Dear City – A Writing Challenge.

Goa: A pause that feels like freedom.

Photo by Sohan Rayguru on Unsplash

Ridhima’s favourite holiday destination was Goa. She called it her home away from home. Every year in March, after the final exams, she and her family went for a week to Goa. On the last night, after their grand finale dinner, the family was asleep, but she lay awake. It was their last night in Goa, and she couldn’t bring herself to close her eyes. She understood now how her children felt when weekends and holidays came to an end.

It wasn’t that she didn’t love her home – home was where her heart was. But at home she had to don many roles, which she enjoyed, yet which kept her constantly moving: preparing menus, organizing meals, ensuring everything ran on oiled wheels. Goa was different. Goa let her be herself. Here she was free – no responsibilities, no schedules. Her husband and kids managed everything, and she had time at her disposal.

She could wander into museums, browse designer galleries, eat whatever and wherever she pleased.she walked through pastel-colored lanes where tiled houses leaned close, their balconies spilling stories of another century. She lingered at a small café, sipping strong Goan coffee, admiring the red bougainvillea covered balconies. She would always remember the ferry ride with her family yesterday to Chorao island.

They went to SalimAli Bird Sanctuary, she stood among the mango groves, watching the kingfisher dive. Today morning she went to a tucked-away designer gallery in Panjim, where local artists stitched tradition into modern fabrics.

Wandering she entered a home style cafe and tried the local dishes, soropotel and sannas each bite felt like a story dipped in authentic spices. As dawn approached, Ridhima realized why she called Goa her “home away from home.”

It wasn’t just escape; it was renewal. Goa reminded her that endings were only pauses, and beginnings waited just beyond the tide.

Manmeet Singh Bhatia

🏙️ *This story is part of ‘Dear City 🏙️ — A Writing Challenge’ on The Rabbit Note. What did a city give you, take from you, or leave unresolved between you? Write a letter or poem addressed to that city and submit it to ‘Dear City’ on The Rabbit Note. Submissions open until 24 July 2026.*

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