracious gesture. I will never forget your help. I need to hurry now. I will surely meet you again.” Vinit offered his thankfulness to Vinay for the latter’s assistance.

Vinit & Vinay shook hands as they were parting & there was the warmth of friendship in that clasp.

Vinit went away & Vinay made a silent prayer that the lady recovered soon. There was certainly something very true & deep in their relation. The pain of seeing someone dear suffering in pain was apparent in Vinit’s eyes. And that apparent pain in his eyes sparked Vinay’s heart at once. Was it compassion for a friend or just a human emotion, Vinay was not sure.
____________________________________

It was a splendid Sunday morning. The sun was waking up it seemed after a long rest .What could be more blissful for a spring morning than the fragrance of Jasmine that came wafting along with the salubrious morning breeze?

That beautiful fragrance entered into our rather shabby room through the half-opened window. Vinay woke up some moments ago but lethargic as he was that holiday morning, he just laid down in the bed tossing around. He only had a plan to catch up with some friends for a movie in the afternoon, and then of going out on a drive & finally ending up the day with dinner in some hotel. That was how we often would spend the Sundays. Vinay hailed from Jorhat & was staying in Guwahati in a rented house. It was a mess of 4 people – Ujjal, Chanchal,Vinay & myself, we all being colleague-friends in ICICI. Teaming up with us were our other few very close friends, Jaya,Bitopee, Banashree, Sushanta, Lovely and Zaidi who were also employees of ICICI Bank. Usually we were the friends who hang around on the holidays.

“Hei Chanchal, get up dude, it’s your turn to prepare the tea today,” Ujjal said from the nearby bed in his rather unpleasant alarming voice.

“Ummm, sleep silently, the day hasn’t yet broken. I want to sleep some more time.”

“Shut up, get up & go or else Vinay will sing a song.”

Now as if that seemed to be the ultimate threat for all the room-mates, Chanchal shouted at once, “Oh please spare us this morning Vinay, don’t you dare to sing.”

Chanchal & Ujjal started laughing & looked towards Vinay.

“Vinay, Vinay, what happened”, Chanchal went up to him & shook him slowly. Vinay seemed to be lost in some reveries with his eyes opened.

Shaken back to reality by his friend, Vinay exchanged the morning greetings with them.

“Hei Chanchal, you remember about Vinit? I think I should give him a call regarding his wife’s health, isn’t it?” Vinay said.

“Oh yes I remember. You should certainly call him up.”, said Ujjal who instantly could recall Vinit as they had already talked about the accident the other day.

Without wasting any further time, Vinay took his cell to give a call to Vinit though it was too early in the morning. He could not wait any further as he wanted to offer some help to Vinit that day if required as it was a holiday.

“Hello, is that Vinit?”
“Hello, yes it’s me,” Vinit said in that same broken voice.
“Good morning Vinit, I am Vinay. You remember we met in Icici Bank?”
“Oh yes Vinay, sorry I was late in receiving your call.”
“Not at all. Well Vinit sorry I have called up so early but I was just worried about your wife’s condition. I hope she is recovering...” Vinay enquired about his friend’s wife’s health who was, perhaps, fighting with life.
And there was a silence on the other side. Vinit was not answering & Vinay could only hear his breathing over the phone.
“Vinit, are you there? Hope everything is fine?”
“Thanks for your concern Vinay,” Vinit spoke in a choking tone of voice, “but she’s….” he could not continue.
“Yes Vinit, how’s she?”

A silence prevailed for sometime thence. And then Vinit spoke softly with a voice that seemed to be breaking out in pain. “She’s no more Vinay. She is gone forever,”

Vinit started crying over the phone & Vinay got thunder-struck at what he heard.
She is dead? He could not believe what he heard. He never even saw her in person but he felt as if he had seen her through Vinit’s eyes, that first day that they met. He saw her through a lover’s eyes & he wanted their love to survive.

“What are you saying Vinit? Oh God, I m so sorry. I couldn’t do anything for you Vinit.” Vinay consoled as a true friend though he knew the loss that fate incurred upon Vinit was inconsolable.

“I felt so helpless as I saw her grasping for some breath, lying in the hospital bed. I kept on calling her back but she went away silently. My love got frozen Vinay, my love is gone. My life has become meaningless.” Vinit kept on murmuring these, crying over the phone.

Vinay was speechless. He did not have words to console his friend. We all also knew it by then what unfortunate had befallen Vinit. We were shocked & stood dumb-struck. We had no relation with Vinit yet we could feel his pain. It was indeed the truest of all relations that we shared, the human relation, humanity in general. The relation that took birth right at that moment when Vinay could satisfy one request of Vinit’s. It was a small help but certainly it had gone a great length in strengthening the bond of humanity. Vinay, perhaps, could not save his friend’s love and he felt immense pain in that, yet the feeling that he could hand over the cash to Vinit that day when he needed it could bring some solace to his aching heart. Had he refused any help to Vinit that day, today he would have suffered deadly under that remorse.

