Long time Clementine!

Not sure if you were expecting a serious letter from me but I needed to write something basic just to get into the habit of writing to you. So, here’s an account from my life, as I promised you before leaving…

Maa always used to tell me, “Treat your body as a temple. It is only through this that everything we experience and do in life is made possible.” Often, she would advise me to drink water instead of cola. As a kid, I used to hate all this, especially when those words were her way of telling me not to hog on junk food.

Meanwhile, time passed, as it does. I got into college, then got a job, moved to different cities, made new friends and parties became a constant. And over this phase of 8-9 years, parties meant overdrinking to all of us. I guess it’s just something that comes with a fresh sense of independence. But soon enough, I realized a difference between me and my friends. While crazy hangovers and headaches from excessive drinking were common among my friends, I rarely faced such hardships. Reason?

Somewhere, the words of Maa stayed with me and I always made sure I drank enough water after a round of drinks. And oh, that moment when water touched my dehydrated throat. That’s a feeling IYKYK… The water felt like the most heavenly drink! Over time, I started making sure that all my friends had enough water as well. And for this, everyone blessed me with all their heart. I know this because a drunk person never lies 😉

As I (and my friends) got older, the drinking reduced. I guess we all had our realizations – Were we incapable of enjoying while sober? Were we escaping from reality? Had our priorities changed now? Or did we just love the high? I think it was a mix of all of these. Anyway, this phase left me with a genuine love for water and even more love for Maa.

In retrospect, I can see how my life has come full circle. Today, I find myself reminding Maa to stay hydrated. My gratitude for this body has deepened and above all, here I am preaching the same thing to you that I hated hearing from my mom.

And in case you found my letter boring, in my defense, I didn’t know what to write about! I just want you to care for yourself and, from my experience, drinking ample water is the best start in that direction. Hope you don’t react to this letter how I did to my mom as a kid. Believe me, water is the way 😊

Your Aquaman.