The Boy, the Girl, and the Moon

Scene 1 — A Promise Under The Moon

A boy and a girl are standing by a small pier, a cool refreshing wind is blowing, and the skies are cloudy with a slight drizzle. One can see the raindrops creating a multitude of ripples on the lake’s surface.

The couple talked about a plethora of topics ranging from sustainability to social service to education to sattvic lifestyle, and the conversation never seems to pause. It was so engaging that they didn’t even notice when the rain stopped, the lake became serene, and the full moon was being reflected in it.

They talked about their future together, about how much money they need to save up to leave the soulless city life behind. They had planned to buy a farm in some beautiful place, start a new chapter of their life helping people and educating them about the wonders of organic farming.

The moon was shining brightly in the sky as if giving the couple its blessings.They gazed into each other’s eyes, seemingly lost in their depths. The boy promised that day to the moon that he would work really hard and get the money as quickly as possible to begin their dream life together.

They talked about their future together, about how much money they need to save up to leave the soulless city life behind

Scene 2 — A Tumultuous Trajectory

Lake 2: Image by the Author

The boy is looking outside the balcony, staring at a lakefront, fascinated by how cows leave a trail grazing through a grassland. The boy’s face looks passionate and full of optimism even though he has been met with a series of failures the past year in his promise to secure a future with the girl as early as possible.

He had applied for masters- did fantastic in GRE tests, wrote a stellar SOP, and had good grades & a good college. Yet, despite all this, he wasn’t accepted into any of the 7 universities he applied to. He winced a little; those rejections still hurt.

He had applied to a start-up accelerator too. He felt qualified after helping his senior build a minimum viable product in the same accelerator and secure funding. But he again tasted bitter rejection.

He had applied for jobs in another country where he could save double or even triple what he was saving then. He passed all the interviews with flying colors but wasn’t offered a job due to the country’s tightening Visa policies.

But all that was past him, despite the unfairness of it all, he did not lose hope. He reapplied to the start-up accelerator and got selected. He left his stable job and took the risk to start up because that would allow him to fulfill his promise a lot earlier.

He diverted his gaze from the peacefully grazing cows to his laptop to again get in the groove of user research, building the product with his friends and teammates nearby.

He left his stable job and took the risk to start up because that would allow him to fulfill his promise a lot earlier

Scene 3 — The Dusk of Love

Lake 3: Image by the Author

The same boy, another year older, is looking at another lake. He must really love lakes. He then looks at a meticulously crafted excel sheet on his tablet. Under a small cell tucked away in the corner, named total, there is a number.

Seeing the number, slightly larger than what he promised to himself years ago, his lips curl up in a satisfied grin. He seems excited and proud of himself. Now is the time to reap the rewards of all the hard work he put in and all the disappointments he faced for the past three years.

The start-up plan didn’t work out, but he reapplied for masters and got multiple acceptances, including an Ivy League. He also accepted a position in a foreign company. What’s better was that the position was fully remote, so he could work at the farm without having to leave his job.

But at the mention of the farm, the boy who was smiling widely near the serene lake, calmed down all of a sudden and collapsed on the earth in lassitude. He looked up into the night sky with a troubled expression. There was a full moon tonight, and the lake was calm, just like that night three years ago. But unlike before, the girl was not with him anymore.

“I did it… What to do… Cynthia… What… should I do from now on….?”

But the moon didn’t answer any of his questions. No one could answer him. The moon just stayed still in the unreachable night sky, shining down silently. It started to drizzle lightly, making his eyes wet and allowing water to pour down his cheeks.

—

This post was previously published on Hello, Love.

***

You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project

Compliments Men Want to Hear More Often

Relationships Aren’t Easy, But They’re Worth It

The One Thing Men Want More Than Sex

..A Man’s Kiss Tells You Everything