The memorable instant.

[Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi]

The seagull is quietly watching the waves.

One evening The Delhi Walla is on Promenade Marcel Proust in Cabourg, the coastal town immortalised by Proust as Balbec in his novel In Search of Lost Time.

It is cold and misty. There is no one on the shore but a few seagulls. The solitary seagull continues to look on at the waves with a gaze so intent and precise that it could be that of Proust himself. Like Proust, the bird appears to be a great observer of details.

A few minutes later, the spirit that evokes the feeling of Proust vanishes. The seagull flaps its wings. It then flies over further ahead on to the sea, joins a group of seagulls and is lost. This is a melancholy moment.

Marcel’s soul

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