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LIFE AND LIES #87 | Neil Nitin Mukesh (#5)

"Nitin, where did you get lost again," asked Mukesh.

On the Saturday preceding the Diwali holidays, Neil, Nitin and Mukesh had a get-together before leaving for their hometowns. Everyone had turned up in their traditional attires. And for once, Neil looked like a civilised person without a drink in his hand.

"Nothing," replied Nitin. "I was just thinking that every year, we celebrate Diwali on the eve of Lord Rama returning to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. He went to such great lengths to rescue her wife only to exile her later whereas Sita Maiya chose to accompany him, as a dutiful wife, during an exile imposed only on him."

"Not many people realise this," said Mukesh. "But the real protagonist of Ramayana is Sita Maiya, not Rama or Ravana."

"That I can agree on."

"Ravana had the mental might of ten brains. Still, he wasn't wise enough to let go of his ego. He ended up squandering everything because of his arrogance. Rama, on the other hand, was a tragic hero. The word 'Ramayana' literally translates to 'Rama's wanderings'. Both in geography and life."

"All that is ok but the exiling Sita part always bugs me."

Mukesh took a long breath before saying, "Lord Rama was a great king. There's no denying that. It has nothing to do with him being a great husband."

"Were you in the place of Lord Rama, what would you have done," spoke Neil, who had been listening silently to the entire conversation until then.

"I think," Mukesh replied, bearing a thoughtful look. "I would have done the same thing Lord Rama did."

"Succumb to societal pressure instead of taking a stand for your wife, whom you had vowed to spend seven lives with." Neil was egging him on just for fun because, unlike Neil and Nitin, Mukesh was married.

Realising he had backed himself into a corner, Mukesh smiled and said, "Just to be clear, I don't identify with Lord Rama at all. The most kickass couple in Hindu mythology is Shiv Shakti."

"Yeah, Lord Shiva is the ideal husband," remarked Nitin, comprehending that Mukesh was trying to change the topic. "He made the ultimate sacrifice. He loved to chill in the Himalayas. But for her wife, he moved to the plains and took up residence in Kasi."

"Nitin, even Lord Shiva gave up his love for the mountains and settled down," joked Neil, turning towards Nitin. "When are you going to do that?"

"Hopefully, at the perfect time, with the right woman."

Everyone was silent for a while. Nitin could hear the sound of crackers bursting outside. It wasn't so frequent but it annoyed him nonetheless. Mukesh lit a cigarette before he started to speak.

"Hinduism, unlike other religions, doesn't have a definite starting point. Its foundation cannot be attributed to a single person. It has grown organically and continues to evolve even today. The current narrative of Hindu mythology was shaped around 15th - 16th century. Ramcharitamanas was written around the same time. Although, Valmiki's Ramayana existed, but..."

"Also, don't forget the Bhakti movement" Neil chimed in. "It had a pivotal role to play in that. Starting in South India in the 7th century, it reached North India in the 15th century."

"You're right," continued Mukesh, "Until the Bhakti movement, everybody used to worship their local deities. Kul Devta. Even the holy trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, is not an original concept. It was borrowed from local folklore. People these days don't understand these things. Take Lord Shiva, for instance. Some say he has no origin, that he was there when there was nothing and He will remain even after everything is destroyed. He is also depicted as Pashupati, the lord of animals while others connect him to Rudra, a god worshipped during the Vedic period."

"Yes," agreed Nitin. "Nobody comprehends that it's all an amalgamation of stories humans have told and retold over time and that each story has its own set of backstories. That there is a subliminal meaning hidden beneath the texts if only people cared enough to dig deeper. All they do is take everything literally and then talk nonsense."

Neil laughed, "You mean the long, forwarded too many times types of WhatsApp Messages."

Nitin was about to say something when he was interrupted by a loud boom coming from the window. He sounded pissed when he said, "I bet, if you ask any one of these stupid kids why we celebrate Diwali, they won't have an answer. All they want to do is burst crackers."

"Jeej, you sounded like a grumpy old uncle just now," laughed Neil. Mukesh joined in, followed by Nitin.

***
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