I'm not suited for one marriage: Lucky Ali

On his farm and over some kadak chai and toast – his“comfort food” – he ponders on a life less ordinary.After afive-year hiatus, he’s released Xsuie. “It means ‘at your ownpace,’” he explains. And he’s distributing it online. “Iwanted to do away with physical distribution. Imagine the plastic you’llbe using, the paper you’ll waste for making CDs... An online release freesme from the hassles associated with music companies. And it helps me interactwith my fans directly,” he tells us.Aquick glance at his career reveals that the album couldn’t have been moreaptly named. “My brother once said, ‘In life, you should paddleslowly.’ I didn’t understand it at that time. But it stuck with me.And I have been living life at my own pace. The point is you should paddleslowly, but never miss the bus,” he smiles. It’s not hard tosee why. He’s been an actor (debuted at 44), a singer, a carpet-cleaner,oil-rigger, horse-breeder, organic farmer, playback singer and a father of fourchildren and the husband of two women... the many identities which bring us thento his relationships. Lucky met Meaghan Jane McCleary, anative of New Zealand, when he went to YMCA in Delhi with his brother“Macky.” He saw a pretty girl smile at him. Soon he got talking toMeaghan. I joined them. We began meeting and became friends. She went back toNew Zealand. That’s when my brother said, ‘She is a good girl. Youshould marry her.’ When Meaghan returned to India, I felt she liked metoo. She came on a Wednesday, I proposed on a Thursday and we married on aFriday,” he narrates. Today, they have two children, Ta’awwuz, 14,and Tasmia, 13. “I always knew I’d have more than onewife,” says Lucky, “In fact, I did tell Meaghan about it when we gotmarried. She thought I was joking.” But he wasn’t. Four years afterhis first marriage, he married again. This time to a Parsi girl called Anahita.Known today as Inaya, a filmmaker and photographer, she lives in Mumbai withLucky’s other two children, Sara and Raiyan.Whatdoes love mean to him? “Oh, love...it’s everything. The Creatorloved us so much, he made this world for us...” Okay, let’s getspecific. What about love between man and woman (or women)? Without missing abeat, he says, “Marriage.” Huh? “Marriage, that’sit,” he reiterates, “Nothing beyond that. In my space, in the faithI follow, I have the permission to marry four times. But Allah also says if youfeel you cannot deal with them equitably, then marry once.” Does that meanyou can love more than one woman at the same time? “Yes. I think I canlove more than two people with the same intensity. My strength comes from thewomen I’m married to. They are a part of my spiritual make-up,” hereplies. And do his wives understand that? “I think theydo,” he says, “A woman doesn’t really have a problem if herhusband marries again, as long as she knows that he loves her. And I love mywives.” He explains further, “It is not physical. It is somethingspiritual. It’s about children, growth, making a world, a life, somethingabout.....” he grapples for the right words. Then he cuts it short,saying, “It’s not about what you journalists think it is. I’msorry,” he apologises. “Would you like your husband to come backhome and lie to you?” he asks. No. But few women would want their husbandsto come back and say they’re marrying again. He continues, “Whatwould be harder? Your trust would break and you’d do something wrong. Forwhat? Some men are built a particular way. Some are suited for one marriage. Idon’t think I’m suited for one marriage. I move around a lot.I’m a free spirit. I get lonely. I cannot cheat. What happens when you arefaced with temptations? It’s better to marry. Be honest to your wife andlove your wives.” How did Meaghan take the news of his second marriage?“Like a martyr. It’s such a hard hit for a woman,” he says.Follow us on Twitter for more stories