August 15, Friday
We Indians celebrate August 15 as our Independence Day. It’s also a national holiday for us.
Slow First-Half
The day began with heavy showers. I thought I would have to spend the entire day indoors. In fact, I spent the first half of the day plugged to my desktop, watching various news debates and analyses of how well India has performed in the last 79 years of Independence, and whether India is truly free. I particularly liked the Unacademy analysis of the same. But my deep dive into news channels and articles slowly turned into doom scrolling, and I had to remind myself to snap out of it.
I figured the best way to break my negative thought cycle and to celebrate my country’s Independence Day was to actually ‘exercise my freedom.’ So I decided to visit Kollam Beach and watch the sunset.
Journey Begins
By 4:20 pm, I got on a private bus to the central hub of Kollam city, Chinnakada. Once I reached the roundabout, I spent some time at Supreme Bakers, buying hot samosas and some juice.
By 4:45 pm, I started walking from Chinnakada to Kollam Beach, an approximate distance of 1.7 kilometers, a mostly flat road. Two kilometers is the threshold I’ve set for my long walks. If I see a distance less than that, I always walk.
On the way, I saw many restaurants, like Rahath. The aroma of food always makes me hungry. There were also many shops on the lane, including ones that sold tyres and provided automobile services.
After some time, I came across the Kochupilamoodu bridge. I crossed it and followed the directions on the signboard. Soon, I could see the beach at a distance.
Sea. The blue sea of freedom, and an even bluer, liberated sky.
Nostalgic Sights
I spotted the Kadaloram Coastal Kitchen Restaurant on the left. As I neared the beach, the familiar and nostalgic sights of pani puri, Lazza Ice cream, and masala kappalandi (fried groundnuts mixed with masala) stalls greeted me.
There were a few boats anchored in the sand. The familiar sight of old couples, young lovers, friend gangs, families, migrant labourers, and even pregnant ladies enjoying the sea, and street dogs sleeping in the shade made me feel safe.
Strong Tides & Litter
Unfortunately, yellow ropes restricted access to the sea. There were also signboards warning about strong tides.
For a minute, I wondered why the beach looked so untidy and littered today. Usually, when my family and I visit the beach after our Sunday mass, it always looks cleaner and more peaceful.
It was probably because of the monsoons and high tides. Maybe a lot of debris from the sea washed ashore. Plastic covers, bottles, packages of various popular brands, beer bottles, and even coconuts lay on the shore.
Some people were using this as an excuse to leave the wrappers of their food items on the beach itself, instead of disposing of them in the dustbins. I don’t like it when people disrespect nature and public places like this. I don’t like the “somebody will clean up after me” attitude either.
Beach Scenes
I walked towards the other end of the beach, following the yellow rope that restricted access to the sea. I could hear public announcements about the Gemini circus at Asramam Maidan.
I entertained myself by paying attention to every beautiful sight and enticing aroma on the way. Multi-colored kites flying in the sky. Stalls selling fritters of different kinds: raw and ripe banana fritters, chilli and egg bhajjis, salted popcorn, gooseberries, lemons, and grapes, cut and salted mangoes, pineapples, and oranges, and white and pink cotton candies, also called Bombay mittai(candy).
I was amused to see a few pigeons and crows hopping on the sand for a long while. Why play hoppty-hop when you can fly? I guess they were searching for food.
At a distance, a kid was making a pretty detailed sand castle with multiple towers and a protective fort. The only problem was that the sand was too dry. So the castle kept falling apart. But her parents, who sat by her side, constantly encouraged her with motivating words and amused smiles.
Am I building a sandcastle on a beach, too? Will my dreams ever come true? I thought for a second. “Oh, let’s not open that door.” I trolled myself like Chandler Bing.
Are We Simple Creatures?
As I continued walking, a group of young boys playing Panja Gusthi (Arm Wrestling) caught my eye. Funny enough, just parallel to them, a group of senior men was playing cards, with serious expressions.
Is this what internet memes mean when they say men are simple creatures? Their toy cars just get bigger, and their games and topics of discussion change. But underneath, they vibe just the same, and they never want to stop playing.
I don’t either. Adulting is so difficult and boring, especially for adults. Most get too caught up in making a living and often forget to live. Men and women alike.
People Watching & Sounds
Next to them, I found another senior group, seriously discussing current politics. A boy in Barcelona’s red and blue jersey, with Messi’s name on the back, was playing in the sand. His father was lying on the sand next to him.
