The story 'on the making of a story': 354

One can enjoy life in various innocuous ways. He found one, in the hard way by attempting to write a story… 

He did not realise the work of putting down words to tell a story will become a potential minefield. Enthusiasm was egging on the raw talent to go all out to prove " U 2 can do it!" Done with its part, it evaporated proving even for enthusiasm, entropy existed. 

He was scared to visualise that the collective ghosts of Sadi Carnot, Rudolf Clausius and William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), the architects of Thermodynamics, jumping up and down with in delight. At this point, if he had shelved his dream to write, it would have become a diplomatic coup for the established writers and if he decided to persist with, it would certainly land him in a tank of hot soup for every paragraph he wrote.

He had a doubt whether the established writers’ attempts to derail his authorship could be called a diplomatic coup?  

 "Diplomatic coup” is an idiomatic expression to describe a brilliant, sudden, and highly successful act. For his purpose he had to trim some of the trappings viz disregarding its nuanced approach in the geopolitical sphere. He assured himself with an “Yes” that it would entirely be within his rights. Would it have gained him an upper hand or advantage in the literary circles? The jury is still out there on this whether to allow him to normalise relations or secure a significant internal agreement within the circle. 

When it came to thinking, the physical work involved movements, sounds and conversations like the silent shifting of mental gears and any conversational interruption that chased away the thoughts, sometimes never to be apprehended. For the onlookers, the writer appeared to be idling while all of them were engaged in tangible, visible and useful activities. This first batch of inhouse juries, stood by this assessment. 

Are there any more juries? What was the fallout for the writer? One thing would certainly be there - a guaranteed variety. 

He had opened the yet to be titled story, with a scene depicting a busy marketplace, where people were making random moves as if to collide with each other but miraculously managing to avoid it by deft counter moves. At this point, he allowed a pickpocket to snatch a purse and became busy to device a ploy to get him apprehended. 

As he was searching for a novel idea to trip and trap the thief, came the interruption. "You are sitting like a statue; would it be asking too much to dump the wet and dry wastes in the garbage bins?". If you read between the lines, you will catch the subtle, dual reference to garbage clearance. Withstanding all this type of snide and asides from the sidelines, he was yet to progress beyond the opening paragraph. Availing this opportunity, the beginning of the apprehending ploy vanished without a trace and the wastes got promptly disposed into the bins. 

He decided to give a late start to a good Samaritan, to go after the thief. Remembering his description of the human chaos at the busy marketplace, he gave up the idea of a chase and hit upon another solution. He brought in a child character to blow a whistle and contrived a shrill whistler to echo in response, from somewhere in the market. Thinking that two policemen were after him, the pickpocket hid the purse inside his baggy pants while searching for an escape route. He hoped the pickpocket and the readers would not pause to think "Oh, What a joke! Our potbellied policemen giving a chase, unbelievable!"  

Not to embarrass the police force, he revised his plan and decided on three or four separate incidents in the marketplace that would be an ideal setting for further narration. For starters, he focused his mind on devising ways to reunite a child (another character) that got separated from its parents. 

Engrossed in developing this angle, he failed to notice the hubbub in his house. A frantic search was going on for a misplaced article. In frustration, his son came over and hissed at him, "You were handling it yesterday, where is it now?" Leaving the child lost in the crowd in a safe corner he turned his attention home ward.  'What did I handle yesterday and which is misplaced today?" Without uttering a single word, his son gestured to a pair of shoes on the floor keeping company with a tin of shoe polish. 

The smell of shoe polish just registering, he blurted out, " You mean the brush?” Instantly transforming himself into a rag picker, he dashed out to rummage among the garbage, he had emptied a while ago. 

The poor child, lost in the crowd of the market, has to wait for some more time to reunite with his parents. The interrupted narrative, after the brush episode, moved forward to the spot where the child was witing. To stir the emotions of the would-be readers with sympathy, he decided to depute an extra actor to extend a friendly gesture with a cup of ice cream to comfort the child. 

Reluctant, confused and yet yearning for the offered ice cream, the child got down to the business of emptying the cup. In the meanwhile, another extra actor, not to be outdone in compassion, brought a bag of chips. Perplexed and glad, the child took the chips of chips and even offered to share some with the two caring actors. Touched by this grand gesture, the actors enquired, “How you got separated from the elders?” 

This question confused the child and in between munching the crunchies replied, “Why would you ask like that? I just came to enjoy the crowd and the marketplace!”  Before the writer could appreciate himself for giving an Aesop twist, he heard the siren, “The washing machine has just finished its work, when will yours be?” 

