SELF CENTRED

A trip alone to the Maldives has Aatish Nath reflect on how it prepared him for this pandemic

- Aatish Nath

I had just emerged from the water, after snorkelling at a reef not far from my hotel. Underwater, I’d seen the coral colony that is the home to myriad species of fish, and even their predators—turtles and a single reef shark. For a long time, I’d been waiting to be underwater and see marine life up close for myself.

After all, back in 2017 when I went to the Maldives, it seemed like everyone on social media was working towards their PADI certification for diving. Though I didn’t think I could commit to a course yet, snorkelling felt like the best way to get acquainted with life beneath the surface. In the water, the reflection of the sunlight offthe surface added depth, forgive the pun, to the colours that seem like they’re based on a child’s imagination rather than any kind of natural selection. Paddling through the reef, another hotel guest was most excited to see a clownfish—the protagonist of Finding Nemo—but I was enthralled by the steep, limitless drop from the coral reef into the abyss. In a matter of feet, the blue changes from azure to Yves Klein before going to dark and then black. Alongside, there was the steep underwater hill, colonized by coral and sea life, in stark contrast to the stillness of the water below.