Sex And Philosophy

YOLO

The phone rang, "Hello", I said, "Hello", No-one was there. I hung up. All the lights went out.

Everyone in the party gasped in unison.

"Ratchana!", I called out. "Ratchana, where are you?", I called my wife moving my arms around in the murk.

"I'm here!", I heard. "Here here", She held my arm. "I'm here", she caressed my arm reassuringly as I felt the back of her arm with my palm.

"Guys Guys Guys! I'm extremely sorry! There's been a power cut! The power would be back in a few minutes"

The disappointment was palpable in the unison of sighs.

However, the light was back in a couple of minutes and every other novice entrepreneur was back to dancing and drinking and swaying to the music whereas there were people like us in our 50s chilling and imbibing on cocktails and gossip.

"Hi, Guys!", Omkar greeted us. "I hope you all are enjoying yourself!"

"What's to enjoy here for us boomers however", Lisha remarked.

"Come on guys! We are in our 50s earning millions", he cheered to the air, "we all deserve this!".

"May I get you a drink, Mrs. Waghela", I proposed to my wife. "Sure, I'd fancy one, Mr. Waghela.

I kissed her forehead and proceeded towards the home bar.

"Uncle, have you seen Mayank", a soft whisper heard heard clearly amongst the bursting music crossed my ears.

"Oh, Natasha! Yeah! He's in the men's restroom getting his suit fixed".

"Ah! Okay", she sighed and ensconced on the seat beside mine. "Bro, make me a Platinum passion", she ordered the bartender.

She gulped the entire concoction in one go and slammed the glass against the pavement.

"I don't get it! My life seems so dull and monotonous and I don't even know what I'd be doing tomorrow", Natasha vented out.

"Well, firstly congratulations on that!", I smiled. "Not knowing something just gives way do a zillion possibilities for everything.

"Mayank is hardly ever home and he expects me to extend our family as if he's the only one having a thriving careehaa!", She stuttered partly because she was angry and partly because she was drink and completely because of them both.

"Yeah, I heard! Congratulations on your second round investment!", I patted her back and beckoned a bartender for another drink.

"How does it even matter! I feel so alone. Mom is enjoying with with Dad in Chennai. It feels like... Ugh", she stopped and took a long breath. "I just want to spend some time with the owns I love the most but that seems too much to ask for".

"That's actually quite a great thought, beta", I said smiling to her the same way I did when she was smiling in her crib.

"How do you do it? Don't you feel like travelling all across the world?"

"Well, I might have visited The Kavaratii islands but this newly developed sensation holds me back".

She looked at me with anticipation as I gulped nervously.

"I'm afraid, that life is too short", I smiled to myself. "YOLO finds a whole different meaning when you are in your mid-fifties. In our youth, your Mom, Dad, me and your aunt Ratchana hopscotched the entire world in search of new adventures under the influence of that 4 lettered Abbreviation".

Natasha was now hearing intently.

"It's funny actually how under the influence of the fear of missing out on the best of your life in your 20s, justify your excursions - geographic or emotional, all around the world. Whereas, on the other hand, when you are old, you use the same pretext to spend every single ounce of a second with that one loved one".

"Can you please inculcate this knowledge to Mayank, uncle! Please"

I chuckle, "Sure! For sure"

"Well I won't exactly reprimand Mayank for his behaviour for I was the same when I was his age. Early in my relationship with your aunt Rachna I felt the same way. It felt invigorating and when it wasn't lonely it seemed healthy. We eventually came up with a really good metaphor that I read in a book - we travelled through life in different boats that moored, whenever they called, in the same harbour".

"Another way of saying it would be that we took different paths in life just to end up in a single one and walk the same forever".

"It wasn't easy per say. Your aunt had her JEE and I was struggling with my degree. At a point, it was utterly miserable. However now that we are happily married for around 20 years, we want nothing but to tie our little ships to the same buoy, and to rock gently together through each other".

"One thing I would surely like to inculcate in Mayank's mind is that you youngsters and even we at a not- so- late phase in our life realised that sharing a day's details by phone is never as good at sharing a day".

"Side by side, life happens to you simultaneously. You carry the same memories whose details blend each time you retell them".

"Apart, you make several memories. No matter how important, they are just stories to the one who wasn't there".

"Plus, When you look back, you count too many weeks and months squandered in foolish places for insignificant reasons. And when you look ahead, you don't have to squint anymore to see that the end is near, nearer than ever".

"I am telling you Natasha, I lost my parents both at the age of 50, I swear, in middle age sometimes, it feels like you have only days left to live".

"So, me and your aunt Ratchana have this one game that we play -
Once in a while, we lie on the bed doing nothing and hold our breath just to make us feel how it feels to be dead. It does make us value life more. It makes us value each other's company more. It makes us value this love more".

"How long does it even take to get a drink, bro", Ratchana asked.

"Losing patience already!", I smile putting my arm around her, realising...

Time has indeed changed,
even people did.
But love found its way,
throughout everything.

~ K.C.Waghela