After this ‘commercial break’, he continued thinking about the next step in the narrative. His mind was unable to come out of the crowded marketplace and urged him to look for something there itself. 

He created a small disturbance, in the write up, and forced some people from the crowd to converge there. Though the encircling wall of humanity obstructed the ongoing visuals, enough audio filtered through to inform the gathering that two persons were throwing heated arguments at each other. The context was unclear after some time the sound-bytes stopped abruptly. Losing interest in further proceedings, people disbursed leaving the quarrelling duo alone. 

What about the readers? He had to describe something for them to read, so he included in the write up this conversation: 

“Did I not prove my point?” 

“The point is, you would not have proved it without me”. 

“Wrong, I would have proved it solo, even without your help. As expected, they all gathered, watched and made no attempt to learn or diffuse the situation. The moment we stopped shouting they all left. What this tells you?” 

“One, you were right. Two, entertainment in any form is ok with them!” 

He had come to the decisive part of the narration. The snatched purse has to be retrieved and the thief has to be apprehended.

Unaware of the narrator’s dilemma, the thief took his own decision and decided to hide safely in plain sight. But he wanted that plain sight to be in a busy café and have something to munch too! He chose a crowded self-service pay and eat cafe. With a few nervous butterflies fluttering in his stomach, he approached the cash counter and then all hell broke loose …... for him.

Coincidence or a twist in the pig’s tail, the narrator experienced another kind of hell breaking loose for him. The overhead tank had run out of water and he had forgotten to top it up from the storage sump. Quickly switching on the motor, he came back to think of ways to end the story. In his hurry he forgot about the part of switching off the sump motor after its job was done. 

A part of his mind said, "catch him" and the other part argued pro bono to get him off with a warning. He mused. "Why not twist the tale a bit more and leave it with two endings?" He praised his foresight for having brought the thief to where he wanted him to be for the twin endings. 

The thief took out the stolen purse and counted out the required money for whatever he had ordered. As the printer was doing its work, an unfriendly hand shook the thief from the back. The thief turned around to face the person, who was none other than the extra actor, in plain clothes, who had given a bag of chips to the child, a little while ago and in some other part of the market.

The blood drained from the thief’s face when recognition hit him like a loaded truck. Soon the other extra actor, also in plain clothes, who had sponsored a cup of ice cream to that child, joined the show. The printer which just finished the billing sat in silence with anticipation. The thief knew that his game had just ended even without the policemen blowing their whistles. At that point, his worry was about the order he had placed and paid for with the stolen money.

With one of the endings behind him, the narrator mulled over the pro bono ending.

He simply decided to make use of the two policemen already in place. Only they have to stage a different act as compassionate police men!  

The actor who laid his hands on the shoulder of the thief asked, "why should you degrade yourself like this?" Before the thief could reply, the second actor clarified, "Maybe hunger forced him to do this". Instead of the good cop bad cop play it was all the way a good cops act! 

The cashier wanting to play a part, chose that exact moment to announce, "take this printout and collect your ordered items”. The thief hesitated but the two extra actors slightly nodded, retrieved the stolen purse and after giving a stern warning before letting the thief go ahead. 

When he wrote the words 'stern warning', he never expected to receive one himself. In his scramble to end the narrative, he had forgotten to switch off the sump motor, which was happily giving the side walls of the overhead tank a most welcome bath! 

What he had left to do now, was to come up with a suitable title for this untitled story. 

The busy market place, people who tested principles of thermodynamics, the pickpocket and the two extra actors and the child who blew the whistle and the other child who did what he did for fun, the crowd that gathered around a disturbance and of course, the interruptions at home while thinking…. 

The list lengthened like the vote of thanks mentions, which often had more names than attendees. 

What would be a more appropriate title? Before his mind could suggest a two branched title, he decided to title it as The story 'on the making of a story'.

Sleep, with open eyes 335

The grandkids staged tantrums to accompany him for his eye check-up, a year after BELT cataract procedure.  The children, hinging their hopes on grandpa to forgive their ‘screenplay of a horror movie’ comment and banked on a visit to their favourite ice-cream parlour. They did not relent. To enjoy alone time from Grandpa and his three thieves, she chose to remain at home. 

In the waiting hall, different pictures of eyes, with different stories to tell, kept a careful watch on them with or without glasses. The kid interested in marine life, started a mental list of questions to test his grandpa’s knowledge and patience. He encouraged the other two also to make additions to his list. He whispered into their ears, “it will be our tit for tat” for that arboretum trip, which really left us stung! 

Unaware of this wily trap, grandpa completed the check-up, collected the medicines and came out to the waiting hall. He saw the kids engrossed in an animated discussion. He had no clue what so ever that final touches are being given to their attack plan. A detour to the ice cream parlour and back home for lunch completed the round trip. 