A pakshishasthrakkaran, holding a caged green parrot and a deck of cards, asked me if I needed a consultation. I said no, mainly because as Christians, the Bible teaches us not to get involved in any form of divination or fortune-telling. But also because I have enough past and present problems to worry about, why learn the future ones in advance? Let me encounter them in due course of time. It’s not like my anxiety would let me stop anticipating the worst anyway.
I could hear a lot of different sounds around me at that time. The cotton candy seller’s bell. A kid was blowing his whistler toy. Broken bits of Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Bengali language conversations around me, and some languages that I didn’t even recognize.
Horses & A Camel
Two men were walking alongside their horse – the horse’s body was ash and white in color, but its face looked pinkish. Two little boys were on top.
There was also a decorated camel in the premises. As I watched, two little girls mounted the camel. The camel started braying like a goat. Maybe it was hungry or tired. But its owner or caretaker pulled the rein that goes through the camel’s nose and forced it to stand on its feet. The poor thing kept braying even as it trotted with the kids on top.
Whenever I visit the Thar desert regions of Rajasthan, I have always imagined enjoying a camel ride. But after witnessing this scene, I don’t think I will ever go on a camel ride in my life. I hope I will stick to this decision and not fall for peer pressure when the time actually comes.
Pamphlets
As soon as I sat down on a black granite-paved cement bench for some rest, multiple people approached me with different demands. Some asked for alms and donations, while others tried to sell eatables and perfume.
An anti-drugs campaign was being hosted on the premises. There was a prayer group talking about this through the microphone in the open-air auditorium. A few teenagers handed over pamphlets with Christian messages, while others gave me brochures about the latest Samsung models and newly opened restaurants.
To escape the torrent of pamphlets and financial requests, I resumed walking.
Wading into the Water
As I reached the steps near the open-air auditorium, I saw an area where there were no ropes restricting access to the sea. My mind was like – Bingo! Determined to play in the seawater for some time, I walked down the cement steps to the wet sand.
I could see eagles circling in the sky. I was staring at them, thinking about their religious significance in my father’s village. Even before I could complete my thought, a sea wave hit me out of the blue, and I got half-drenched. I wondered how I would walk around in my fully soaked jeans and half-soaked kurta. Well, when nature makes her plans, we can only play along.
I was happy to see a few young NCC cadets, in khaki uniforms, playing in the water. It’s as if once our feet touch the seawater, we become kids again, and all the problems of our adult lives have to wait.
The sea brought with it a tiny conch shell and a starfish, too. I wondered: where did all the conch shells go? In our childhood, my sister and I used to collect enough shells to make garlands on every beach visit. Now I feel lucky to find one.
But then, out of nowhere, came the whistles of the coastal guards. “Are you guys mad? Didn’t you see the warnings and rope? Do you want to be in the mortuary?” They asked, hitting their wooden sticks on the ground angrily.
I quickly withdrew from the beach and climbed the cement steps. The NCC cadets followed me. All of us sat on the topmost, black granite-paved step, disappointed that our ‘sea time’ was cut short so fast.
Wait for the Sunset
It was just 6 pm. There were 40 more minutes for the sunset. So I decided to walk near the roadside, exploring the stalls, but mainly to air-dry my clothes. There was a row of stalls selling fake Crocs, sandals, shawls, purses, and plastic toys.
There was also a grillhouse nearby. I saw the Mahatma Gandhi Park for kids and the board to the Marine Aquarium. Since it was a national holiday, both were closed. I don’t think the marine aquarium is functional. From a distance, the park looked like it needed some maintenance work: removal of weeds and a fresh coat of paint. It is one of the challenges of a heavy monsoon place like Kerala.
A Forgotten Mermaid
Near the Mahatma Gandhi Park, there’s a mermaid statue. I’ve seen her before. But she was bigger in my memories. Did I grow up, or is it some other statue from another spot in Kerala that I was mistaking her for? I had no clue.
She looked neglected with vines creeping around her body. It almost felt like a warning from nature: “If you are going to take her for granted, I will claim her back.”
Boredom
With 25 minutes still left to spare and my leg aching, I settled down on the sand, next to a Hindi-speaking family, and gorged on a samosa and sipped some juice too. I was tempted to eat the rest of the samosas too, but I kept them aside for my family.
I found myself lamenting: Of all the days, why did the sunset have to be at 6:40 today? Why so late? I could be at home now, negotiating with my brother for that spare samosa. I laughed at my own hypocrisy.
