30 MINUTES | SCUBA

SCUBA DIVING ! Another adventure sport checked off from my bucket list. I learned something that day about myself, about what holds me back when I want to succeed.

Before I went underwater I imagined so many times over and over again in my head what it will be like watch the corals and fishes up-close.

I was excited and confident when I wore my scuba suit and breathing apparatus. I walked on the beach towards the sea, with my diving cylinder feeling heavy. Right from that point in time each moment passed in slow motion.

As I entered the sea the entire apparatus felt weightless. And with a sigh of relief I put the diving regulator in my mouth. Took a dip and practiced a few times trying to breathe through my mouth and not my nose, as I was instructed to do. But the feeling I had after that caught hold of me.

I was told that the instructor will take me 6-7 meters below the sea level. This thought started growing and diverging like the branches of a tree.

I quit. I told my father, "I can't go with this instructor, I'm not able to trust him". I don't know why I started crying. I said, "I don't want to die in any other country under the sea." 

I almost apologized for not feeling strong. Then, I tried to feel normal and went to the beach, to eat some watermelon; took a few sips of mountain dew and recalled 'Darr Ke Aagey Jeet Hai'. Though it felt really cinematic to me, it gave me the courage to at least try again. I knew somewhere that I couldn't go back without experiencing this once in a lifetime opportunity I had.

A lady instructor was coming back with some people of our group. The group members said she was really good so I talked to her. Patiently, she explained everything to me and I practiced for a while. To my surprise, I told her I was ready to go, as my heart beat was much less erratic.

I went underwater and focused on what I was getting an opportunity to see. And then I was okay. Off an on when I felt I couldn't do it, I literally looked at my pink nail paint with the backdrop of bluish green sea, colorful corals and beautiful fishes going over and under me.

The second time I almost panicked was when my mouth went very dry due to continuous breathing through the diving regulator that I had to place there. I went up just once to take it out and moist my mouth and finding myself in the middle of the sea with the sky above I felt weirdly awesome. This time when I went underwater I was confident, excited, and inspired.

When I went in, I saw corals closely for the first time in my life. Went close to the bottom of the ocean, literally touched it, walked on it, looked at my instructor and barely smiled.

When I came back my parents told me that I spent the maximum time underwater. I was there for thirty minutes. I hugged my instructor and took a picture with her. When I talked to her she told me it had only been a week since she started working as a diving instructor, there at Pulau Redang (an island in Malaysia).

I couldn't help but feel amazed at how I spent thirty minutes of my life with a stranger, which were to be cherished lifelong. I felt extremely overwhelmed.

I realized that without putting myself in a situation I can never find a solution, overcome a fear or gain an experience. Because then it would be like sitting on the side of the pool, reading instructions on how to swim and expecting to be able to swim if ever needed.

That day I didn't realize how time was passing by, I didn't feel 'time' existed for those few minutes. What I got a chance to look at was an entirely different and beautiful world which I had just had a glimpse of and I knew at that moment how much more there was to explore.