At home, they saw the dining table standing bare, with nothing on it except the cloth. It only added fuel to the ravenous appetite already gnawing at their digestive tracks. From another part of the house, the grandmother made a dramatic entry with a mischievous smile. Since this act did not get her the desired response, she just went back to where from she had come. With ‘hunger cum suspense’ knocking about in their heads, they sent questioning looks at the grandfather just shrugged his shoulders to convey a “I too don’t know!”. 

Then, the buzzer rang and broke the ‘questions cum suspense’ laden silence. Grandmother hurried to open the door, overtaking them all. Peeping from behind her back, the kids noticed the person from Swiggy. The ‘hunger cum suspense’ and ‘questions cum suspense’ ended the moment when plates and cutleries appeared as if by magic. Their luncheon has arrived! Unable to hold it anymore, they asked “what is the special occasion today?” The grandma, beaming with another mischievous smile replied, “It is the kitchen’s birthday!”

After the lunch, she said, “Children, heavy or light lunch, it is siesta time for the old man. Disturb him, he will behave like a grumpy old bear."  Like ‘Shaun the sheep’ they all nodded their heads with no such plan to allow the old man his siesta. One of them silently murmured the tit for tat mantra.

Following him in to the bedroom, they sat by his side without speaking a word. The old man got the message that his siesta has already started walking southwards. Pre-empting them he asked, " Now out with it, whatever you people want to ask." 

"Grandpa, we know how easily you would drift off in to sleep while telling bedtime stories. Don't do what you did to your children, to us, now!" 

Feeling royally cornered, he agreed, “Ok. If your questions are interesting, I will keep my eyes open." 

In the arboretum, you explained about the compound eyes of the honeybees. Tell us about our eyes? 

Ok. I will give only the general picture. You will have to refer to books or use search engines in the net to get more intricate details. 

You had the BELT thing on your eyes, why?

When the natural lens in the eye becomes cloudy or yellow, it becomes difficult to see things clearly. This cloudy thing is a cataract. During cataract surgery, a new artificial lens is placed to restore sharp vision. 

Why people young and old have to wear various types of spectacles, even without a cataract?

Any one of the following could be the reason. Myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (distorted vision), and presbyopia (age-related close-up difficulty). Vision blurs as the light entering the lens are prevented from being properly focused on the retina. The prescribed corrective lenses or glasses overcome these deficiencies, to give a clear vision. 

Why don't we fit animals, having poor eyesight with glasses?

They do suffer from near-sightedness and cataract. As most of them do not perform tasks requiring 20/20 vision, glasses are unnecessary for them. 

Do we dream in colour and how do we see colours?

Most of us do but people from older generations who have seen mostly black and white pictures, rarely have dreams in colour.  Our eyes have 6 to 7 million cone cells. Most people have three types of cone photoreceptors called trichromacy comprising of short cones (blue), medium cones (green) and long cones (red). 

We can distinguish up to 1 million colours. Some have a fourth type of cone (tetrachromacy). People with a strongly developed tetrachromacy can detect up to 100 million colours, but this happens very rarely. Weakly developed tetrachromacy will be a useless addition as the brain ignores the signals from these cones. In addition, there are about 100 to 125 million rod cells to help us see in dim light but missing out on colour & finer details. 

Do animals dream?

Yes. Many animals have dreams but are incapable of sharing their experience with us! 

In what ways the eyes of animals differ from human eyes? 

Humans have spherical, globelike shape, with a slight bulge in the front. We have round pupil. We see the world right-side up and in high detail. Generally, we get a horizontal vision spanning 200 ⁰ 220⁰ and in the vertical direction we can see objects lying in the range of 130⁰ to 135⁰. 

Animals have spherical, specialised tubular, cylindrical shaped eyes and compound eyes. Some have vertical slits in the pupil; some have horizontal slits. Animal brain processes only visual information, by filtering out unimportant data. They rely on panoramic view from about 330⁰ wide vision to detect predators from any side. But have blind spots directly behind them. 

In the wild, animals with poor vision cannot see prey or predators and cannot survive long enough and rarely able to pass on their genetic trait of bad eyesight. They depend on other reliable senses like smell and hearing to overcome weak eyesight. Animals don’t need to see fine, high-resolution details as they have to focus only on objects close to them rather than at a distance or to rely on environmental familiarity instead of keen visuals.  Their ability to detect motion and to see in the dark, or to use ultraviolet light for visuals is sufficient for survival. 

Will we be able to see underwater? How marine animals manage to see even under abysmal depths? 

