I had become ‘too cool’ for simple precautions
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I am spitting the truth without any filter.
An year ago -
I would not wear a helmet. Neither would I let my imaginary girlfriend wear one.
I would not care about a sunscreen.
And well, mosquito nets? Those are for villagers.
Today,
I’ve seen it all.
My friend Aryan met with an accident and had a pretty bad injury that could be avoided if there was a helmet. Dhruv got dengue, even though he lives in an apartment in Bangalore and Ananya has a lot of pigmentation/blemishes.. thanks to the sun on the left side of her cheeks.
Life had a way of reminding me that nature doesn’t care about how cool we think we look.
Anyway, this article is basically a small story about our recent trip.
So, recently, I and Aparna were traveling together, and while I carefully tucked myself into a mosquito net every night, she laughed at me. “Why bother? Mosquitoes aren’t going to kill me,” she said, waving off my warnings like I was being paranoid.
She thought it was a matter of pride — sleeping freely, without the “cage” of a net.
A week later, she was lying in a hospital bed with dengue.
The same friend who mocked me was now hooked to IV fluids, her body weak and restless.
It wasn’t just the illness itself. It was the realization that something so preventable had taken such a toll.
Watching her shiver under a hospital blanket, I couldn’t help but think: Was that small show of “coolness” worth it?
Health, unlike fashion or appearances, doesn’t forgive arrogance.
We all have this inner “code” we live by -
the unwritten rules we think define our identity.
For some, that code says, “Be fearless, don’t show weakness.” But here’s the truth: being reckless isn’t the same as being strong.
Sometimes, strength looks like choosing the net, the helmet, the sunscreen. The boring but wise option.
If life were a game, the mosquito net is like a cheat code.
It’s ridiculously simple, yet highly effective. No electricity bills skyrocketing from repellents, no chemical fumes from sprays, no fancy gadgets needed. Just a net, and you’re shielded from a whole army of buzzing attackers. And yet, people dismiss it because it doesn’t look glamorous.
Real confidence comes from making choices that protect your future self, even if your present self feels awkward about it.
So, the next time you roll your eyes at a mosquito net, remember: survival isn’t about style points. Use the net. Stay healthy. Coolness fades, but health lasts.
In case we are meeting for the first time, come over here, it’ll be worth the roller coaster of articles that are gonna come up in the next few weeks.
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