Chapter 8 – Crossing the Blue

Treasure Hunter: The Seventh Tide of Andaman

Chapter 8 – Crossing the Blue

S ome journeys look beautiful from a distance.
Up close—
they move.
And not always gently.

🌊 Port Blair

Morning didn’t feel fresh.
It felt rushed.

“Rit, uth… late hoye jabe,” Ishani Di nudged me.

I checked the time.
6:05 AM.

“Ei ferry gulo eto shokal shokal keno hoy?” I muttered.

“Sea calm thake tokhon,” Arindam Da replied calmly.
Already ready.
Of course.

Subho Kaku entered the lobby with packets.

“Breakfast secured,” he announced.

“Legend,” I said.

🚗 To the Jetty

The ride to Haddo Wharf Jetty was quiet.

City half-awake.
Sky pale.

But inside—
something was building.

Not excitement.

Something else.

⛴️ Boarding Reality

Security check.
Luggage scan.
ID verification.

More organized than I expected.

“Good system,” Arindam Da noted.

“Content-friendly system,” I added.

Inside the ferry—

Makruzz Ferry

Air-conditioned cabin.
Rows of seats.
2 by 2.

Seat arrangement:
Window — Ishani Di
Next to her — Arindam Da

Across aisle:
Window — Me
Beside me — Subho Kaku

“Perfect,” I said.

“Again?” Arindam Da replied.

“I am consistent.”

👨‍👩‍👧 New Faces

As we settled—
a family approached.

“Excuse me… seat ta 14B?” the man asked politely.

“Ei dike,” I said.

They smiled.
Sat just behind us.

“Akash,” he introduced himself.
“School teacher.”

“Ananya,” his wife smiled.

And then—
a voice.

“Uncle… ami ekhane boshte pari?”

I turned.

A girl.
About 12.
Bright eyes.
Curious.

“Depabali,” she said proudly.

She looked at Ishani Di.

“Anty… I sit beside you ekto?”

Ishani Di smiled instantly.
Moved slightly.

“Eso.”

Depabali sat.
Happy.

“Wow… window!” she whispered.

I looked back at Arindam Da.

He didn’t say anything.

But he shifted slightly—
making space.

Small things.

Always small things.

😄 Real Ferry Begins

The ferry started moving.

Slow first.

Then faster.

Then—
the waves hit.

“Dhup!”

The entire ferry shook slightly.

Someone behind—
“Arey baba!”

Another wave.

Stronger.

“Okay… this is not smooth,” I said.

Subho Kaku already opened his packet.

“Khali pete jatra kora uchit na,” he declared.

Meanwhile—
two seats ahead—
a boy leaned forward.

“Uncle… bag ache?” he asked.

Motion sickness.

Ishani Di noticed immediately.

“Ananya, water ache?” she asked.

Ananya handed it quickly.

Depabali looked worried.

“Baba, ami vomit korbo na toh?”

Akash smiled gently.

“Na re, kichu hobe na.”

But even he looked unsure.

🌊 The Movement

The sea wasn’t violent.

But constant.

Up.
Down.

Side.

A rhythm your body doesn’t understand immediately.

I held my seat.

“Dada… eta normal?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Comforting.”

He looked at me.

“Focus on the horizon.”

Ishani Di added softly—

“Stable lagbe.”

I tried.

It worked.
A little.

❤️ Small Moments

Depabali leaned toward Ishani Di.

“Aunty… apni photo tolen?”

“Yes,” she smiled.

“Amake shikhabe?”

Ishani Di paused.

Then—

“Ekta rule mone rakhbe?”

“Ki?”

“Prothome dekho… tarpor photo tolo.”

Depabali nodded seriously.

“Okay.”

She looked outside.
Really looked.

Then whispered—

“Eta amar dekha sobcheye shundor jol.”

Ishani Di didn’t reply.

But her eyes softened.

Arindam Da was watching.

Quietly.

Always.

😄 Rit + Depabali Combo

“Rit Uncle,” she turned to me.

“Hm?”

“Amake photography shikhabe?”

I grinned.

“Of course.”

“First lesson—camera dhorar age… chocolate khete hoy.”

She laughed.

Ananya shook her head.

“Eder kache thakle noshto hoye jabe.”

“Creative hoye jabe,” I corrected.

👁️ The Watcher (Subtle)

I turned casually.

Checked behind.

And there—

Same man.

Seat change korechhe.
Closer now.

Pretending to look outside.

But not really.

I didn’t react.

Not this time.

Just… noted.

Like Arindam Da would.

🌊 The Blue Expands

After some time—
the sea calmed.

Movement softer now.

Color deeper.

Blue that didn’t feel real.

Islands appearing—
like fragments.

Floating.

“Aunty…” Depabali whispered.

“Eta ki India?”

Ishani Di smiled.

“Yes.”

Then softly—

“Amader ekta onno roop.”

Arindam Da looked at her.

Didn’t say anything.

But something passed between them.

Unspoken.

🚢 Nearing Havelock

Announcement came.

“We are approaching Havelock Island…”

Havelock Island

Everyone leaned slightly.

Excitement returned.

Even fear disappeared.

Depabali stood slightly.

“Aunty! Aunty! Dekho!”

Ishani Di held her gently.

“Dheere.”

Outside—
green island.
Clear water.

Closer.
Closer.

Real.

🔚 End Hook

As the ferry slowed—
I felt it again.

That shift.

Not fear.

Not excitement.

Something deeper.

Because this wasn’t just arrival.

This was entry.

Into something—
we didn’t fully understand yet.

And somewhere behind us—

someone else—

had reached here too.

Before us.

❄️ To Be Continued…