No. Our eyes are designed to receive light travelling through air and not water. Something to do with how light is bent or not bent (refractive index). Pay attention to reflection, refraction and refractive index in Physics lessons, then you will fully appreciate their importance in our life.

The ocean surface is bright, and the deep sea is in pitch-black darkness. To maximise vision in low light & high-pressure environment, the sea animals have special lens shapes, light-gathering layers and unique pupil structures. In the abyssal zone, where sunlight barely penetrates, their eyes are adapted to detect bioluminescence and the faint, downwelling blue light. Marine creatures have almost perfectly spherical, dense lenses with high-powered focusing capabilities. To capture the maximum number of photons, their eyes are massive relative to their body size

Tapetum Lucidum, a reflective layer behind the retina acts as a mirror to reflect light back through the retina to increase light absorption, enabling them to see in dark or murky water. Tubular and upward-facing eyes act like binoculars to identify silhouette of prey against the faint light from the surface. Their eyes, have retinas packed with rod cells, which are highly sensitive to light and have few or no cone cells as colour vision is not important for survival in deep-sea. 

They have focusing structures to shape the eyes to work with refractive index of air and water.  Their corneas can withstand pressure and function in water, often using a flatter shape to minimise distortion and compensates for the lack of refraction. Some have very flexible, muscular eyes that can dramatically change the shape of the lens or move it to focus at various distances. 

Their eyes can regulate light to deal with high-intensity light at the surface and absolute darkness of deep sea. Some species possess a fleshy structure that hangs down to create an omega-shaped pupil that can expand or contract to manage the highly varying lighting conditions. 

Why such a complicated anatomy for the eye of a typical marine animal? 

The salt water absorbs, scatters and filters the light rapidly. This is a harsh and unforgiving environment teeming with predators and survival is not a given but won and to be protected. Their multifocal refractive index capability allows them to survey multiple depths at once. The rod pigments in the eye are highly sensitive to blue and green light, which is the only light that penetrates deep water. Efficiently combining all these extra features, a marine life does its best to survive and reproduce. 

In space, will our eyes function properly?

Yes. We can clearly see things in space. To avoid vacuum and radiation hazards, we must wear protective gears while in space. 

He rounded off it all with some interesting facts, without answering for whom! 

A watched kettle boils over only when you blink your eyes! (his own ‘grandverb’ a la proverb) 

Marine animals in coastal & murky waters have a nictitating membrane (blinking third eyelid) that allows some light transmission while protecting the eyes from suspended particles. Some have mottled skin to blend in with a specialised iris that breaks up the outline of the eye as camouflage. 

The land mammals have flatter lenses and near-sightedness is more common in animals like dogs & cats. They do not rely on perfect vision to survive as they are protected by humans. Because of this reason, their defective genes causing poor eyesight gets passed-on. 

Rods and cones are special development in the eyes of vertebrates and are not universal to all life. Unlike humans, other vertebrates have varying number of rods and cones depending on their environment. 

Some insects do not have rods & cones but still manage with other senses. Plants & microbes depend on photopigments or photochromes.

Humans, animals, birds and insects all have exactly the same DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) as their genetic blueprint. All life on Earth uses the same fundamental genetic code in the double helix structure, based on the same four chemical bases such as Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine. The specific sequence of this A, T, G and C differs, thus making all of them as unique species.

At the end, the kids asked, “Grandpa, how could you recollect so much information and answer all our questions without slipping into your siesta?” 

The grandfather calmly replied, “I have been preparing the material since last summer. Otherwise, how could I keep you all away from mischiefs? I am like the legendary General Zhang Fei who lived in the late 2^nd or early 3^rd century BCE.  He slept with his eyes open and with practice now I too can!” 

Having heard all the eye related information, the kids were in a quandary - to take him at face value or to take everything he said his with spoonsful of salt. They tactfully refrained from asking “how then he heard and answered their questions?”. Fearing another outlandish story, they just nodded their heads and left, only to come face to face with their grandma. 

She asked, “How did it go?” They replied in unison, “We asked for a bucketful of water and he managed to dunk is in the Ocean, that is how horrible it went. Are you happy now?” She left the spot wondering, “What happened to these kids and why give me such a reaction? If at all they had to vent anger, it should have been dumped on their tormentor’s head and not on me?

The first session: Honey, not so sweet honey! 331A

 The grandchildren were coming over for the summer holidays. Stocking of the kitchen cupboard, reading and art materials and a pre-paid tours to places of their interest have had a healthy bite on our savings. Internal rearrangements were planned and completed to give them the feel @ home atmosphere with space, freedom and privacy. We started looking at the circled date on the calendar, for their arrival and maybe, they were counting the days to come over.  At this time, the clock that counts ‘ageing’ mercifully stops to give the grandparents a chance to have fun! 

