Forty members were on the Andhra Pradesh Tourism bus trip to South India Temples in the first week of March. The climate was pleasant. All the tourists were above fifty and below seventy except a young couple of about twenty-five years, Deepak and Bala Prada, who were married three months back. They both are from Hyderabad. They were born and brought up in Hyderabad.  

The fortnight-long tour covered temples in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Kerala. It ended with the darshan of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh before returning to Hyderabad.

Marina Beach, Chennai, was not included in the schedule. Puducherry city was built on high ground above the sea, and a retaining wall was built. We enjoyed the sea breeze sitting on the wall but did not venture into the sea beach in Puducherry as it is at a very low level.

In Kerala, it was different entertainment with beaches.

In Cochin, we went around the shipyard in a boat.

The young couple had no beach exposure, as they were from Hyderabad.

After the Darshan of Lord Padmanabha Swamy at Thiruvananthapuram, India, the tour party was taken to a nearby beach for a night's stay. At 7:00 p.m., the bus stopped at the beach. Everyone got down and went to the beach, which was plain and long. It was primarily sand and slightly silty. The gentle waves drenched the pants of men and the sarees of women. As the wave moved the sand below their feet, there were sounds of uproarious joy from the tourist couples, who tightly held each other's waists. With a large wave of thunderous sound, Bala Prada and Deepak fell flat on the beach. Sea waves drenched them. Deepak took the opportunity to kiss her on that drenched night. That was their first kiss in drenched dresses. She felt shy, and they both returned to regular positions and looked at others to see whether anyone was observing. Everyone was busy with their spouses.

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After one hour, they were taken to the posh star hotel on the beachside. After freshening up in the room, they went to the dining hall, where the smell of fish curry dishes increased their appetite. They had a delicious dinner.

The hotel was constructed on the beach, and a wall enclosed it, and part of the beach ensured privacy for guests. Deepak wore a T-shirt and shorts, and Bala Prada wore a silky nightgown.

At about 11:00 p.m., Deepak wanted to go to the beach at the back of the hotel. Bala Prada said, "No, I fear high sea waves dragging me inside the sea."

Deepak said, "It is for a short while, and we will return to the room."

She agreed.

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 Initially, they both sat on the beach side by side. After enjoying it for some time, Deepak convinced her to lie flat by his side, looking at the blue sky, the stars, and the smell of the light breeze flowing over the sea. She became fearless and started enjoying the environment.

It was a full moon day, so the waves were high. The sea waves sometimes covered the couple, which made them hold each other tightly with every wave.

 One of the high sea waves dragged Bala Prada into the sea. She didn't know how to swim. She was terror-stricken and, in the process, gulped seawater and was about to drown. She did not go further away as the hotel erected fencing to protect such happenings. She hit the fencing and stopped. She was in utter dreaded confusion and could not hold to the fencing.

 Deepak was terrified and jumped into the ocean to save her. He swam near to her, caught hold of her, put her on his back, and swam to the shore. He laid her flat on the beach sand and pressed her abdomen to release her of gulped seawater.

Others present called the hotel staff. The hotel staff called the duty doctor, who checked her and declared her safe.

With this incident, everyone on the beach was afraid and entered their hotel rooms.

After going to the rooms, the older couples discussed  Bala Prada’s drowning and Deepak's saving her. They recollected such happenings in their fresh married lives and celebrated again.

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Deepak and Bala Prada returned to their room. They took hot water head baths to clean the salt of seawater on their bodies. Bala Prada was relieved of her fear of drowning and refreshed after the bath. She was dressed in her printed cotton saree and blouse. She sat on the bed and left her wet hair to dry under the fan.

Deepak was still afraid of losing Bala Prada if the fencing had not been erected. He felt that Lord Padmanabha Swamy's grace and blessings saved her.

She was abundantly grateful to Deepak for saving her life and relieving her of gulped seawater on time. She wanted to thank Deepak for caring for and rescuing her from drowning. She stood from the bed, bent over him, and kissed his eyelids. That was her habitual way of thanking him whenever she got emotional. Deepak reciprocated with a hug.

The hotel management knew the tourists' behaviour in such places, so they erected fencing in the sea and arranged for a night-duty doctor.

 The following morning, they got up at 4:00 a.m., bathed, packed everything, and kept it in the hotel room. With the help of the hotel manager, they booked a to-and-fro taxi and went to Lord Sri Padmanabha Swamy's darshan to offer their prayers for saving Bala Prada. Bala Prada wore a Kancheepuram pure silk saree with a matching blouse, and Deepak wore a pure silk dhoti and banian. They had an early morning pleasant darshan of the lord. Lord Padmanabha Swamy blessed them.

 When they returned to the hotel, it was 6:00 a.m. Deepak changed his dress to pants and a shirt. They joined all the tourists in the dining hall. They distributed Sri Padmanabha Swamy Prasadam to all present. After everyone finished their breakfast, they boarded the bus for another destination.

The hotel manager presented Deepak and Bala Prada with a memento to remember their stay. All the tourists were happy that the only young couple was safe, and the hotel staff were happy that Bala Prada could be saved.

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