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LIFE AND LIES #92 | Neil Nitin Mukesh (#6)

Nitin closed his eyes and dived backwards. It had been a while, but the muscle memory kicked in. He started floating in the water. Slowly, he locked his hands below his head and regulated his breathing. When he opened his eyes, he could see a full moon hanging in the clear night sky.

A weekend away from the city with his closest friends was something he needed. The farmhouse was spacious and aesthetically pleasing and most importantly, he could cool off in an outdoor swimming pool while listening to music and eating barbequed food. Though his ears were submerged, he could still hear Neil and Mukesh over the music. But as he drifted to the far side of the pool, their voice grew distant until he could hear them no more.

He closed his eyes and in the stillness of the night, a thought crossed his mind. He had once read somewhere that a clean river has no fish. What did it mean? It must have a figurative meaning because it didn't seem scientifically accurate. Or maybe the quote was emphasising that if a river is too clean, it won't have pollutants, but at the same time, it also won't have the necessary nutrients for the sustenance of life. The clean river is like a clean guy. All goody goody. But if somebody is all light and has no dark side, he isn't worth hanging out with. Both of his friends, Neil and Mukesh fit the bill. Imperfections are important. Take the moon, for instance. The spots on its surface only add to its beauty, like every scar defines a personality trait in a human being.

"What are you thinking?"

Taken aback, Nitin lost his balance and landed on his feet. It was Mukesh. He was holding a plate of barbequed chicken.

"Same as always. Overanalyzing a random thing." Nitin picked a piece from the plate and wondered about the time when someone had cautioned him not to swim in the water for at least an hour after any meal. And here, he was eating inside the pool itself. What rule applied here?

"So, what's going on in life," asked Mukesh.

Nitin knew where this was going. When a married man asks his bachelor friend 'What's going on in life', it translates to 'When are you getting married?'. He replied, "Nothing much. Same old. Same old."

"Neil told me you are meeting a girl, next weekend."

And there it was.

"It's not like that. She already has someone in her life. I just like hanging out with her."

"You mean, she inspires you to write. Is she another muse of yours?"

"Maybe. Why the disapproving look?"

"Nothing. It's just that it's time for you to stop chasing muses. Think of settling down."

"Yeah, I already am. My parents are looking for me."

"Why aren't you? Are you going to get married to a stranger? What about meeting someone and falling in love?"

"Not everyone is as lucky as you. As for falling in love, it will happen after marriage."

"What if it doesn't?"

"OK, what if I fall in love with someone, and the love fades away a few years into our married life? No offense to you by the way."

"None taken."

"At least, in an arranged marriage, I'll be starting from scratch, only upwards to go."

"But if you marry someone you love, you'll be starting from an elevated point."

"I agree. But like I said, I am not as lucky as you. I haven't yet found someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. At the same time, I also think marriage is more than just about love. It's also about duty, mutual respect and loyalty towards each other. If both parties contribute their fair share, love will find them and stay. And if they don't, it will fade away, no matter where it started, before or after marriage."

"Fair enough," replied Mukesh. From the looks of it, he was thinking of something more to say but ultimately admitted defeat. "Anyway...it was just an opinion. You are free to do as you will."

Nitin smiled. There was a moment of silence. The music had stopped. All he could hear was the sound of water lapping against the side of the pool.

He shouted, "Neil, play 'In the air tonight'."

When the song came on, he closed his eyes, dived backwards, and started floating in the water.

***

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Original Art - 'They awake to the New Year, only to find that the world continues to be divided by colours.' by Duane Kirby Jensen


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