THE NECKLACE

Love can touch us one time

and last for a lifetime

And never let go till we're gone.

(From the movie ‘Titanic’ – ‘My Heart Will Go On’.)

After many years, I watched the movie ‘Titanic’, last night, once again, on TV. It was so beautiful, so touching.

The first time, I had watched the movie, some fifteen years ago, with my family. I hadn’t liked it as much as I did this time. This time around, I was all alone at home… and, there were sub-titles for me to grasp the full significance of the dialogues. I loved the movie – the story, the dialogues, the acting… the romance and the tragedy… and, of course, the message. The moral of the story.

Our life is like this voyage, through this ship called ‘Titanic’. We all are headed towards the same destination – ‘Love and Happiness’. The ocean – calm, stormy or ice-cold - in which our ship is supposed to sail is the same for all of us – the affluent and the wretched, both. Our hopes and aspirations are the same… Our dream to see the ‘Promised Land’ is common for all of us.. … And, when our ship hits the iceberg and is about to sink - may be in an hour or so - the pain, the helplessness and the struggle to survive is the same for all of us… When the time comes to go, go we all – and taking with us nothing.

The poor boy Jack loves the rich girl Rose… and, they both love each other passionately despite all odds. Even in death – in the worst of the times – they stand together. “Promise me Rose, that you will survive this night,” Jack tells his sweetheart. “Yes, Jack, I promise,” Rose whispers. The whole night, he bears the icy ocean so that his sweetheart may carry out the promise.

Titanic sinks; but, Rose survives… to tell the inspiring story of love.

The band keeps playing the music till the end. Even though no one seems interested … even though all that seems important, in that final hour, is the concern: “How can I escape death?” Yes, the music goes on… This is the last piece the band plays on the sinking ship… to Jack, to Rose, to all those rich and poor who went down with Titanic or who survived. And, to all of us – who love and are loved… who go down with our Titanics or survive to tell our stories:

Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,

still all my song shall be,

nearer, my God, to thee;

nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

It was midnight. I did not know my friend, Mithun*, too, was watching the movie, that night, at his residence… and all alone. Fifteen years ago, he had watched it, along with his pretty wife, in one of the finest theaters in Paris. The newlywed couple was there on a honeymoon… Incidentally, it was February 14, the Valentine Day. Mithun had bought for his love a very expensive and exclusive pearl necklace. The time spent together seemed so romantic… So magical. The ‘Titanic’ seemed the best place to be.

But, it was not to be, alas!

Fifteen years on, this night, Mithun’s heart was heavy like a rock… and, his eyes were welled with a sea of tears. It was one of the most painful days of his married journey. The final verdict of their bitter divorce-battle was just handed that afternoon. It was all over for them. The romance had ended… Their Titanic had sunk…

Rose is old and wrinkled. But, she is still stunningly beautiful. She tells her romantic tale with equal passion with which she loved jack. In the end she is shown rising on the edge of the vessel and we see the necklace , studded with priceless blue stone, falling off her hand into the blue ocean… and going down. Perhaps, it was going to the place where it belonged: Jack!

And, here, in the lonely night, Mithun was remembering the priceless pearl necklace… He too was standing at the edge of his Titanic… It was time to ‘drop’ the necklace.

It was time to move on…

The heart will go on…

Love will go on…

That night, we watched ‘Titanic’, together… And we both found hope, a new ‘morrow... as it went down!

GERALD D'CUNHA

* The name changed