The O saga

Indian culture is consortium of festivals, which gives a reason to take out time from our busy lives and live the moment. Today is one such auspicious day. One of the three and a half auspicious muhurats, as said in Maharashtra.

 

So let me wish all my Maharashtrian friends, A very Happy Gudi Padwa & a Happy new year, and Happy Ugadi to my south Indian friends. A festival is always cherished by us, Indians, isn’t it ? It keeps us going.

Early morning, on this new day, a funny thing happened. Everyone was busy with work at hand. I was squatting on floor with newspaper spread. For some unknown reason, I turned, to see an old familiar face. He stood looking at us. A loud “Huh” erupted out of me. Every head turned. My brain suddenly went into a blank phase for a second. Somehow it found it’s answer and I was back. I offered the uncle a seat and water. O ?

The talks began. All possible subjects were touched, old housing, new towers, trains, buses, malls, old neighbours, their new housing, their news, etc. My hands were working on Sudoku, my ears on their talks and brain sorting it’s confusion. Our brain is such an enigma, it’s a subject of great research. I analysed the situation and I got my answer. Actually the uncle had a great resemblance with ‘O’. And when I saw him, for the initial second, my brain went into an flickering state, if he’s O or not.

 

There is a funny story about the alias O. A decade back we had a neighbour, the Thanekar family. Like all Maharashtrian wives(earlier generations), the aunty used to call her husband O, like, O went, O came, O said, O told. In a time, O replaced his first name. The neighbours started calling him O, later even the children followed the suite. And now people recognize him as O.

 

So coming back, the uncle who was standing before me resembled so much to O. His reddened eyes, his dress, his drooping posture, was too similar to baffle any live brain. It brought back the words I’d told my neighbour just a few days back. “You know, people who look alike have more in common. Their talks, dressing sense, their choice are also to much extent, similar”, I’d told her. And this uncle sitting next to me just corroborates my conclusion.

 

After the uncle left, my mom came to me and asked, You thought he’s O, right ? Yes. We all laughed. Seems he baffled all of us :)

 

I wonder what algorithm God uses to create his next being. Any guesses ?