Vinay decided to pay a visit to Vinit at that moment of grief. Collecting his address, Vinay was all set to be with his friend that evening itself. Vinit welcomed him any time.


It was late in the evening. The sun had already set in the western sky, painting the horizon with a ruddy glow. Vinay reached Vinit’s place. He didn’t know how to console him, yet he thought his presence itself could bring some solace to his shuddered friend.

Vinay rang the bell and Vinit came out. His house was by Dighali Pukhury in the vicinity of Guwahati High Court. Vinit opened the door and embraced Vinay as a very old friend, though it was only their second meeting. There were some more people inside coming to offer their sympathy to the bereaved.

“I am really very sorry for what has happened to you, Vinit,” Vinay offered his sympathy to Vinit when the latter gave a faded smile with tears visible in his eyes.

Vinit took him inside and made him seat in his room. It was a cosy room, decorated simply and the ceiling fan and the wall clock seemed to be the only instruments to beat the deadly silence prevailing inside.

Vinit pointed out to a picture on the wall and said to Vinay, “There she is, my lost love, My Maya.” He was all the while making an effort to stop his tears but they were always there, breaking the embankments and flowing profusely.

Vinay looked towards the picture and on seeing it a sudden loud cry came out of him. “Maya?” he stood up from his seat as if a chill ran down his spine.

However, he managed to veil up the shock and to conceal his feelings with much effort. He couldn’t believe his own eyes on seeing that the picture of the lady on the wall was that of Maya, his Maya, his beloved Maya.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe this. Maya is no more”, Vinay murmured to himself.

Vinay went near to the picture of Maya and silently bid farewell to her. He turned his face away from Vinit so that Vinit didn’t notice the moisture in his eyelids.

Gone days started flashing in Vinay’s mind screen. Maya, the most gorgeous lady in the college. Those were the days in Cotton College where both of they were pursuing their Masters in English. Maya was very meritorious and contrary to her was Vinay, who never studied for knowledge but to pass in the exams anyhow. Yet, Maya was in love with this person. They seemed to be the quite talked about couple in the college who very strongly proved the famous statement, “opposites attract” to be correct. But however strange their union appeared to be, whatever differences they had in them, they were true lovers, a match surely made in heaven.

Vinay remembered the silvery evenings that they used to spend by the river bank, the cosy moments that they spent under the arbour in Nehru Park. Her simplicity, her vivacity, the sweet little cards that she made herself for him on his birthdays, there chats over a cup of tea in the college canteen, everything came to his mind.
Vinay wanted to cry loud remembering all those days of togetherness but he could not. He had his heart breaking into shivers yet he could not cry. He could not disclose to the world that Maya was his first and last love. They would have certainly got married very happily if,……only if,…..luck hadn’t played that cruel prank at him. Vinay remembered the last time they met when one gloomy evening he lied to Maya that he never loved her in his life. He lied to her that he was faking away in love and he could not marry him ever. Maya cried like mad and begged in front of him not to finish up everything that way, but he did it. He broke all relations with her and went away. He never looked back and he suffered alone in solitude. He lied to her as he knew that he could not give her a happy life. The doctor who had been attending on him finally diagnosed him with a malignant disease and feared he would survive only few years thence. He felt he had no right to invite pain in Maya’s life by marrying her. He retreated in agony yet veiled up his feelings from her.

Vinay had left Maya in the journey of life so that she could hold someone else’ hand in the journey. He went away from her life. He was dying but he never wanted to see his love dying each day for him. Ever since, they never met. Vinay just heard that Maya got married few years later, keeping up to the last hope of her ailing father.

Tears rolled down Vinay’s cheeks. He came to console his friend but now he could not console his own heart. Vinit could cry out loud but Vinay was only holding back his tears all the while. He could not even disclose their relation to anyone. He had to hide everything within himself. He looked at Maya’s picture and bowed to her. He wondered if she ever had forgiven him for his betrayal. He mournfully engraved her in his heart and made a silent promise to her that he would be following her very shortly. They would meet again in heaven and this time there would be no power that could separate them. He felt a divine strength inside him thinking of that eternal power of love. He wiped his tears and turned towards Vinit. Embracing his friend he consoled him once again and left his place. Maya was there on the wall, smiling at him and he promised to return to keep his promise. He promised to meet her very soon.

Darkness already enveloped the dying day. Vinay looked up at the stars. The twinkling stars seemed to be known to him. Who knows, one among them might be his Maya, winking at him in love. He wanted to fly towards the firmament. He wanted to emerge to his heavenly abode, where he would meet his Maya once again…..