A year of school, off-school activities seem to have somewhat smoothened the edges off their individual and collective mischievousness. Like the wind reversing directions, now it was the turn of the parents shooting out communications – ask them to do this, help them to do that and make them behave. I happily ignored them all. I had my own plans to give them time to decompress. During my summer holidays there were no coaching classes and curfews. The SOP was giving attendance for lunch and be back for dinner and night halt. This prompted me to ask, “If not now, when they will enjoy their childhood?” 

 Last year they had clandestinely visited the corner fast-food joint. This time, right royally, I decided to treat them with ice-creams, against the well-meant warnings and admonishments of their grandmother. Having said that, she always waited with glasses of hot water, as the troupe returned after their battle with scoops of ice-cream! 

The granddaughter wanted me to read the book on insects along with her. The grandson 1, had a book and wanted to share his take on war machines. Not to be left behind, grandson 2, chose marine life and expected me to accompany him for a scuba dive, into their world, with or without the gear! I was at my wits’ end to accommodate them all. To make the matter worse, a bunker buster dropped from the kitchen came streaking down targeting me – “Children, don’t waste your breath teaching that old and rusted brain. It will go bonkers!” To understand my fury and discomfort, you have to feel the sting of an entire colony of honeybees. 

The first session in the arboretum: 

To deal with the insect, war machines and the marine life in one go, I decided a field trip to a nearby arboretum - a specialised botanical garden, might help me. My own secret place! For the children, this arboretum would be a forest of change, living in a mega concrete jungle. They celebrated it by running wild, chasing butterflies, echoing the bird calls and attempted to snare a gadfly or two- a whale of a time amidst the trails, fallen leaves, twigs and flowers in bloom. 

Suddenly, my granddaughter shouted, “Look there! A big beehive, there on that tree!” Excitement and curiosity racing each other, she tugged at my sleeves relentlessly pointing out the honeycomb. To tease her a little I kept on asking, “where, I am not able to see anything there.”  With curled lips and a pout on the face, she simply said, “If you want to see you will see. 

Seizing the opportunity I asked, “Are you ready to hear about the honeybees? Write down your questions and basing on them I will answer them in a sequence to present a complete picture.”  My grandsons, though disappointed, reluctantly agreed to defer discussions on war machines and marine creatures to a later date and would hear the hum of the beehive, now! 

Patting their shoulders, I said, “Wait awhile, your interests will also be addressed. Now, listen to the hum of honeybees!  Have you ever wondered how these tiny honeybees, each weighing just 100-160mg with a micro brain weighing less than 2mg, operate on a super software that runs without a glitch, generation after generation? A queen bee 190-220mg, lays up to 2000 eggs at a time. Fertilized eggs become female worker bees and new queen bee. of Unfertilized eggs, up to 20%, produce male bees or drones. Using pheromones “scent” she controls the worker bees in activities including rearing of limited new queens. Drones weigh 170-300mg, avails free boarding & lodging to partner with the queen bee to produce the next generation bees, as needed. 

Honeybee’s eyes have thousands of light-collecting units called ommatidia. Each ommatidia is an individual mini camera with cornea, lens, and photoreceptor cells. They create a 360° panoramic view of its surroundings to detect rapid movement, colour and UV light.  Compared to human vision, this mosaic image is poor in resolution and sharpness. With a demonstration, I wanted to make the children to understand this point. Turning on the panoramic mode, I gave them my cell phone to shoot videos while completing a full circle After initial hiccups, they got the videos and after viewing them said, “It is not picture perfect, but we get your point. 

Want to know, why do they sting? They don’t unless you disturb them. You see that beehive; it is well above the reach of us. They are careful to avoid human interference. In a chorus, they said, “Grandpa, give us a break.” I understood and herded them towards the restraint for the much need fill for them and a respite for my voice box.  Refreshed, they wanted me to continue. 

“It is hard to imagine what sort of science and engineering are involved in the construction of the comb and production of honey.  The bees have wisely chosen the hexagonal honeycomb structure. The reasons are the hexagonal hollow cells offer living space, distribute loads, effectively manage heat, don’t shear or buckle easily. This pattern covers maximum area with minimum of material usage to build an exceptionally lightweight, load-bearing structure with high energy absorption and stiffness. Turning to ‘war machines” enthusiastic grandson, I pointed it out that we have adopted these fundamentals in aerospace applications, to dissipate destructive energy in structures built for impact resistance and seismic protection. 

