Spot the 6 differences!

Magazines of the past carried a constant fixture called “Spot the 6 differences!” It was impossible to flip the page once you saw the two pictures. You hopelessly succumbed to the temptation.

The first few minutes punctured your self-esteem. The pictures were exact copies, and not one difference could be spotted, leave alone 6! You wondered if someone pasted identical images to send you on a wild goose chase!

You stared at the pictures unblinkingly- the tree and the bird, the man and his dress. You had half a mind to punch the editor in the nose, for incorporating this activity and wasting your time. Just when you were about to give up, you spotted the first difference. The bird’s beak was parted in one but closed in the other! Your kicked yourself, “How did I miss this?”  Once the first hurdle was crossed, you were on a roll. Other differences bubbled up- the hat had a different design, and the shoelace was untied. Eventually, the fort was conquered, and pleased as punch, you turned the page.

Later in the day, your sister questioned if you spotted all the differences. Apparently, she could find only 4. “It was so simple!” you lied. For effect, you pompously mimicked Sherlock Holmes, “You see, but you do not observe!”

Now, you were pulled up to explain the differences.  In a moment of indiscretion, you took up the challenge. Quickly, you reeled off all 6. But there was an objection, “That is only 4. You counted the hat twice!” Irritation turned to anger as your credibility was in doubt. You raised your voice and asserted, “Bird’s beak: one!” “Man’s hat: two!” This time, the fingers stayed upraised at two and you could count no more!  

It was unbelievable. That you had solved the problem once, was history.  It was a brand-new problem yet again. How much it toyed with your patience! At the end of it, you gave up and turned to the page that carried the answers printed upside down. It was a humbling moment. The oversight was so obvious. In one picture, the man’s hand was resting on the hip; it was hanging down in the other!

Humans are strange beings! Where there are no problems, he invents one, just to whet his problem-solving appetite. Apparently, crosswords and puzzles keep the mind alert as we age! “Spot the 6 differences” falls in the same category. It is heartening that this innocuous tease has such lofty goals!

Meanwhile, it is another day, with a new “spot the 6 differences”. You avoid eye-contact and quickly turn the page. Something snaps- you dither and go back! You are sucked into the whirlpool all over again!

 

The name game!

Remembering names is not easy. The problem starts at the beginning- right at the point when you ask someone’s name. That moment is distracting- you are either scrutinizing the face, or shaking hands, or focusing on telling your name, that you miss the reply completely. Seconds later, you are unsure whether it was Mahesh or Sunil. Even now, there is a possibility for course correction. You can ask a second time, “Sorry! I did not get your name!” Leave this chance also, and you are forever doomed to play a catch-up game.

He could be someone in your work-place cab. Each day, you converse, and familiarity grows. Soon, you have chatted on all topics ranging from office politics to Cricket. Once you hit this phase, you cannot suddenly bring up the topic, “What is your name?” You try surreptitious methods- try to peek at his badge. Or check his name when he signs against the cab attendance register. Or beat around the bush by asking, “Whom do you report to at work?” Later, you cross-check the reporting-chain directory to find his name. Meanwhile, friendship continues, and you are now thick pals. While he calls you by your name, you are forced to take recourse to “how are you doing man?”, to add that element of cheeriness to the conversation!

The problem gets compounded when a third person joins the same cab. One day, catching you by the office café, Mr. Third enquires, “What is the name of that talkative person in our cab?” You are now caught napping. You blurt out, “I don’t know!” It leaves Mr. Third totally confused, “But I thought you knew him well!” You sheepishly reply, “I do! I just do not know his name! Can you find out? By the way, what is your name?” Mr. Third backs off, totally alarmed!

The pandemic has wiped the mind clean! Virtual working has ensured that you thankfully retain the names of those you regularly contact. But when it comes to the secondary circle of associations, they have faded away. After 2 years, you meet one of them. You recall the face very well. But the name eludes- it is at the tip of the tongue, but you cannot spit it out!

Self-doubt creeps in- Is it ageing, or has corona eaten away memory? The fact is- the mind has its own mind. It is a hyperactive, mischievous child. The more you are vexed with the mind, the more it toys with you! Leave the mind alone, and out of the blue, someday, somewhere, it bubbles up the name! The Eureka moment is sudden! “That was Hari!” You smile at yourself! “How did I forget his name?”

Spoilt by salesmen!