I speak about freedom all the time, but as soon as I feel hungry, I’m willing to abandon my rebellion to go home and eat. There was also the patriarchal conditioning: that involuntary fear and need to rush home as soon as it gets dark, even though by logic I know I’m safe to roam around my home city at least till 9 pm.
Seeing the dozing dogs, I wished I could curl up near them and sleep too. All the sophistications of being a human, only to stop ourselves from doing things that we actually want to do. The primal side in me complained, while the part of me that wants my countrymen to develop more civic sense called out my double standards.
A Magician to the Rescue!
I resumed walking. With the crawling time and littered sand, the beach was just not vibing. I couldn’t even observe someone for long before they stared back at me.
I knew just what I needed. Sushin Shyam to the rescue! I started playing my favorite composition of his – Cherathukal.
Now the whole beach started vibing to the rhythm and mood of the song. People started moving in slow motion. The horses trotting, the crows flapping their wings, and the ball rolling in leisure… everything looked twice as beautiful.
The white-capped young guy who rolled the thread of a green kite into a ball could easily pass off as the hero of this movie. The chetan selling cotton candies rang his bell in the pause between two notes.
A kiddo in a black helmet, posing for a selfie before the setting sun, a grandma fondly watching her granddaughter play in the sand, the sand castle trampled by someone, the dogs slowly waking up from their slumber, bubbles in the air, empty beer bottles on the sand, the ebbs and flows of the sea waves, the crowd’s collective wait for the sunset… Everything matched the song’s vibe. At least in my head, they did.
“Dan: That’s what I love about music.
Greta: What?
Dan: One of the most banal scenes is suddenly invested with so much meaning! All these banalities – They’re suddenly turned into these… these beautiful, effervescent pearls. From Music.” – A Quote from one of my favorite movies, Begin Again.
Sunset
The final act. The showstopper himself. The yellowish-orange sun slowly dipped beyond the horizon, casting its hues on the sky, withdrawing to the castles under the sea for a long night’s sleep or another hard day’s labour on the other end of the world. Glad that he doesn’t have to follow the immigration rules.
I watched him go. And my world became dark again.
As I sat there, philosophizing about a simple sunset, reality dawned on me. The night colors were spreading. I had to head back home.
In my country, if a woman faces a mishap, society will always ask: What was she doing out on the beach so late? What was she wearing? Did she provoke their anger or ego? Did she talk back to them? She should have defended herself. And never, how did they dare to do such an atrocious crime to her in a democracy like India? Why didn’t anyone react or offer her help?
An Independence Day Rant
As I walked out of the beach, I saw a police van parked outside and three ladies in sarees crossing the road to the beach happily. The road outside the beach had become busier. More people were coming in.
I retraced the path back to Chinnakada, and noticed that the railway line was closed again. Some DYFI Samara Sangamam event was happening at the Chinnakada roundabout, and a politician was delivering a highly charged speech about the dangers of fascism to an impassive crowd.
I couldn’t help but think: Another Independence Day will soon come to an end. But am I really free? Is my country free? What does freedom really mean to me? What more do I want from my country to lead a free life?
- I want an India that’s safe for women to travel alone, not just in daylight, but also at night.
- An India where all of us youngsters, irrespective of our differences, can dare to dream big, work hard, and achieve them.
- An India where we can live life on our own terms.
- An India where everyone is treated equally, and human rights are not taken for granted, even if I’m a minority, a tribal, a woman, a differently abled person, or any other socially or financially marginalized community.
- An India where freedom of the press and creative expression of artists are not curbed by governmental censorship and propaganda.
- An India where the LGBTQIA+ community is not just decriminalized but also gets equal rights, like the freedom to marry the person of their choice and to start a family.
- An India where, for every line I write, I don’t have to be scared about governmental censoring or cyberbullying by party warriors.
Oh, this rant could go on and on forever.
I boarded a private bus and reached home by 7:30 pm. So much for my rebellion, I didn’t even stay out till 8.
Happy Independence Day! Here’s to the small and imperfect acts of defiance, and protests for every freedom and right that is still at stake. Coz, freedom ain’t free.
Author’s Notes
~ All content, including images, on this blog is the intellectual property of the author. © 2025 Lirio Marchito. All rights reserved.
~ This blog is part of a series exploring my travels through my hometown, Kollam, a beautiful district in Kerala, India. You can read more posts from this series here: Kollam | Kerala | India.
Lirio's Wanderings 