My granddaughter asked, “How do they form the hexagon cells!” I am about to come there next. Do you remember what I said in the beginning about science and engineering? The bees construct array of tubes, stacked one over the other and not hexagonal tubes. The worker bees sit inside the tubes and use an ingenious trick to form hexagonal cells - body heat to soften the mixed wax and adhesive. Fluid dynamics does the rest! 

Like in our world, science glues the engineered materials in the honeycomb also. Taking their confused look as a green signal, I started explaining the chemical process involved in manufacturing the materials and the geometrical trick combined with physics used to fabricate the hexagonal cells to build the comb. I expected a barrage of question but heard only the rustling of leaves. The grandchildren have gone in to deep trance to digest the chemistry, physics and geometry as probably it all reminded them of some coaching classes!

Why do we do what we do? 360

This made Imaginch to book a flight ticket to an imaginary destination, where he would be all alone to mull over this weighty question? Even if the answer eluded him, he would have the satisfaction of getting twisted in his own web of reasonings.  

Even before his flight of imagination reached the cruising altitude, severe turbulence struck. The aircraft along with the passengers in his imaginary flight wanted only to land at the first available agricultural field or a riverbed without protruding boulders. At this turbulent hit journey, Imaginch made a brilliant literary move. 

To make the topic personal to the readers, he decided to leave the narrative with this recurring question: why do we do what we do?, in different forms aligned with the context. With this masterstroke he had vested the readers, if any, with the choice of either finding the answer or ignoring the question! He had thus ensured a safe landing for that imaginary flight! 

An impulse, an instinct or an aversion?  Imaginch wanted to do a litmus paper test. The problem cropped up when he had to find the subjects willing to dip into the acid or alkali bath he could prepare, based on the subject. Now he ended up with a problem tagged with a willingness and preference criterion. Acting on his own impulse, he stepped out into the street that was neither busy, nor calm. Occasionally, a e-scooter or EV car entered from one end and disappeared by the other. 

That neither busy nor calm atmosphere changed, when a person doing his morning walk appeared. A few steps behind him a street dog hesitantly followed him. Both of them disappeared from his view and Imaginch started to wonder what would have made the dog do what it was doing? He had found his first subject for asking that question ‘why we do what we do?  

Later in the day, he visited the nearby bank branch. A sparsely crowd inside the premises gladdened his heart with the thought that his work would be over in minutes. 

Something stirred in his mind with that odd feeling of unease. He just moved out of the premises and hurried home, not knowing why he did it. Later at home the idiot but smart box had the answer - two earth shaking quakes that have occurred though in other continents. Psychic? How could he hear acoustic waves operating below the threshold of human perception? Now he had another thought, was the dog trying to forewarn the walker, that something was in the air?  If not, then why it did what it did? 

The first rays or the predawn twilight is the signal for the birds. The chatter of birds, in different pitch and notes start in right earnest. Do they have that much news about the previous night to share with each other? Or do they talk about concerns for the upcoming day? By noon time, why their chatters die down to a few sporadic calls, interspaced with heavy silence? 

Imaginch wondered. What were they exchanging at sunrise and why the radio silence at noon or there abouts? In the evenings, why it was a cacophony of sorts with all of them exerting their lung power to be heard over the others. Could not they talk it out, as and when possible, rather than waiting for the day's end? Why they do what they do?

Anywhere in a public place, standing in a queue often brings out acts that upset the others in the same line. By squirming, worming and badgering, one person will try to position himself among the few, at the head of the queue. This action apart, the explanation or excuses by him will range from slapstick comedy to abysmal tragedy, stirring the anger in others down the lengthy line. All for not wanting to wait like the others!  Why people do what they do?  

As kids, they wanted to wear full pants when the norm was for half pants. College and beyond they want to wear only half pants or cargo pants with multiple pockets, when the full pants could enhance the elegance of their persona. Moving up on the generation ladder, the senior citizens happily join the parade with the grandchildren, in matching or competing attire of half pants and cargo pants. The sandwich-agers, the old school lot, are left wondering why they do what they do? 

It is a common experience whenever assistance requested gets cold shouldered without even straining to shrug the shoulders by the other person. Is it a way to silently express disinterest?  

Why not gather some courage and promptly utter the words " some other time!" Will this not help to close the door gently rather than leaving it ajar? But why instead people do what they do?

Children were reluctant and found excuses to avoid opening textbooks in front of you or sitting by your side. Now, the grandchildren show much more reluctance and have a carton of excuses and DBMS (do by myself) routine to even open their school bags. Then and now why the old generation did/does it what it did/does? Why people do what they do? 

After a few days, a reader left a lengthy comment which ran like this.

