267 THE BRIEF CAMARADERIE

"Thank you for bringing me to the beach, Mr. Henry... Ugh, I mean Henry." Shiva told him with a polite smile on her face. Henry smiled at her; he held his earlier discarded shoes in his left hand and walked next to Shiva in the cool night. He kicked the sand in front of him as he replied, "You are welcome. I just thought you would like it." Since they met properly, Shiva had gained a little confidence in front of him and she seemed able to reply to him without stuttering. Her nervous finger twiddling too had been minimized too. Shiva replied, "You thought right. I needed it." There was a brief silence and another hesitation before Shiva asked, "Don't you think tonight is quite beautiful?" "I thought it was always beautiful at night, on the beach." Henry replied. "Yes, it is always very beautiful. You always come to the beach?" Shiva asked. "Not to my knowledge." Henry jested. "However, I still don't know why you are thanking me. All I did was watch you play in the wat