The soft sunlight streaming through the glass stained window created a lovely pattern on the table. Andre gently picked up the brown paper cover which contained the pictures he had clicked on his recent trip to Puducherry(India).  

Andre had lived all his life in the beautiful city of Nice (France) raised by Jeanne, a single parent. She often spoke about her grandfather who was posted  during the French Colonial rule  in Pondicherry (earlier name), a quaint Indian city.  Andre had a deep rooted desire to visit the place and made plans to visit it on his 25th birthday.

On his arrival, Andre noticed that Puducherry still exuded a French charm, especially  the French colony or the White Town.  The colonial mansions amid charming cafes, the houses with shuttered windows in colourful facades, the clean streets with people cycling  and talking in French, made it a visual  delight .

Strolling through its streets,  he had walked into one of the cafes with its bright yellow walls - aptly named Sunshine Cafe.  It was there he had met Selvi, the owner who ran it with a passion. Though a localite, she spoke impeccable French catering to the needs of the touristy crowds.  Her hair was tied back into a ponytail with a colourful scarf and her eyes danced when she spoke. Andre was immediately attracted towards her and became a regular in her cafe.

Soon they had developed  a strong companionship  and Selvi volunteered to show him the city and they zipped across together on the narrow streets riding on her blue scooter.  Andre held on for his dear life as she deftly manouvered her scooter through the traffic to reach the local market for the fresh produce. Selvi was a vibrant personality who oozed a lot of confidence, while managing the cafe with ease.

One  evening when she had taken time off, they rode down to the Rock beach.  As they walked down the promenade, Selvi  animatedly told him about the history and he gazed at her with obvious adoration. Later on a weekend, the ride to Auroville had been thrilling for Andre as she sped on her blue scooter with the  wind in her  hair, caressing his cheeks. He had amazed to see  Auroville, an universal town, where men and women of all countries lived in progressive harmony.

Andre loved capturing all the beautiful moments on his camera.  They had  watched the beautiful sunset on the serene  Auroville beach together. The only thing which irked Andre was she refused to let him take her picture at any time. He was satisfied clicking the pictures of the beautiful sights and she happily volunteered to take his pics.

Another weekend saw them taking a trip Paradise beach. They parked  their scooter near the Chunnambar boat house and took a ferry to the beach.  True to its name, the beach had a very tranquil and peaceful setting.  They walked hand in hand along the shore, leaving footprints on the golden sand. Despite her initial reluctance, Selvi joined him in jet skiing and together  they had screamed in delight,  enjoying every moment of their adventure. Happily tired, they wandered into a shack for some snacks and then lazed around on hammocks in companiable silence.

Andre told her all about life in Nice, his mother Jeanne and the reason for wanting to come to Puducherry.  On gentle prodding, he got to know that Selvi had been raised in an orphanage.  She had done a lot of odd jobs to fund her degree in Hotel management.  She had taken a bank loan to start her cafe and was working hard to repay it. She considered her staff as her family and was wary about committing  herself to anyone.

Selvi believed in living each day as it came and didn't  want to carry the burden of any memories, which was why she  refused to pose for pictures.  " People come into our life for a reason or a season and not for a lifetime " she had said sadly. The setting sun had cast a golden glow on her face and Andre held her hand and said "Thank you Selvi for bringing so much happiness into my life". They didn't speak much on their way back.  Andre had clicked a last picture of her bright yellow Sunshine Cafe with her favourite blue scooter.

Andre picked  that picture from the pile of photos, caressed it softly saying " Selvi  you will be my Sunshine forever".