For curiosity’s sake, don’t start analysing actions of others. Remember only the curious cats get killed. When you had questions, you should have got them settled then and there. Is there any use now, in crying over spilled milk? Even that milk, would have already been lapped up by a kitten or pup.

After reading, did Imaginch get upset? On the contrary he was glad that someone had the hammer to hit the all-nails home.

Part -2 Mooshik is at it again ! 336

Ganesha, I agree that you are a divine appointee and at the same time act as an easily approachable personal god. Rich or poor is not a consideration while you assist them to tide over crises, knowing fully well that they had brought them upon themselves by their own acts. Will you clarify this doubt for me, as me being your ever-present co-squatter on way side, shelter less abodes you select as dispensing points? 

Ganesha, after getting tired of subsiding the growls from his ample bowels, spared Mooshik a withering look. Realising his action, he immediately sent a cold wave to soften the effect and prevent Mooshik from vapourising on the spot. He signalled a “proceed”. 

Taking the cue, Mooshik asked, “When in fix, people fire appeals to super, semi and lesser gods. To doubly make sure, they visit godmen, roadmen, astrologers, parrot & tarot card readers. You will get a clear picture by imagining a number of people throwing stones to drop a fruit from a tree! If a successful fix is found, then the manpasand choice by the devotee, as the winner of his appeals, could be anyone from the super god to the tarot card reader! How the devotee is able to keep all of them in check and in suspense, till the result is declared?” 

Mooshik’s rambling itself was confusing whether it a question or a doubt. This reminded Ganesha that the doubt or question was like a mirror and a twin edged sword - only need to rotate by 180⁰, whether clockwise or anticlockwise does not matter. If he does not settle this doubt or question, he knew Moshik would have succeeded in showing him the mirror or taking a jab at him with the sword. 

To ponder over this dilemma and searching for a probable cause to exit now, he declared, “Mooshik, we are due to grace with our presence in the new wayside temple being consecrated, under a peepal tree. Must be little cool there with ample shade.  In a temple, a devotee is the king. Let us move.” 

Upset and taken aback, Mooshik murmured, “You conveniently forgot to mention about the birds that are patiently waiting to decorate us with tattoos!” 

Ganesh ignored this sarcastic remark and started moving out. With no other alternative, Mooshik followed in the shadow of his Lord. It was unusually a hot day! 

“Mooshik, it appears you have not yet completely come out of your earlier avatar.”

“No, My Lord. My doubt is based on credible intelligence I have gathered, as of now and here in this avatar.”

“Mooshik. Know this. People choose options. Gods give them choices.”

“When given the choice, then why they go for options?”

“A good question. A wrong choice and they end up with options to appeal to someone to correct or condone the wrong choice they have made. Answer this, “A while ago, you spoke of credible intelligence, by any chance it is from non-believers? And my suspicion is on three persons, who have been trying to cause a rift between us.”

“No. No, my Lord, the three persons you are suspecting are not per se non-believers but they only question the application of belief.”

“If not to undermine the devotion, what else could be their end game?”

“They are striving to weed out pseudo-devotion, which always works on a basis, and to purify the murky water by filtration and clarification. They are the vocal votaries of ‘something for nothing’”.

“Mooshik, why do you think this is crowd different from the quid pro quo crowd? Now also, are they, the vocal votaries, not asking “something” from us for doing “nothing” to us?” 

My Lord, here the “something’ means devotion and “for nothing” signifies without expectations.

Mooshik has coolly introduced another dimension to the concept of devotion and Ganesha’s worry was how to make the devotees to understand and act according to this doctrine. In what way, the act of people throwing stones at the fruit is connected to Mooshik’s doubt or question? Is he confused are trying to confuse me. Ganesha held his head in both the hands and thought for a while. Mooshik waited patiently for Ganesha to speak.

The stone and the fruit giving him a hint, Ganesha asked “suppose none of them could drop the fruit, what they would do?

“They will move to another tree and try again!”

“Supposing this attempt also becomes fruitless, what options do they have?”

“Go in search of a low hanging fruit in another tree!” 

Having brought Mooshik to where he wanted, Ganesha explained, “If the first attempt fails, the quid pro quo devotees will trim their faith on parrot and tarot card readers. Next, they will find no use for and do away with the soothsayers and astrologers. This will be followed by sidelining the godmen and demigods. Now, have they not brought enough pressure on the personal gods and super gods?” 

The deluge of possible options outlined by Ganesha left Mooshik speechless. Ganesha exhorted Mooshik to say something, just anything other than nothing.

Beaten by the Master in the game of riddles, Mooshik meekly asked, “My Lord, how do you manage this pressure?”

