A day on the deck.

I could have won some sort of a prize on the deck of carnival Elation. The prize of being the most 'covered' person around, if you discount my Saree clad mother-in-law that sat on one of the benches watching over our beach bags filled with heavy towels, sunscreen and a lot of things that got stuffed into the over sized bag by cruise enthusiasts such as me and Sneha :-)
I did not dream of using the water proof capris and active tees till a sudden inspiration to let Aarti play in the pool water hit me on the pleasantly sunny afternoon on Elation. I was dressed in a black cargo and a loose fitting embroidered white peasant top before I rushed to my state room to gather Aarti's swimsuit, her life jacket and to change into the swim gear of the century.
I probably looked like a black sheep in the sea of scantily clad bodies swimming and sun-worshipping on the deck with shielded eyes and stripped (almost) bods.
My two piece bikini was a capri that showed off the skin below my knees and a full hands active tee whose neck line would put a nun's gown to shame. I was engrossed in the moment, cursing myself for not carrying a book with me. I did get into the water. A little girl aged no more than three gave me a weird look when I got into the water dressed the way I was dressed. I tried to ignore her freckled face and those fiery red tresses. I couldn't. Nor could I stop my eyes from wandering around the expanse of the generous deck in a preoccupied trance. I thought about the culture. The people. The difference in thoughts, actions, preferences, principles, lifestyles, outlooks, approaches, paradigms and a lot more things that were blocked in an attempt to enjoy seeing my little girl playing in water like Ariel, the mermaid.
The rest of the gang got on to the water slide. I just sat there resisting the taunts to join them. I didn't want to. I was happy cogitating in my own world, looking at the crowd of my universal brothers and sisters sporting bright hued spandex that accented their skins in an art like fashion. Every one seemed to be lost in a world of elation savoring a moment that would trap in the valves of their heart bringing them the warmth of the sun and the cool of the waters for many a day to come. Cameras flashed competing (and losing) with the laughter of little kids sliding on the huge water slide, splashing jumbo drops of joy all around.
I sat there, in my outstanding black bikini, with my outstanding thoughts skimming through the sea of faces, each trying to unfold to me a new story, an interesting story about confidence, dreams and a single yearning to capture a heap of memories in a world that was concised in the deck of a not so big cruise ship.
I sat there for the rest of the afternoon, skipping my lunch, for I was feasting on the joy of being in the middle of the Pacific, the clear blue sky forming a definition above the heavens that reflected in the colorless waters below, banishing the blues away form the deck. The blue of the sky, the sea and the pool, in amalgamation, created a brand new hue, the hue of happiness.