Buying shoes in the US follows a fixed procedure. You head to one of the sprawling malls. The sheer variety of shoes numbs you. You need help from the attendant on the floor, “I am looking for formal shoes. Can you help me?” His answer is clipped, “Sir, Aisle 3A! You can search by the shoe-number!” You cannot fault him for he has conveyed the information, regardless of the business-like tone. After some fruitless sole searching in Aisle 3A, you lose interest. You decide to postpone the purchase and buy the shoes in India!

The moment you walk into a shoe-shop in India, the attendant latches onto you. He does not care for the shoe-number that you tell him. Who knows, the foot may have grown or changed shape. With the precision of an optometrist, he brings out the foot-measuring instrument. Placing your foot on the instrument’s incline, he scrutinizes it, and shouts a number in the vernacular.

The shop has a false ceiling with a little aperture. Like manna from heaven, multiple boxes rain down and fall with a thud. Gleaming black shoes emerge from the boxes. He dusts off the shoes, with a clap of the heels! He puts the shoe on you, easing it with a heel-scoop. He is not satisfied with the fitting as he feels for your big toe. One more shout and more shoes rain down! This time, he is sure, and ties the lace for you. He asks you to take a stroll. It feels right, but you wonder if it is a tad loose. No problem, he has a spare pair of socks ready! With the socks on, it feels perfect as you glance at yourself in the side-mirror!

By now, the attendant has tiny cups of hot tea ready. It is an offer you cannot resist! With the size decided, the salesman spoils you with choices in formal wear- black-shoes, brown-shoes, shoes without laces, shoes with prominent heels and even a shoe that curls up at the end, like royal footwear!

He entices you with more and more footwear variants- walking-shoes, running-shoes, and home-wear slip-ons. He bends the entire shoe in half to demonstrate how flexible and comfortable it feels. If your wife is by your side, he deftly changes the track, “And for you sister? We have some elegant slippers!”

All you wanted was one shoe. At the end of the purchase, you carry a dozen bags- shoes, socks, polish, foot-powder, Hawaii-chappals, and a lot more! Your wallet is lighter, but the self-indulgence is fulfilling. The old shoes are abandoned at the shop as you walk off with the new pair! There is a newfound spring in your steps!

 

Power-cut!

As children, we looked forward to power-cuts, especially those in the late evenings and nights! The suddenness of it made it thrilling. You froze like a statue and held the pose, as though arrested in movement. If you tried to move, you stumbled over chair-ends and side-tables or worse, stepped on someone’s foot!

As you peered out of the balcony, the urban landscape was straight out of a fairy-tale. The neighborhood looked grotesque, draped in just the light of the moon and stars! There was an irresistible urge to add to the spookiness by mimicking all kinds of sounds! A clip-clop of a galloping horse with its loud neighing was a top favorite! You created eerie sound-effects- the bark of an angry dog, the bleat of a goat, and the protracted sound of wailing-wind! Ghosts and spirits seemed to get a new lease of life when the darkness was total!

You grinned in the pitch darkness, cocksure that these antics would provoke your elder sister. That was the intent anyway. Her protest was quick and predictable, “Can you stop this nonsense now and stay quiet?” There was never an answer to my counter-question, “You are scared, isn’t it?”

Occasionally, a building in the distance was completely lit up while we stayed enveloped in darkness. That was a bitter pill to swallow. You seethed with anger at the unfairness of it all!

Back then, there were no power generators. You waited till the current was back, sometimes, after several hours. Power-cuts gave you freedom to do nothing! It was a ready excuse to skip homework and study-time. You felt on top of the moon! Soon, mother brought out the candles and placed them at strategic spots around the house. Dinner was served in the candlelight. In that mellow lighting, even curd-rice had an added aura!

Power-cuts helped to unleash your creative potential. The play of shadows on the wall created immense possibilities. Against the wall-canvas, father used his fingers with dexterity. An entire world of shadow-puppets emerged. It was accompanied with appropriate sound-effects, like a full-scale light-and-sound show! There was the shadow of an old man, complete with a bald head and tuft, whose mouth and chin quivered as he spoke gibberish. There were barking dogs, prancing deer and flying birds. Parrots perched on branches and swans stuck their neck out! It was difficult to distinguish the parent from the child!

When the electricity was back, the end could not be more anti-climactic. You blinked, overwhelmed by the blinding light all around. The fun ended abruptly, and now, you had to go back to the pedestrian routine. How you wished, there was no light and only darkness!