Ganesha vigourously flapped his elephantine ears and rubbed his hands with glee and said, “Though divine certified, neither am I a super god nor counted among the ranks of semi gods.” 

This unexpected answer jolted Mooshik with an array of power packed lightning bolts. Braving this shock, he asked, “Then what are you, my Lord? And why devotees are not putting you under pressure?” 

Once again, Ganesh succeeded in bringing Moshik to where he wanted him and said, “To reply in your own words - I am a something God wanting nothing. Many have realised this and so started consecrating temples by the waysides. Even the birds decorating us with tattoos follow this ‘something for nothing’ philosophy.

Do one thing, bring the vocal votaries of this philosophy to me at once. I would like to gather my own intelligence on what other philosophical branches they have climbed! No harm in being forewarned or being prepared. Who knows what is in store?” 

“How come they leave you alone without applying pressure?”

“Being the go-to personal god and residing in wayside abodes work in our favour. They think that with all the devotees clamouring to be heard, come to the conclusion ‘maybe Ganesha is attending to serious problems and surely our turn will come’ or ‘right now he is helpless to even shift a small boulder to help us’ and so on. They become wise after some time.  Mooshik, a few moments ago, you were reluctant to come out for this consecration, and do you understand now, why we are living in peace?” 

Mooshik shut his trap, tucked his tail and decided to sit in this new abode - at a lower berth and to the right or left side of Ganesha, as the consecrators have decided to place him.

ChintaMany's bare body dream: 361

Of the many REM cycles, ChintaMany landed himself as a witness in a swearing-in ceremony. He got the impression that it was being globally televised. On the podium, a lean figure looking straight into the television cameras and started to take oath of office. The mark of the land slide victory still clung to his attire and hairs. The sandy hair appearance managed to add an extra elegance to his simplicity. 

What came next, simply shook ChintaMany like many earthquakes simultaneously striking at the same place. He had watched telecasts of many oath taking ceremonies. But this telecast made the cake and walked away with it. He wondered how the self-proclaimed guardians of constitution and protocol pundits would react to this historic, unique and out of the earth thinking oath taking speech. 

"I....., in the name of honesty, truth and humbleness solemnly confirm that I have no more than one bank account and none in offshore or deep-sea safe havens. I do not have any pending case, criminal, civil or of any other classification anywhere in the world. Even then I have never moved a court for it to recuse or refused to accept and honour its summons, even though nothing was sent. 

I have no business empire, especially the money laundering type, as I am allergic to dry cleaned clothes. With my meagre earnings how can I spend money on laundering, fashionable suits and accoutrements like diamond studded watch, imported shoes, spectacles etc.  

I don't have any traffic violation citations as I don't own even a bicycle.  I don't have any passport as I have neither business interests nor dealings with foreign nationals and their foundations, agencies or governments.  I have not signed on any piece of paper by way of M O U or I O U. 

Importantly, with no valuables worth the price tag, even ordinary thieves do not attempt raid my house and knowing this, where is the question of IT and ED officials mounting a raid? "

ChintaMany super tuned his ears not to miss out on other political gems falling out during the oath taking speech. He was not disappointed. 

"I am the only politician in my family with little interest in politics and the others have stopped talking to me when I announced my intention to contest. I give assurance that allegation of nepotism or raising of nepo kids has no chance to breath down my soiled collar. 

Most importantly and as a CBM (confidence building measure) here and now, in front of you all, I am submitting my undated resignation letter, now in front of you all. This is to assure that I will not cling to power when defeated.  

In this letter, undated, I assure that I will vacate the official residence after 24 hr of my electoral defeat and giving authorisation to change the lock of the official residence. I am prepared to get locked out, if defeated. 

Vowing to lead austerity measures, the cabinet meetings will be served only with a cup of tea or coffee and two biscuits. The cost will be borne by me and my fellow cabinet ministers, every time." 

The acceptance speech was going great guns and as ChintaMany waited for some more to come crashing into the citadel of power mongers and chair-clingers, something squishy and cold fell on his person.  

He sat up with a start and cursed the hot, humid weather and the stout lizard as the uninvited villains.  He was sleeping with minimal clothing to beat the heat and yet somehow, he had fallen into a deep sleep. 

He started to worry whether did he really fall asleep or that too was a dream? 

The oath taking ceremony lingered and dissolved from his mental screen as if the projector had been switched off.  

ChintaMany felt extremely distressed by the fact that the speech would have certainly touched upon policies, policing, law and order, judiciary and governance. He blamed the lizard for literally pouring cold water (squishy, cold body) on his once in a lifetime dream, which was heading towards providing a turning point and a roadmap on how politics could be, forever.